Relief for Plugged Ears: Effective Tips & Techniques

Stopped up or plugged ears can be quite uncomfortable. You may experience stopped up ears from allergies, during a cold or when experiencing a change in air pressure such as during take-off or landing of a flight. A less common cause of stopped up ears may be a build-up of ear wax. There are a couple of tricks and tips to unplug your ears and rid yourself of the discomfort and loss of hearing.

Things You'll Need

• Gum
• Decongestant medicine
• Eardrops

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Instructions

• 1

  Yawn or swallow repeatedly. This action can cause the ears to slowly unplug. Try to swallow or yawn every 30 seconds that your ears are plugged. You will probably hear a slight "popping" sound if it is working.

• 2

  Chew gum. This action relieves pressure and can cause the ears to "pop," unplugging them.

• 3

  Plug your nose and take a deep breath. Try and blow out with your mouth closed. The force may cause the ears to become unplugged.

• 4

  Take a medicinal decongestant if you believe your ears are stopped up due to a cold or allergies. Since allergies or sickness will cause your ears to be plugged for a longer period of time compared to the discomfort felt during a plane descent, a decongestant can give you a long term remedy.

• 5

  Apply ear drops if you believe a build up of ear wax is to blame. Lay on your side with the problem ear facing upwards. Apply the drops as instructed on the product. The drops will soften the wax ,causing it to be flushed out, if not completely dissolved.