How to Pop Your Ear: 5 Easy Ways
If you are reading this chances are really high that at least once in your life you have experienced a painful or annoying sensation in your ears feeling full or clogged. The medical term for this is called ear barotrauma.
Typically, this sensation is common to happen when a person is feeling sick or experiencing changing altitude. You are most likely to experience barotrauma when flying on an airplane, driving up a mountain, or descending during scuba diving.
The question is how you can pop your ear and get relief comfortability in your ears. Read on to discover the details!
Causes of ears getting clogged:
The best way to fully understand how to pop your ear is to discover the cause of clogging. In general, there are three primary causes of clogged ears. Let’s review them in detail.
Eustachian tube blockage: This is one of the most common causes of a clogged ear. Here is how it works. The eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the throat. Through this tube fluid and mucus flow from the ear to the back of the throat, where it is swallowed.
However, sometimes fluid and mucus can become trapped in the middle ear and clog the ear instead of flowing down the throat. Typically, this blockage can be accompanied by various infections, such as the common cold, sinusitis, or influenza.
Changes in altitude: As discussed earlier experiencing rapid change in altitude can cause temporary ear clogging. Usually, rapid air pressure changes outside the body, like in cases when a person is scuba diving, driving up a mountain, or flying in an airplane can cause such blockage.
In most cases, ear clogging is the only side effect of an altitude change. However, experiencing headaches, nausea, or shortness of breath can be common if you also develop high-altitude sickness.
Earwax: In general, earwax can be a great protection method for your ear by cleansing the ear canal and stopping debris from entering the ear.
However, sometimes due to various human interventions (Cotton Swabs, ear buds, or any other foreign objects being inserted into the ear canal) it can cause blockage in the ear. In such cases other symptoms may also include the following:
- Ear-ache
- Itchy ears
- Dizziness
- Tinnitus or ringing in the ears
How to Pop Your Ear Tip 1: Yawning
One of the most effective methods of popping your ear is yawning, which also helps with the eustachian tube. In cases when you can’t cue or yawn, you can as well try to fake it. Try to open your mouth as wide as possible, and breathe in and out. This might cause the same result.
Try this several times every few minutes until your ears pop. Usually, you will hear or feel a “pop” whenever the air pressure inside and outside your ears equal.
How to Pop Your Ear Tip 2: Swallowing
The next method to effectively pop your ear is swallowing.
Swallowing helps your muscles to automatically open the eustachian tube, which as mentioned earlier connects the middle ear to the back of your nose.
Chewing gum can also be an effective alternative that can help activate this response.
How to Pop Your Ear Tip 3: Blowing your nose
Typically, blocked eustachian tubes can get better by themselves over time. At the same time if you want to pop your ear and get rid of the uncomfortable feeling you can try this simple exercise. Start with closing your mouth, hold your nose, and then gently blow as if you are blowing your nose.
Earwax removal
At times when the ear canal is fully blocked, medical intervention may be required to remove the obstruction from your ears. There are three main ways which are used by medically trained professionals – Suction, irrigation and various hand tools like curettes or forceps.
While the methods mentioned above can be effective in relieving the pressure in your ear, there can also be cases where you will need specific even more professional help at a hearing clinic in Toronto.
Concluding Thoughts
As discussed in this article, clogged ears can have various unpleasant health consequences, both short term, and long term. While there can be various easy ways to effectively pop your ear, in some complications it is better to seek professional help and guidance.
Our caring experts are always ready to keep your hearing in top shape.
Don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule a full examination and discuss any hearing problems.