Are you a victim of ear pain due to clogged water too? We can relate.
While it sounds simple, it can get to be a really painful exercise when water gets into your ears. When it does, it must be giving you the feeling as if you are hearing from the bottom of a well. Chances are you might be hearing muffled sounds, or your ears might seem to be full.
How can water get into your ears? Two main reasons exist with a common result of frustration when water gets in.
Causes of Water Getting Into Ear
- Swimming
- Showering
It could be while swimming, or while showering, when you tilted your head in a wrong way. If neglected when serious, it can become the cause of ear infection and inflammation.
[ Also Read: Easy Home Remedies For Itchy Scalp]
Symptoms
- Water Sounds in ear
- Pressure behind ear
- Pain in ears
- Pain in jaws
- Sense Of Itchiness
- Vertigo
- Pressure-filled Headache
If you have ignored the situation, it could develop into blood or pus over a period of time. So you need to get the fluid out of your ears, as soon as possible, because it could lead to loss of hearing, cyst formation, inflammation of eardrum, and other complications.
Does Ear Wax Affect The Water Trapped in Ears?
Having earwax could also worsen the situation since it traps moisture and lets it stay there for longer periods of time. This could trigger off inflammation of your ear canal, especially if the water stays there for several days.
Before we take you into the depth of the article, first we want to make you know what happens if water sticks in your ear for a long period.
Risk Factors
- If it lies unchecked, then the extra moisture can cause infection and pain.
- The most common cause of a swimmer’s ear is ignorance of water which enters the ear from infected/contaminated water bodies like swimming pool, ocean, river or lake. Not all water bodies are clean, mind you.
- When you leave water in the ears for a longer period of time, or ignore the conditions, then you are likely to face permanent ear damage.
- The damage includes permanent hearing impairment and the probability of developing cyst formation, and inflammation of ear drum, among others.
Having water stuck in ears is not the end of the road for you. Not to worry. It is possible to get rid of water in the ear, but only when it is done the right way.
How To Get Water Out Of Ear?
Here are ten ways that will help drain out the water from your ear in an effective manner:
- Yawning Or Chewing
- Gravity
- Blow Dryer
- Alcohol And Vinegar
- Heat Therapy
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Salt
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Valsalva Maneuver
1. Yawning Or Chewing
This method is the simplest and easiest one to do when you are on a mission to get water out of your ear.
Directions:
- Open your mouth wide and try to yawn. This sound builds up as a result of the pressure created in the middle ear.
- Even stretching up of the ear canal creates a sound sensation. At this point of time, tilt your head to the side of your affected ear. Shake your head a bit to drain the water out.
Chew gum, the chewing movement creates pressure inside your ear and facilitates the water to get out of the ear.
[Also Read: How to Make Someone Sneeze]
When you tug the earlobe to open the ear canal wider, it helps immensely in draining the water out.
3. Blow Dryer
The task of a blow dryer is to fasten up trapped fluid evaporation. The warm air that comes out of the blow dryer turns the water trapped in your ear into steam driving it out of the ear.
What You Need
A blow dryer
Directions:
- Pull the earlobe having water away from your body.
- Now keep the blow dryer at a distance from your ear, and set the dryer heat to warm, and air flow low.
- Turn on the dryer and direct it into your ear canal.
- Do it for approximately 30 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise again, should you feel the need.
[Also Read: How To Pop Your Ears ]
Tip
See to it that you do it only for a few minutes at a time.
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4. Rubbing Alcohol And Vinegar
Meet this age-old remedy which helps you get rid of fluid in the ear. Vinegar has anti-bacterial properties which kill germs in the ear, and when you rub alcohol, it evaporates the water in the ear.
What You Need
- Alcohol
- Vinegar
- Dropper
Directions:
- Firstly, mix 1 tsp each of the main ingredients – rubbing alcohol and vinegar.
- Using a dropper, put 2-3 drops of this solution into your affected ear.
- Now rub the ear canal’s opening gently.
- After a gap of 30 seconds, tilt your head so that the fluid can drain out of the affected ear easily.
5. Heat Therapy
This is a technique which frees your ears of fluid in a quick manner. The heat compress helps open up the Eustachian tube (the place in your ear where the fluid usually builds up), thereby creating a passage for the fluid to come out.
What You Need
- A bowl of hot water
- Wash cloth
Directions:
- Take a bowl of hot water and dip a washcloth in it.
- Now squeeze out the excess water and put this hot water treated washcloth on the affected ear for about 30 seconds.
- Pause for a minute, and then repeat it.
- Repeat this four to five times without a break.
- Now lie down on to your side so as to help drain out the fluid from the ear.
Tip
Inhale the steam by covering your head. This not only brings relief to your blocked nose, it also helps in easing fluid build up in the ear.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide easily gets rid of the trapped fluid from the ear canal, along with ear wax and debris.
What You Need
- A bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide (3%)
Directions:
- Use the dropper of the bottle and pour 4-5 drops of hydrogen peroxide into the affected ear.
- Give a break of 1-2 minutes and allow it to rest.
- Now tilt your head downwards and let the fluid drain out.
7. Salt
Did you know that salt easily absorbs water, and can be used to treat fluid trapped in the ear? The heat emanating from the hot salt compress helps in evaporation of the fluid, which relieves pain.
What You Need
- Microwave
- Salt
- Apiece of cotton cloth
Directions:
- First, heat one-fourth cup of salt in a microwave oven.
- Now transfer the salt in a cotton cloth and tie it tightly.
- Get this heat treated cloth near the opening of the affected ear for about 2-3 minutes to get instant relief.
8. Garlic
Garlic has antibacterial properties that prevent ear infection and reduces pain. It is a fantastic treatment to take out fluid in the ear.
What You Need
- Few garlic cloves
Directions:
- Start by pressing the garlic cloves in order to extract the juice.
- Now put three drops of garlic juice in the affected ear.
- After 1 min, blow dry the ear from a distance away from the head(read Blow Dryer remedy shared above).
9. Olive Oil
Now girls, olive oil is not just happening oil for Indian delicacies and salads, it is a great way to get the fluid trapped in the ear outside. Plus, olive oil has antiseptic properties which reduce the risk of ear infection.
What You Need
- Small bowl
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Warm few teaspoons of olive oil in a small bowl.
- Take the dropper, and put a few drops of warm olive oil in the affected ear.
- Let the oil stay for 10 minutes.
- Moving your head sideways, remove the oil and the fluid with a soft ear bud.
Tip
Before swimming, put 2-3 drops of olive oil in each ear so that it can lubricate the tissues inside the ear canal. This will prevent water from getting trapped inside the ears.
10. Valsalva Maneuver
In fact, Valsalva maneuver is the most common technique to open up a clogged ear. There is no probability, as in most situations, this technique has helped push the water out of ears.
Directions
- Close your mouth and pinch your nostrils using your fingers.
- Now take a deep breath. While keeping your nostrils closed, blow the air out of your nose.
- When done correctly, you will hear a popping sound.
- This would indicate that the Eustachian tubes have opened up.
Tip
Do not make the mistake of blowing your nose too hard, as it can end up damaging your ear drum.
Precautions
Here are some do’s and don’ts that will help prevent water accumulation in the ear and expel it too.
- Be sure to wear a tight swimming cap that protects your ears. This way the water cannot seep through, to an extent.
- We often make the mistake of using cotton swabs or tissues in order to clean or dry our ears from water (or any water residue). This is a bad practice. Why because it may end up scratching the skin inside your ear canal, thereby worsening your ear condition.
- When you have water inside your ear, do not use earplugs or cotton balls in your ears. It will leave the water clogged inside your ear and lead to complications.
When To Visit The Doctor
- Whenever you get a pain sensation in your ear or seepus-like fluid coming out of your ear, then make it a point to consult your doctor immediately. Refrain from removing water from the ear yourself.
- If the water doesn’t drain out in two days, consult the doctor immediately.
- Your ear might become swollen or inflamed, this calls for an expert advice, so rush to your doctor.
Even the slightest sign of hearing loss should be taken seriously, directly into the doctors cabin.
Images Source: pinterest
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4 comments
instead of blow dryer can i use vacuum cleaner
will fluid in ear cause dizziness
which remedy do you recommend for fluid behind eardrum
Most of these ear issues get better with a little time. But if its worsens, its better to see a doctor and get a few antibiotics prescribed. If a surgical treatment is necessary, the doctor will say so. Only after observing the problem, an action can be taken.