15 Natural Ways to Pop Your Ears Fast and Safely

Sometimes you may find that your ears seem blocked, and you cannot hear the sound. Don’t worry; popping your ears can help you solve the problem quickly. But how to pop your ears fast and safely? Before you figure out how to pop your ears, you must first understand why your ears are blocked.

The Eustachian tube can be found inside the ear, and it ensures enough pressure on both sides of the ear. When too much pressure builds up inside the ear, the Eustachian tube becomes blocked, which can cause a very uncomfortable feeling.

Sometimes, people cannot hear anything, while the feeling can sometimes be painful for others. When the ears are not popped after the Eustachian tube becomes blocked, this may cause various ear diseases.

In most cases, you may need to pop your ears after flying. The altitude change can cause air to form in your middle ear, and you will have trouble hearing. There are also moments when an excess of ear wax may cause your clogged ears. If this is the case, ear drops are needed to melt the ear wax and make removing them easier. You can try this on your own, or a doctor can do it for you.

Is it safe to pop your ears?

Some people would rather wait for their ears to pop on their own because they are not sure if popping their ears would be safe. Popping your ears would be safe if you use secure methods. For some people, moving their mouth muscles will be enough to eliminate air bubbles.

If you have tried to pop your ears, but your condition has worsened, you need to see your doctor immediately. You will sometimes unclog your ears using medications, but this should not be done for an extended period. If you are prone to getting clogged ears, you should be familiar with the different maneuvers you can use and know which works best.

15 Natural Ways to Pop Your Ears Fast and Safely

You can use techniques that can effectively and safely pop your ears without damaging them.

1. Swallow

At this point, you may be thinking about why swallowing is included when you usually swallow unconsciously throughout the day. Whenever you swallow, this might cause enough pressure inside your body to force the Eustachian tube to become open again. This will help equalize the stress that you are feeling inside your ears.

• Do remember that there will be times when you will find it hard to swallow probably because there is too much pressure that can be found in the ears.
• Try to swallow anyway, or you may also drink water to help you swallow faster.

2. Avoid Sleeping

Some people cannot help but sleep during long trips. While this can be comfortable for some because it might be their only time to nap, sleeping when the car is ascending or descending a mountain or when the plane is about to land will only increase the amount of pressure inside the ear. When people sleep, they do not swallow or chew, which can help make the pressure stay in much longer.

• It is okay to sleep as long as you know that you are far away from places that might cause air pressure on your ears.
• If you know you are near the place and are sleepy, try to keep busy by doing various things.

3. Chew

One of the best things you can do to help eliminate the pressure you are starting to feel inside your ear is to start chewing. When you chew, you would have to chew properly. This makes the pressure go away.

• You can choose to chew on the food that you are eating. A piece of chewing gum can do if you do not have any food.
• You can also depict chewing movement even when you are not chewing anything.
• Do this repeatedly until the pain goes away.

4. Open your mouth and yawn

When you yawn, you will also open up your Eustachian tube. Some people find this easy because they can yawn whenever they want to or look at another person’s yawn and feel the need to yawn.

You can try doing a fake yawn and still get the desired results. If the first yawn did not do the trick, you could try doing another yawn again after a few minutes. This will give your Eustachian tube and your jaw enough time to rest. Yawning can be very beneficial in helping to get rid of the air pressure that has built up inside the ears.

• Try to make yourself yawn by looking at a person who is yawning.
• Not breathing enough can also cause you to yawn.
• Think about yawning; your body will likely do it afterward.

5. Use Nasal Spray to Pop Your Ears

Since the nose is connected to the ear, making use of the nasal spray can help get rid of the air pressure that can be found inside the ear; Do remember that it can be a bit hard to continue using the nasal spray, especially during a long flight because there are times when it can clog the ears further because of overuse. Make sure that you will only do it from time to time.

• Purchase nasal spray from a drugstore before your trip.
• Mixing in salt and water can also make your nasal spray.
• Place the spray tip on the nose and spray whenever the Eustachian tube feels blocked.

6. Take Hard Candy

The main reason why you would need to take in candy is that this can help you swallow often. As mentioned earlier, the more you swallow, the more chance that the pressure in your air will go away.

• Eat hard candy that you like since this can make you swallow faster because you like the taste.
• Ensure not to overeat candy since this can be bad for the teeth.

7. Use Ear Drops to Pop Your Ears Fast

There is always a chance that ear drops, especially on long flights, can help eliminate the pressure you feel inside your ear.

• Place a few drops of the ear drops inside one ear.
• Tilt your head the other way so the liquid will not come out.
• After a few minutes, drain the ear and clean it thoroughly.
• Do the same for the other ear.

8. Take Hot Shower

There are times when the steam from the hot shower can make you breathe better, and as a result, this can also help your ears feel better because the pressure is significantly lessened.

• Prepare a warm bath or take a warm shower.
• Do this for about 10 – 20 minutes.
• You will most likely be able to lessen the pressure on your ear considerably.

9. Pinch Your Nostrils

Try to breathe out while pinching your nostrils; you might hear a pop followed by comfort because you can hear it again.

• Place the tip of your index finger and your thumb on your nose.
• Try to breathe out.
• Do not blow too hard.
• You will hear a gentle popping sound in both ears.

10. Drink a large glass of water

You encourage yourself to swallow more often, which can cause your ears to pop. Remember that this is not ideal if you are in a public place, though, because drinking large amounts of water in a short time will prompt you to search for the restroom all the time. When you swallow, you open up your Eustachian tube, which may immediately eliminate the air bubbles.

11. Blow your nose gently

There are moments when you suffer from the cold or the flu and cannot hear that well. This is because mucus may be clogging up some areas. You can blow your nose gently and see if your ears will pop. Sometimes, curing your cold or your flu will be enough to help you hear better again.

Some doctors do not recommend this method because they think your Eustachian tubes can only take so much ear pressure. If the first one does not work, do not do it again, as you may tear off your eardrum. When this happens, there might be a bit of blood, and you will feel intense pain.

12. Use a Finger to Unpop Your Ears

If you have tried your best to pop your ears with the different available methods but can not, you can use your finger for popping your ears. Remember that this method is most effective after you have done some swimming and scuba diving and would like to get rid of the water from your ear. Do this method:

• Your ears should be parallel to the ground.
• It would be best if you used the pad of your fingers to create a plunging motion to prompt the water from your ear.
• This will help get rid of the water and the discomfort you feel.

When you saw this method, you may have assumed that you must plunge your finger into your middle ear. You should not do this as this may block your ears further and lessen the success of popping your ears.

13. Gargle warm, salted water

When you gargle with a saltwater solution, you will get rid of nasal congestion, which may contribute to why your ears are clogged. Get rid of this problem first, and you will get relief from your clogged ear.

• Mix a teaspoon of salt and add it to a glass of warm water.
• Gargle with the use of the solution before you spit it out.
• You must do this several times a day until you get rid of your clogged ears.

14. Applying a warm washcloth

This is the best method to use when you suffer from a cold or flu. Your ears may be clogged because of mucus, and you need the Eustachian tube to open to relieve congestion. This is also one of the best methods you can do if you suffer from sneezing due to allergies. If you have a heating pad, use this instead of the washcloth. It can keep the heat for a longer period.

15. The Valsalva Maneuver

This is one of the most natural things you can do to eliminate the pressure on your ears. You can do this by pinching your nose and blowing gently. It seems like you are trying to blow through your nose, but the air will go through your ears since it is covered. Make sure to keep your mouth closed to make this more effective. Repeat this action at different times to pop your ears effectively.

How to Prevent Airplane Ear

If you would like to prevent airplane ears, you need to make sure that you will get rid of the pressure that has built up in your ear in the first place. You need to be prepared to pop your ears when you take off.

The methods mentioned above can be effective in popping your ears and ensuring you will get rid of the discomfort you are feeling. If you would like to prevent pressure build-up in your ear, you may suck on some candy. Chewing gum will also be an effective remedy, so air bubbles will be less likely to enter and stay in your ear canal.

It is also recommended that you take off when you are about to land so that you do not fall asleep. This may prevent you from doing things that will help get rid of the pressure on your ears. You may end up being awakened by the pain in your ears. This is not something that you want to experience.

If you feel your child may suffer from ear pressure, you may want to let your child drink something while the plane is taking off or landing. This will prompt your child to swallow frequently, eliminating the ear pressure the child may feel.

If you have done all the things mentioned above but cannot get rid of the pressure in your ears, you may schedule an appointment with your doctor so you will be given further instructions on what you should do. Some doctors may recommend that you use a specific tool for popping your ears, or the doctor may recommend other treatments depending on your condition.

When to see your doctor

If you have tried all the things mentioned above but still did not get your desired results, this is a sign that you need to see your doctor. You will be asked several questions like the following:

• When did the blocking take place?
• What are the things that you have done to pop your ears?
• Are there any medications you have taken to relieve your condition?

It would help if you were very honest with the things that you will answer. Your doctor may recommend some treatments or require you to take some medications. Do what your doctor orders, and you can hear again.