Ear Congestion

Ear congestion is one of the most common problems that many people face. In fact, most of us have suffered from this condition at some time or the other. At times, this feeling of fullness in the ears may be due to a transient environmental condition, as is seen due to pressure changes, like when traveling by air, or the congestion may be due to a disease that has led to clogging in the ears. Whatever may be the reason, this condition leads to a lot of unrest, and at times, can also be very painful.

Symptoms of Congested Ears

• Ear congestion itself is a symptom rather than a disease or disorder. However, one of the common symptoms that accompanies congestion in the ears is crackling or popping noises in the ear.
• Sometimes, a person may also complain of tinnitus, that is, ringing sensation in the ears.
• There may be sudden onset of muffled hearing or there may be slight hearing loss.
• At times, a person may complain of headache along with inner ear congestion.
• There may be slight dizziness along with a headache.
• At times, the pressure build up in the ears may lead to a lot of ear pain.
• If the congestion is due to a systemic cause, then a person may also have other systemic symptoms, like fever, irritability, etc.

Treatment Options

• Use a cotton swab to clean out the ear. Don't put anything on the swab and just quickly swipe your ears. You'll do much more damage if you thrust a cotton swab into your ear.
• If you feel that your congestion is related to sinus problems or the congestion is due to sinus blockage, then run a vaporizer or humidifier in your bedroom at night. If the ear congestion is due to chest congestion, then by adding moisture to the air, you can help to alleviate the congestion.
• Take two cotton balls and soak them in olive oil. Let it stay in the ears for fifteen minutes. Then, remove the cotton balls and discard them.
• Try to sleep upright. Try to add a few pillows to your bed if you wish. This can aid greatly in sinus drainage from backing up into your nasal passage and ears.
• There are many decongestants that help to get rid of congestion in the ears. These medications help to liquefy the mucus, which then can drain easily.
• You can also loosen the clogged up mucus and clear out your congestion by using a wet, hot towel. Place a wet, hot towel over your ears for a while and then repeat the procedure if required.
• You can thin your mucus with the help of steam. You can relax in the sauna or enjoy a hot steamy shower to moisten mucus and unclog the ear.
• You can sleep while turning on the moisture. You can sleep with a cool mist humidifier in the room, which will help to moisten the air.
• A simple remedy is to drink a lot of water or to chew gum. Swallowing helps to unclog ears as the negative pressure helps to get rid of the clogged up mucus.
• If you're wondering about how to get rid of ear congestions, then you can use a blow dryer to loosen up the mucus.
• You can also attempt a long yawn. Yawning helps to pull air into the ear canal, which can help clear out congestion in the ears.
• If there is a lot of pain, then you can try to take some pain killers. If the pain is very severe and is accompanied by fever then visit the doctor and get your condition diagnosed and treated.

Although this is a relatively mild condition, it can prove to be very discomforting and if accompanied by systemic symptoms, must be diagnosed and treated at the earliest so as to prevent any further complications.