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Era, what's your go-to foolproof #1 method to unplug your ears without damaging them?
- Thread starter Dan-o
- Start date
- Weekend Era
If its ear wax/dead skin you'll need to use some peroxide/distilled water mix and flush your ear with that. DeBrox is another solution, but you should still rinse out after DeBrox. If you're not averse to going to the store, they sell DeBrox kits with a bulb for rinsing. Personally, I bought a kit that has a spray bottle with a tube that goes into your ear and it feels divine.
There is no foolproof way. When I flew on two flights in 24 hours last month it took my ears a full week to fully unpop.
I did hold my nose shut and try to blow through it though and that helped a little.
I did hold my nose shut and try to blow through it though and that helped a little.
OP
OP
This is America. What's that going to cost me, like $250? ;)
I need homebrew methods here folks.
I've got a stuffy nose that turned into a stuffy ear and I have not yet figured out any way to remedy the situation
1) Pinch nose and blow like blowing your nose
2) Put your tongue to the roof of your mouth, forming a seal in your mouth. Now perform the action like you're trying to force mucus up from the back of your throat up and do it super hard as long as you can. While doing this, purse your lips like you've got something super sour in your mouth. You won't be breathing at this point so do it as long as you can, and repeat as needed. This will form like a vacuum seal in the back of your throat and it's helped me to unplug my ears in the past.
#2 above is one I've used on flights before. #1 can sometimes make my ears hurt, and I found #2 to be a more gentle way of convincing my ears to pop.
2) Put your tongue to the roof of your mouth, forming a seal in your mouth. Now perform the action like you're trying to force mucus up from the back of your throat up and do it super hard as long as you can. While doing this, purse your lips like you've got something super sour in your mouth. You won't be breathing at this point so do it as long as you can, and repeat as needed. This will form like a vacuum seal in the back of your throat and it's helped me to unplug my ears in the past.
#2 above is one I've used on flights before. #1 can sometimes make my ears hurt, and I found #2 to be a more gentle way of convincing my ears to pop.
Lay on your side and get some hydrogen peroxide in there and let it sit and then empty out. Repeat until you stop hearing the fizzing in your ear
This works and is easy as hell
This works and is easy as hell
Warm water out of the shower head or sink straight into your ears. Don't use your fingers or anything else potentially enclosing the opening of your ear canal and building pressure. Just pull your ear back straightening the canal and let warm water flow in and out. You can increase the pressure of the flow very slightly.
Debrox for 15 minutes.
Then use the bulb to loosen/dislodge it with warm water.
Been doing this for 15+ years ever since my ears got clogged in collglege. Went to the nurse and that's what they did, I swear after they cleared both ears I was like Bobby Hill on Ritalin or whatever. "there's some milk in the fridge that's about to go bad.... And there it goes"
Then use the bulb to loosen/dislodge it with warm water.
Been doing this for 15+ years ever since my ears got clogged in collglege. Went to the nurse and that's what they did, I swear after they cleared both ears I was like Bobby Hill on Ritalin or whatever. "there's some milk in the fridge that's about to go bad.... And there it goes"
Peroxide or buy an earwax removal kit that comes with a bulb. The kit I have is Equate brand from Walmart and it was like $6.50. It has carbamide peroxide. Lay down, put it in your ear and let it sit for about five minutes. Rinse out using the bulb and warm water. May need to do it a few times before you get all the gunk out.
hydrogen peroxide
you can buy kits specifically made for earwax removal at like the pharmacy or walmart or whatever.
you can buy kits specifically made for earwax removal at like the pharmacy or walmart or whatever.
Seconding this. Buy a kit with the bulb. Let the carbamide peroxide do its thing and then rinse a few times with warm water.
They sell the kits on Amazon (and I think Walgreens/CVS) that the nurse practitioners use in the offices to unplug the ears. It helps to have someone help you with it though. As others said, use the peroxide (should come with the kit) and drop some drops into your ear, keep it in there for about 5-10 minutes..... Then fill up the water bottle/spray/flusher/whatever filled with warm water and pump that into your ear. This is where the other pair of eyes can help so they can angle it in a way to where it should go behind the wax and force it out.
Be very careful of anything that uses pressure. That can permanently fuck up your ear.
And if you put liquid in your ear, even water, then it can get trapped behind your eardrum and will be hell.
As someone who's had chronic ear problems for 20 years I would leave it alone and sleep on that side in case there's any liquid in there that can come out through gravity.
If it's just congestion it'll likely clear up on its own, unless you have PET, which you probably don't.
If it's wax, then get it taken care of by a nurse or whomever, but not with a suction device.
And if you put liquid in your ear, even water, then it can get trapped behind your eardrum and will be hell.
As someone who's had chronic ear problems for 20 years I would leave it alone and sleep on that side in case there's any liquid in there that can come out through gravity.
If it's just congestion it'll likely clear up on its own, unless you have PET, which you probably don't.
If it's wax, then get it taken care of by a nurse or whomever, but not with a suction device.
This happened to me once. Wasn't wax, ear doctor didn't see anything at all. It just went away on its own a few weeks later and never came back.
OP
OP
Yep. Doctor once told me I had deep thin canals (phrasing!!) so wax build up is just a part of life. Can't keep doing Dr visits every time it happens.
Biology and physiology are crazy. My wife never has ear wax issues. Mean while I'm like what, not everyone has to do this to unclog their ears?
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In my case I can just flex the insides of my inner ear to force them to pop. Hooray for bizarre muscle control!
The carbamide peroxide solution and water bulb are pretty foolproof after you get the hang of it.
If you want to dry your ear out at this point, use some drops to prevent swimmers ear.
That's the process I've used for myself and my kids for a few years.
- Take a long, warm shower. Lots of steam, etc and try to get some warm water into your ears.
- Get some good, clean warm water in a cup big enough to use with the water bulb. Leave near the sink with the bulb.
- Take some tissue with you to the bed.
- Lay on your side in bed, put 4-5 drops of the carbamide peroxide solution into the ear facing up. You need to feel it trickle down into the ear canal - you'll know when it gets there.
- Wait like that at least 5 minutes. If this is really bad, wait closer to 10 minutes.
- Put the tissue in your ear to keep the solution from getting out and get up and go to the sink.
- Holding your ear down toward the sink, fill the bulb with warm water and put it just into the opening of your ear canal.
- DO NOT PLUG THE OPENING. Water has to go in but also get back out in the next step.
- Flush your ear with the warm water repeatedly. If there's stuff in there, it will start to come out in bits.
- If it doesn't feel like you cleared it out, repeat steps 2-9 again immediately.
If you want to dry your ear out at this point, use some drops to prevent swimmers ear.
That's the process I've used for myself and my kids for a few years.