4 Reasons Why Your Ears May Feel Clogged

Have you ever felt your ears clog up for no reason? Have you ever heard muffle sounds when there was nothing obstructing your ear canals?

Here are four typical reasons why your ears may feel clogged. 

Impacted earwax 

Earwax is generally a great way for your body to protect your ears. It helps to catch dirt and other particles by acting as a coating, and it easily falls out of your ear canal on its own, serving as a way of self-cleaning. In some cases, the earwax can become impacted and influence how well you can hear.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery have listed the following symptoms as an indication that earwax is probably causing an issue:
    

• Coughing
• An earache
• Feelings of a blockage in the ear(s)
• Itching, odor or discharge from the ear
• Partial hearing loss
• Tinnitus, a buzzing, humming, or ringing in the ear

Do not try to remove the earwax by using a cotton swab, baby oil, or hydrogen peroxide. You could unintentionally puncture your eardrum or push the earwax further into your ear canal, which can become impacted. Getting rid of this naturally occurring, protective lubricant can cause dry, itchy ears.Find out whether your ears need to be thoroughly cleaned by discussing it with a professional.     

Ear fluid

​Swimmers generally encounter this problem more than others. Occasionally, non-swimmers can also get fluid in their ears. Fluid build-up in the ear can happen for a number of reasons: 

• Ear infections: Adults and children who develop middle ear infections may also encounter a feeling of clogged ears because of fluid that becomes built-up behind the eardrum. This problem normally gets resolved on its own, but may be painful. Call a professional healthcare provider if the pain worsens, if you experience a discharge of fluids or if any symptoms last longer than 24 hours. Children who are under six-months should be seen right away.      
• Swimming or bathing: Earwax helps prevent water from getting into your ear when swimming or bathing. In some cases, water can get stuck inside the Eustachian tubes after a swim, bath or from being in a moist environment. You can try these techniques to try and drain your ear: tiling your head to the side and gently tug at your ear lobes, place a warm compress on the affected ear to help open up the Eustachian tubes to allow the water to naturally drain, chew, yawn, breath deeply or engage in the Valsalva maneuver, which requires pinching your nostrils shut and gently blowing.
• Damage from noise: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most prevalent kind of sensorineural hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 40 million Americans suffer from hearing loss in one or both ears due to long-term, excessive noise exposure or a one-time exposure from a very loud noise, like an explosion.

Excessive noise exposure

This can cause feelings of clogged ears or tinnitus. You may have felt this after going to a crowded sports stadium or concert. These symptoms normally go away within 48 hours, but it’s always a good idea to prevent this from happening by:

• Wear earplugs or earmuffs if noise levels exceed 85 decibels (dB). You can download an app on your smartphone to measure noise levels. 
• Reduce the volume on your TV, stereo or personal devices where you use earbuds.
• If you are unable to protect your hearing from loud noises or lower the volume, try your best to distance yourself from the sound source.
• Have you ever experienced a stuffy nose or feelings of tenderness in your face due to sinus pressure? In some cases sinus pressure can also induce temporary hearing loss. The sinus cavities are hollow areas that are located in your bones near your nose and between your eyes. These cavities are also found by the ear canal. Inflammation that flares up in your sinus cavities may cause your Eustachian tubes to swell up. If this happens, the link that connects your middle ear and throat closes up. As a result, pressure is placed on the eardrum and causes the blocked up feeling in the ear, or pain and hearing loss. 

Pressure due to sinuses

Hearing loss, due to sinus infections, pressure or sinusitis, is usually temporary. Hearing should go back to normal when the sinus congestion clears up. ​If you, or a loved one, experience pain or unexpected hearing loss from sinus congestion, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. You can have your hearing evaluated. An initial test will help you, and your hearing healthcare provider, monitor your hearing health.

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