My freaking ear is clogged

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Yeah, I'm soliciting ATOT for medical advice.

Anyways, humor aside, my ear is clogged. I was in the shower, a bunch of water got in there like it would during any normal shower, but I felt my ear sort of close up while there was water in there. Empty water out, still clogged. I don't really think it's water though, I think the water just disturbed some ear wax way down in there or something and caused it to close up. It doesn't hurt (although it gets a little sore after I mess with it for an hour or two, understandably), and I have no reason to believe it is an ear infection or anything of that sort. It just seems to be clogged.

So far I have:

Used ear drops, 3 nights in a row now
Let some hydrogen peroxide sit in there, probably 10+ times over the past 3 nights
Attacked the freaking thing with god knows how many gallons of water, using a little ear squirty bulb thing. I have squirted water in there as hard as I can, nothing. Nada.

Now, don't scream "go to a doctor you idiot", because I don't have insurance and I do not like throwing large amounts of money around indiscriminately. I think it would be idiotic to pay a doctor a hundred bucks or two or whatever, for a couple days of ear-uncloggedness. However, if all else fails, I can go to the doctor; I am cheap and poor, but I am not broke. I would just rather not. I am going to do a couple more nights of attacking it with chemicals and water, but is there anything else I can do? Any special ear-unclogging techniques you know of?

 

[pyonir]

You've done everything i would suggest. *shrug*

 

[Walleye]

um... q-tips?

 

[bootymac]

I'm going in!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Walleye
um... q-tips?

I'm afraid of poking too deep with those. This sheiss is WAY in there, and I don't feel like breaking an eardrum or something.

 

[pyonir]

Try laying with your ear on top of a very warm damp rag/towel for 10-15 minutes, then using the ear wash bulb you have.

That is about the only thing i can think of. The Dr. will have a 'pulsating' ear wash thing that blasts water in there. that and 'forcepts' or something to reach in there and drag it out. Bout the only help i can give ya...

 

[Murphyrulez]

Did you try pinching your nose shut with your fingers, close your mouth and BLOW hard. The air will try to come out your ears, and should dislodge whatever is in there.

 

[JoeKing]

sucks I've had that happen before and it was one of the worst times evAr!

you mention the hydrogen peroxide, I've always found this works for my swimmers ear. But I dind't use 100% peroxide in my instances. More like 50-50 warm water to hydrogen peroxide administeried via one of those baby nose squrters. Squirt the solution into your ear while affected ear is pointed up, listening to the sky. Let the solution stay for about 20 sec max (should hear crackling and popping) in ear then quickly tilt head to allow solution to flow out. repeat as desired.

If this doesnt work, and considering it's been 3 days it might be an infection (sucks arese believe me) in which case trip to el doctoro is probably needed.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: Joeyman
sucks I've had that happen before and it was one of the worst times evAr!

you mention the hydrogen peroxide, I've always found this works for my swimmers ear. But I dind't use 100% peroxide in my instances. More like 50-50 warm water to hydrogen peroxide administeried via one of those baby nose squrters. Squirt the solution into your ear while affected ear is pointed up, listening to the sky. Let the solution stay for about 20 sec max (should hear crackling and popping) in ear then quickly tilt head to allow solution to flow out. repeat as desired.

If this doesnt work, and considering it's been 3 days it might be an infection (sucks arese believe me) in which case trip to el doctoro is probably needed.

most Doctor's will give you a break i=on the cost,if you tell them upfront yuu have no insurance,and ask for a payment plan, Should cost less than $100.maybe only $40-50

I had to go have this done last year,it is better to go to see the Dr. Sooner !

 

[Hubes]

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez
Did you try pinching your nose shut with your fingers, close your mouth and BLOW hard. The air will try to come out your ears, and should dislodge whatever is in there.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Hubes

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez
Did you try pinching your nose shut with your fingers, close your mouth and BLOW hard. The air will try to come out your ears, and should dislodge whatever is in there.

wait till you got to sneeze and try that. btw, my a&p teacher says that could damadge your ear drums

 

[meksta]

woohoo...I am normal! (someone else has a similiar problem)

my ears clog up every now and then. Went to the doc, and she said that "my ears aren't draining". It's not severe or anything....just annoying when you hearing quality diminishes by half.

She put me on some decongestant (sp?) and told me to "pop" my ears [as stated above] couple times a day.

 

[glugglug]

Mine do this too, usually its from congestion from allergies. Actually I had DOZENS of ear infections when I was little, and probably still get them but ignore them...

Try eating a habanero. Seriously, the spiciness will clear out your sinuses and make your nose run, its all connected so it should clear your ears out too.

 

[Rahminator]

Try jumping up and down on one leg and gently shake your head to the side.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez
Did you try pinching your nose shut with your fingers, close your mouth and BLOW hard. The air will try to come out your ears, and should dislodge whatever is in there.

I think you can make it more clear you're joking....right??? this is not only stupid but dangerous!

 

[her209]

Be like VG.
Cut off your ear.

 

[Yossarian]

just go to a doc, if one of these home remedies backfires and injures your ear you'll wish you had.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

I have tried plugging my nose and blowing really hard, but it did nothing. I could have blown harder but I could sort of sense where the point of danger was and I didn't feel like rupturing my ear drum. The hot food idea is good, in fact the great thing in this situation is that I am super weak to hot food, so I could just go eat a spicy chicken sandwich or pretty much anything from taco bell, and I would consider it pretty hot. I tried jumping up and down, not on one leg though. I also got pretty frustrated and just started beating myself in the head. Nada!

woohoo...I am normal! (someone else has a similiar problem)

my ears clog up every now and then. Went to the doc, and she said that "my ears aren't draining". It's not severe or anything....just annoying when you hearing quality diminishes by half.

She put me on some decongestant (sp?) and told me to "pop" my ears [as stated above] couple times a day.

Yeah, my mom has this problem a bit, and she said my grandma has it too, and my grandma's doctor said that she had small ear passageways, so I think it is hereditary.

If it's not fixed over the weekend, I'll probably go to a doctor early next week. This sucks.

 

[Stark]

don't let anyone freak you in the ear from now on.

 

[GigaCluster]

My hear has been clogged before because I stuck a Q-Tip inside the ear canal and pushed wax back into the recesses. A few days later it has apparently acquired more and more wax and became a ball inside. I went to the doctor and in ONE MINUTE he had it out. He looked inside with a tiny light, confirmed that I indeed had gunk there, then had me sit down on a chair next to a faucet. He inserted a thin pipe that ended in a funnel into the ear, then ran warm water through it. Within about 5 seconds, he stopped and offered me to look at it. It was a dark brown blob the size of a decent raisin.

The moral: you could have this procedure done even "informally" for free, as long as they know what they're doing. It was completely painless and even fun. But please don't insert q-tips or anything there!

 

[Krakerjak]

I had this happen to me, and after a week of nearly no hearing in my left ear i went to the doctor. He took a look and was a ball of wax deep in my ear and was stuck to the side of my ear canal bonded to the hairs. All he did was grab a huge syringe looking contraption and shot a strong stream of water at the wax and eventually came loose. I had to hold a trough under my ear because SO much water was used but afterwards my hearing was back. He also did my other ear just to even out my hearing. It was really quite a difference even from my "good" ear.

I do have to say that it was the wierdest feeling in the world......my equilibrium was messed up for about 5 minutes afterwards.

 

[Ime]

Maybe your need tubes in your eardrums.

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: jjsole

Originally posted by: Murphyrulez
Did you try pinching your nose shut with your fingers, close your mouth and BLOW hard. The air will try to come out your ears, and should dislodge whatever is in there.

I think you can make it more clear you're joking....right??? this is not only stupid but dangerous!

No different from holding in a sneeze really, so how "dangerous" can it be?... Not that it would work, if anything it would clog your ears more.

 

[Storm]

Next time you're in the shower, tilt your head to the side and let warm water (as warm or hot as you can stand it) get into your ear. Do this for a minute or two. Warm/hot water does in fact melt the ear wax somewhat. Now use q-tips after your shower. You should be able to remove some wax in its semi-liquid state.

If not consult a doctor or go to a voodoo doctor .

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Storm
Next time you're in the shower, tilt your head to the side and let warm water (as warm or hot as you can stand it) get into your ear. Do this for a minute or two. Warm/hot water does in fact melt the ear wax somewhat. Now use q-tips after your shower. You should be able to remove some wax in its semi-liquid state.

If not consult a doctor or go to a voodoo doctor .

I tried turning the shower to real hot water, then sucking that up with the bulb thingie, then squirting that in my ear. Couldn't seem to get any results with that, although I only did it a few times as I felt like I myself was going to melt in the hot-ass water.