# Looking for a home remedy - clogged ear



## Jim1590

For a couple months now I have had a clogged ear on the left side. It was looked at when I was at a doc for a work injury and he verified it was just clogged from congestion. I took 5 days worth of claritin d and have now been on sudafed decongestant for well over a week now. Nothing is working.

This stuff is expensive, Obama won't let me use my HSA to pay for it and my insurance won't kick in until I run up 5 grand worth of bills. I will go back in and pay 150 for an appointment and get a Rx if I have to, but I got other things I need to spend that money on.

Any good home remedies? Or perscription grade stuff that I can buy without? I could try taking the claritin longer but that will quickly get pricey and in my state may get me on a list of being a meth dealer!

It is not a wax buildup so those remedies will not help.

Thanks all!


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## *Andi

Have you used Hydrogen Peroxide yet?

One cap full in ear and let it do it magic. (keep a cloth handy for any run off) After the bubbles stop let it drain off by turning over. (again with the cloth) 

If yes, they we move on to step two ... mullein and garlic oil.


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## Jim1590

Yes I did, thank you. Hydrogen peroxide is more for ear wax as it eats away at it. I must say though that it felt weird.

I do not think anything topical would help as it is more of a sinus type congestion that is preventing the fluids from draining and not a physical clog.


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## *Andi

A sinus type congestion ... How about a nice cup of ginger tea ... (Or a many other that will have to wait till morn.)


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## camo2460

Go to Walmart and get yourself a Netti pot and some stuff called Simply Saline, instructions will come with the Netti Pot, but basicly it looks like a tea pot with a funky shaped spout that allows you to flush your sinuses with saline solution without dumping it all over yourself.These things really work and you will be amazed at how much relief you will get.


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## JayJay

As a child, I had ear aches; only time I ever missed school.
As an adult, I have sinusitis and often get ear ache in just my right.
Believe it or not, the best remedy for me is plain, warmed alcohol and cotton.
Usually the discomfort is gone in minutes.
I learned this from Swimmer's Ear when we lived at our last house with a pool.
It is only alcohol--yep-read the ingredients; so now, I use alcohol.
I even get an ear ache from mowing in the wind and sometimes from the crap I breathe during mowing time.
Sinusitis is a PITA.


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## Dixie

camo2460 said:


> Go to Walmart and get yourself a Netti pot and some stuff called Simply Saline, instructions will come with the Netti Pot, but basicly it looks like a tea pot with a funky shaped spout that allows you to flush your sinuses with saline solution without dumping it all over yourself.These things really work and you will be amazed at how much relief you will get.


Bingo!!!! Just don't use too much saline, it will feel like it is burning during the first use. Results should be immediate, but the saline should continue to work on..


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## boomer

And if all that does not work, try a herbal antiparasitic.


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## zracer7

You could try something called ear candling. Sucks everything out.


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## LincTex

zracer7 said:


> You could try something called ear candling. Sucks everything out.


I have my doubts about that process, even before having read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_candling


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## lazydaisy67

I'd drop a couple of drops of tea tree oil mixed with olive oil into your ear.


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## AnonyManx

My husband is battling sinus misery (with major post-nasal drip) and ear pressure. He finally found something that is helping: oil of oregano. Drops in the ears directly; 3 drops into the neti pot (with water and salt) for the sinuses.


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## vellomike

Ok I've been battling allergies for 30 years now and the best cure is powerful cough drops .
Also when taking the drops slowly breath in through your nose after a good nose blow.
What this does is drys out your nasal passages its the only thing that works for me


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## lovetogrow

I recently treated the worst EVER sinus infection (clogged ears...) with Apple Cider Vinegar, which worked surprisingly well providing quick relief (in my case).

http://www.livestrong.com/article/287771-apple-cider-vinegar-home-remedy-for-sinus-infection/

http://sinus-congestion-relief.com/sinus-congestion-relief/


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## Jim1590

Hmm I will have to take a close look at all of these. I am at work now and can't spend too much time looking at it. 
Point of clarification though, my nasal sinuses are fine. No stuffy or runny nose, no allergy symptoms. It is just a clogged ear canal behind the membrane so nothing to drain out. My understanding from the doctor I first saw was that my sinuses had to drain from the inside and that one sinus cavity was not draining. 
Swimmers ear is probably as close as I can come to describing it. No wax build up whatsoever, just feels and sounds like I have water in the ear causing muffled hearing, ear popping, and general uncomfortable feeling. No pain though.
Thanks all


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## zracer7

LincTex said:


> I have my doubts about that process, even before having read this:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_candling


Hmm... have to say I've never done the research on the practice. Had it done to me as a child by a relative. Scratching that one off my remedies list. Thanks for the link.


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## BillM

My dad passed away in 2007 at the age of 97.

He told me that when he was about seven years old he got a terrific ear ache.

His mother heard that pouring "maiden's urine" into the bad ear would stop the ear ache.

My grandad got some urine from an alledged maiden and they held dad down while my grandmother poured the maiden"s urine in his sore ear.

I asked dad if it cured his ear ache and he said it cured him from ever telling them anything hurt again. :hmmm:


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## drfacefixer

A clogged ear is a diagnoses of your symptoms and of visualizing that there is fluid on the other side of the ear drum. This can be for a number of reasons, the most likely is eustation tube dysfunction or sinus drainage. Netti potts or sinus irigation will work wonders for removing allergens in the nasal passage which may contribute to the swelling of the tissue. But use with caution. if you squeeze the bottle or try to rush the wash, you'll only put more water into the ear (through the eustation tube). It should seriously take you about 3 mintutes to irrigate with a Neilmed bottle. Any topicals placed in the ear will only help relieve irritation of the sensitive lining, not drain the ear. 

You need to focus on relieving the congestion and the ear will be able to drain unless the problem is bigger than that. I usually prescribe mucinex D to stop the congestion, topical steroids like nasonex to help reduce the inflammation in the nasal passages and a neilmed to help clear the sinus. Alt remedies, like the throat lozenges, work when they target thinning or clearing the mucous production. 

If it doesn't get better though within a month or two, you really need to see ENT. There could be more ominous things happening in the canal like a Cholesteatoma. That can erode portions of the ear canal and cause serious dammage resulting in permanent hearing loss.


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## cowboyhermit

It's been mentioned a few times now but the netti pot/bottle thing can be a great benefit, if unpleasant the pots are easy but you do have to be careful with the squeeze bottles, like mentioned above.
You can use it first to thoroughly rinse out you sinuses, and then use whatever medical or herbal remedies to relieve inflammation. Just using it on it's own will probably fix the problem but if you use anything afterwards like menthol or inhaled decongestant it works way better than without rinsing because it gets right to the tissue being affected.


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## lazydaisy67

I have huge sinus cavities (according to my dentist) and am constantly in a state of sinus congestion. Sometimes horrible and painful, sometimes easier to live with. I've tried antibiotics of all kinds which never cleared it up but did kill every bacteria in my body which leads to other issues. I've tried a neti pot, which was a waste of time for me. Didn't get anything out of there. Cough drops with eucalyptus, etc. etc. The tea tree oil works best for me. I swab my nose and ears with it on a q-tip twice a day. I also eat raw garlic like it grows on trees. Those things have worked for me, not saying they'd work for everybody.


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## MDsapper

we would always take some viniger and warm it in the microwave, then we would dip a cotton ball into it and put it into our ear just enough that it wouldnt fall out and we would leave it there over night


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## Ezmerelda

You should NOT put essential oils directly into the ear canal.

I repeat, you should NOT, under any circumstances, introduce essential oils (no matter how pure they are) into your ear canal.

Soak a cotton ball with peppermint essential oil cut with olive oil and wipe behind your ear, and in the line down your neck from your earlobe to your tonsil (this is basically where the eustachian tube is). If you do not have tonsils, so have never felt them swollen, then go ahead and draw the line all the way to the underside of your chin.

Then, paint in front of your ear. For extra oomph, you can paint the outer part of your ear (on the cartilage, not inside!).

Lastly, lay the cotton ball in the opening of your ear (don't shove it in, just place it over the opening) and let it set for a few hours (or go to sleep with it there, just realize that it'll probably fall out at some point).

Usually I can feel relief after doing this twice, as long as it's not an infection.


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## BillM

I just put olive oil on a Q tip and stick it in my ear and rotate it until it triggers the cough reflex.

When you pull it out, it will have a lot of that wax crap on it.

I follow this up with a dry Q tip.

I know it says right there on the box that you are not susposed to put them in your ears but that is just a disclaimer for the lawyers.

That is realy what they make them for.

Disclaimer for BillM: I am not a medical proffessional.


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## cnsper

I hear that smashing your thumb with a hammer or stubbing your toe on the couch will make all your other ills go away for a while....


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## Jim1590

OK I have tried some of these as well as another treatment I stumbled across. I have tried afrin nasal spray but at a different angle which hits the end of the eustacion tube. When the spray is fresh in my nostril, I pinch my nose and gently blow with my mouth closed to force open the tube. It has helped some but I am now at the cap of 3 days for safe afrin use.

The best thing to come out of it though is a certainty that whatever the problem is, needs proper medicine. So back to the doctor for me.

Thanks all again for the tips.


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## JessicaReed

I use to place a garlic clove near my ear canal. It will be reduced within couple of hours.


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## CrackbottomLouis

I hear p funk does it to you in your eardrums. Maybe that will help.


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## kyhoti

Louis, Parliament blows the MIND, not Eustachian tubes. I've gotten the funk, and still have sinus troubles.


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## alergyfree

Do a water fast for three days and some research on a a mucus free diet. I used Hydrogen peroxide for clearing my ears


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