How to unclog ear tubes?

So, you’ve got clogged ear tubes, huh? That’s a bummer. It can happen for a variety of reasons – too much earwax buildup, fluid accumulation from an infection or allergies, etc. Regardless of the cause, it’s uncomfortable and annoying as hell.

But fear not! With some simple at-home remedies and proper care, you can unclog those suckers in no time. Here are our top tips:

1. Wait it out

Yep, sometimes patience is the best medicine. If your ears feel stuffy but aren’t causing any pain or noticeable hearing loss (i.e., you can still hear your spouse yelling at you to clean up after yourself), it may just be a temporary blockage that will clear up on its own within a day or two.

If waiting isn’t an option due to severe pain or other symptoms (we’ll get into those next), feel free to skip ahead.

2. Check for other symptoms

Before taking drastic measures like pouring vinegar into your ear canal (seriously don’t do that), make sure that what you’re experiencing is actually an ear tube blockage and not something more serious like an infection or injury.

Common signs of a clogged inner ear include:

  • Pain
  • Pressure
  • Popping/crackling sounds
  • Dizziness/loss of balance
  • Reduced ability to hear high-pitched sounds
  • Tinnitus/ringing in the ears

If any of these persist for more than a few days or are accompanied by fever/chills/ear drainage/etc., seek medical attention ASAP.

2a) But maybe also check prices first…

We won’t judge if you want to test out all available home remedies before throwing in the towel and calling a doctor… But just FYI: health care ain’t cheap!

In fact, depending on where you live, a simple trip to an urgent care facility for ear trouble could set you back anywhere from $50 to $300. And that’s before factoring in the cost of prescription meds if needed.

So if your ear tube issue can be remedied with something as simple (and free) as…say…rubbing a magnet on yourself? Might as well start there!

3. Use hydrogen peroxide

Here’s where things get real: For minor cases of clogged ears caused by waxy buildup, hydrogen peroxide is your new best friend.

To use this method:

  1. Tilt your head sideways so the affected ear faces up.
  2. Fill an eyedropper or small spoon with 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
  3. Slowly drip the solution into your ear while keeping it pointed towards the ceiling.
  4. Allow it to bubble and fizz inside your ear for around 10-15 minutes.
  5. Once fizzing has stopped, drain out excess liquid using clean cotton balls or tissues.

Repeat once daily until blockage resolves.

3a) Warning: Stay upright!

Whatever you do, don’t lie down during/after administering hydrogen peroxide drops! Doing so can cause some nasty side effects like dizziness and vomiting due to trapped air bubbles spreading throughout your inner ear canal.

If holding yourself steady isn’t working out too great either (“I swearrr I wasn’t drunk.”), try sitting against a wall or using pillows for support instead.

4. Do some yoga (yawn)

If traditional at-home remedies aren’t cutting it but you’re still hesitant about seeking medical attention or hearing aid solutions just yet (whyyy), consider incorporating some low-impact yoga poses into your daily routine that specifically target circulation in the neck/head areas (e.g., cat/cow stretch).

(Just promise us you won’t turn into one of those “yoga people.” No offense to any of our sage-burning, zero-waste white friends.)

5. Invest in a neti pot

A what now? A neti pot is basically a fancy little teapot-looking device that’s used for nasal irrigation (picking up what we’re putting down yet?).

To use:

  1. Fill the neti pot with sterile saline solution or distilled water.
  2. Tilt your head sideways over a sink and gently pour the solution into your top nostril.
  3. Allow it to drain out through your other nostril, taking care not to inhale anything in the process.

While this technique may seem more nose-oriented than ear-focused at first glance, clogged ears are often linked to sinus congestion – so clearing things out in there can indirectly affect inner ear fluid levels as well! (Who knew)

5a) Reminder: Use sterilized water!

In rare but serious cases, using unsterilized tap water with a neti pot has been linked to infections caused by amoebas like Naegleria fowleri (which sounds scary because it definitely is). These types of infections can be fatal if left untreated.

So unless you want some mini monsters swimming around inside you (gestures vaguely toward eyes as if wearing virtual reality headset), stick with pre-packaged solutions or distilled H20 when irrigating.

6. Go ahead and break out the peroxide again

We know we already talked about hydrogen peroxide specifically earlier…but all ear-dwelling germs operate on an equal playing field; take advantage of this fact by using rubbing alcohol instead if preferred/necessary!

Steps are similar:

  1. Tilt head so affected ear faces upward once more.
  2. Combine equal parts rubbing alcohol and white vinegar into small measuring cup or shot glass.
  3. Using a clean ear dropper, slowly drip mixture into ear canal; leave for 5 minutes minimum (15 maximum) with head still tilted upright.
  4. Repeat once daily as needed.

6a) White vinegar fights all sorts of grime!

While rubbing alcohol breaks down bacteria and can help dry up excess fluid in the inner ear, white vinegar also contains acetic acid which helps remove pesky build-up on contact surfaces from mineral deposits, rust stains to…earwax!

No endorsement deal here – we just love this multitasking staple!

7. Do some gravity-assisted head shaking

This method is not only effective but fun too (eye roll). Here’s how it goes:

  1. Bend over at a roughly 90-degree angle with your upper body hanging down towards the ground.
  2. Swing your head back and forth like you’re banging out an imaginary rock song until you hear stuff starting to rumble around inside.
  3. Pop upright again like nothing happened (or recover dramatically if you’re feeling extra theatrical).

This technique helps loosen blockages stuck close to your eardrum so that fluids or debris caught further away by become dislodged & freed up 🤘

7a) Feeling silly? That’s part of it!

Yes, yes – we know this looks ridiculous even when done in private… But managing chronic clogged ears often requires stepping outside our comfort zones & embracing silly-seeming tactics like these.

Just remember: practice makes things better (…sometimes…)

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are various methods one can use to unclog their ear tube depending on severity of symptoms or root cause(s) behind issues at hand such as hydrogen peroxide drops or adopting yoga poses geared toward neck/circulation improvement — neti pots especially come in handy where other solutions may fail (but be careful about unsterilized water sources!) Remember injury or infection-caused symptoms require immediate medical attention from a doctor.

If you’re lucky, our solutions above may give your inner ear tubes the relief they’ve been asking for days without needing to spend too much cash in the process!

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