Hello,
For the past several months I have experienced a clogged feeling in my left ear. As a result, hearing out of the affected ear is muffled. Also, when I am walking and I put pressure on my left foot, I hear a slight, muffled "pop" or "thht" sound in the ear. Sometimes when I am standing still and I move my head in any direction, I'll hear a muffled "rubbing" sound. Up until several months ago, I have had no problems with this ear. It seems to have started while showering one day when I noticed my ear would clog and then clear up. My ear finally clogged again and since then has not felt the same. I've tried over-the-counter drops for Swimmer's Ear and earwax removal yet this annoyance remains. There is no pain in the ear yet when I have tried cleaning it out with a cotton swab, the inner ear is sensitive and there is some discomfort. I have been thinking about seeing a doctor but for some reason I have a feeling it is going to turn ugly and what was originally thought as ear wax or something relatively minor will turn into a medical crisis(like cancer). Any thoughts as to what may be going on will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A swab will push wax down deeper. I suggest you have your doctor take a look with his otoscope. I'm betting it's not cancer but just something sitting there that you haven't been able to remove. Or there may be a break in your eardrum that is allowing fluids to leak deeper. Also, you've been messing around with it so much that maybe there's an accumulation of stuff there.

(Once when I was sunbathing in my backyard while lying on the grass, a little ant crawled into my ear, moved around for a day or two, drove me nuts, and finally died there. I had to go to the doctor who dug him out with long skinny tweezers.)

I have a problem with compacted wax in my right ear and I have too have my ear to clog up at times. First things first... don't use swabs in your ears. As the doctor told me all that dose is push the wax deeper into the ear canal. Swimmer's ear and the earwax stuff never helped me. Use a few drops of peroxide while laying on your side. Wait for the bubbling to stop then put a tissue over that ear and let the liquid run out while laying on the opposite side. Try that for a few days and chew gum. If after a few days this doesn't help, stop being such a typical man and just go to the doctor! I'm sure it's not likely to be cancer.

The peroxide is good and warm oil for ears works too. It is best to use them after you get out of the tub because your ear wax will be softened some after a bath or shower.

Hello,
Thanks for the rapid responses to my question! My ear has finally cleared up!! I was in Wal-Mart this morning looking at the decongestant meds as I was about to purchase a box as a last resort to combat the problem before seeing a doctor. All of a sudden, I felt this itch inside my left ear. I rubbed back and forth on the outside of the ear vigorously to alleviate the itch. When I did, the clogged feeling went away and I could hear everything loud and clear! Seems it was just a wax problem after all. I used good ol' hydrogen peroxide several days prior and it seemed to work quickly(bubbling as soon as I applied it to the affected ear), yet the clogged feeling remained and my hearing was still muffled. I keep pinching myself hoping this isn't a dream because I'm so happy to be hearing at full strength again. The first thing I did after I got home was listen to some music. Tchaichovsky's Fourth Symphony never sounded more beautiful and crisp!

Were you that guy running through Wal-Mart screaming, "I can hear, I can hear, It's a miracle!!!"? LOL Glad it's better now and thanks for letting us know the out come.

Hi Jason:

If you feel that the apointment will turn ugly then I suggest you go there even more. Your head and ears are very delecate and intricate parts of your body.

The reason I say go and see about it is some times we worry for nothing in the end. But one day I lost hearing over night and went to see my GP. He sent me immediately to the ENT.

I got to the ENT and she took one look and said you need surgery. After asking why she said if you don't get surgery you will die. I asked why. She said you have a Clustiatoma cyst in your ear and it can be causeing all kinds of problems. We have to remove it so you will be fine and have no more troubles.

After surgery she told me that she had to remove the eardrum completely and remove the chain of bones as they were rotting through the cranium. Also she added if I had not gone sooner I may have died.

I am fine now and even after surgery and removal of the ear drum and replacing it with a newly made eardrum from my own temporal skin . I could hear. She even removed the stapis. I hope I spelled that correctly. All she had left to work with was the tiny nerve ending coming out where the stapies was previously.

She is amazing. I don't know where you are but if you can get hold of an ENT you are better off when it comes to ear problems.

Take care.

I hope it helped and not frightened you.

I had the same thing happen to me today, all I did was put my pointer finger in my ear, nail facing forward me, and used a prying motion, it seemed to stretch the hole(sorry I'm not much of a medical person) to where the wax either broke up or something. Helped

I hope people are still on this thread. I have an inner ear clog in the eustachian tube as confirmed by my GP doctor. There's no infection anymore, it was caused by a cold and ear infection but everything went away except the ear clog. My doctor tried 2 anitbiotics and a steriod, then recommended I see an ENT. The thing is I don't have insurance and don't think I can afford the ENT. I've also had ear problems before, about 3 years ago which let to me having sinus surgery. So right now I am frustrated and am trying to figure out my next step. I did try the "www.earadicator.com - clogged ear remedy" like 10 times in one night and no help. I also tried Afrin, but no help. Any advice would be great. I just don't want to spend all the money going the ENT route, when years ago the same thing happened and the ENTs could't do anything except recommend surgery.

Thanks.

Also wondering how bad it is to go swimming when your inner ear is clogged? I have went already not swimming too deep and there's no pain but I think my ear felt a little worse after.

When you all mention 'clogged inner ear' do you mean clogged up with ear wax?

The reason I'm asking is I have had anxiety and balance problems for the last 10 years now. The balance thing has been causing me to walk like I'm drunk! Holding onto things,always having to lean or sit down before I fall down. The doc came out to see me as he thought I was suffering from vertigo, anyway I wasn't!

I went to see an ENT specialist and there was nothing wrong, a little bit of wax in my ears but couldn't find anything for my balance issues. I said to them that surely ear wax could knock your balance off and they told me no and refused to syringe my ears.

When I first fell ill with panic attacks/anxiety, I was in a right state bouncing into walls and alsorts. My mum at the time put ear drops in each ear for me as it seemed to be the only relief I could get for a short period as my ears were itchy!

Anyway, getting to the point, just this week I'm visiting my parents and my gum at the back was hurting and felt inflammed, I had pain in my right ear, same side as the gum pain and it felt like my glands were swollen in my neck on the same side as the painful ear and gum. So my first thought was I have an infection and probably from my wisdom tooth trying to errupt, in other words 'teething!' pain.

So I went to my parents doctors this week, and she checked my ears and said she was surprised I hadn't been losing my hearing, she said this whilst looking in my left ear and I told her that I do get a loss of sound but its my right ear and popping noises, hissing etc... she said that both ears were jam packed with ear wax!! And suggested I had my ears syringed.

She told me that she wasn't going to give me antibiotics because she's certain I don't have an infection, I'm just teething as my wisdom tooth is trying to come through, but the clogged ear wax is obvioulsy causing the pain in my right ear and it's the eustachian tube that's inflamed and not my glands, which again the gum inflammation is pressing on the clogged ear wax which were in clumps!! And affecting everything.

Also the back of my throat was slightly red but no infection.

So basically, I have been using warm olive oil three times a day in each ear for 5 days to help loosen the wax and I got my ears syringed yesterday... and I don't believe it!! I HAVE MY COMPLETE BALANCE BACK!! It was ear wax all along!!

And the ENT specialists reckons it doesn't affect your balance?? Hmmn

Something so simple, I've had to suffer with that for 10 years of feeling like I'm dying and something seriously wrong with me and not being able to function from one day to the next!

I'm hoping that my story will help someone, at least look into the more simple things and see what can be done about it.

I have ehad a virus infection and today I have muffled ear on th e left were I can't hardly ear it's not blocked but I do get panic a lot with it what do I do I have tried olbas oil steam

Hey I looked at your symptoms and it may be swimmers ear but after a couple of weeks it should have reduced clogness. Right now I'm recovering from a Ear infection and I know if it's a swimmers ear you would be able to tell it would hurt I most likely if it was. Get a q tip and don't go in your ear clean the outside to see if anything is there and see if its dark or light because dark could be something totally different, Honestlyi do not think you have anything to worry about BUT if you do decide to get it checked out go straight to a hospital or better yet ear noseand throat doctor because you've had it some time and your doctor will recommend you to them

Your ear is swolen it will get better so you just have to wait 4 weeks

The last four years, my ears started getting wax build up that would clog them after taking a warm shower. This would happen every six months. At first, I tried a few different ear wax removal drops, but the drops would get stuck behind the wax! By the end of the week, it would turn into an infection! So, now, I know when it happens, I just go to urgent care. They flush it with water in a lavage. ENT used a pick, but it came right back 6 months. Later and they were very expensive. I don't have allergies or colds... it just happens after the warm shower... quite a pity. Maybe I should wash my hair in cold water.

You might want to find a clinic that has a sliding scale. It might be tough to find a specialist who does that. I'd check with some resources in your community. Maybe the doc will take payments? I wouldn't mess around too much with it though. It may lead to more serious problems.

Have you tried a nasal saline spray? Also, decongestants are very helpful, as long as you don't have any heart or thyroid problems. Check the box first. Ask a pharmacist what to do before you are able to see a doctor, then they will hopefully be more help. It sounds to me like you have water in your ear, in the meantime, chew gum, drink hot tea or coffee, and try to yawn a lot. This helps to drain the eustation tube. Good Luck. Elizabeth

Hi. My name is andrew, I'm 14 years old and I get a fuzzy stuffy feeling in my left ear and it very annoying. When there is no noise around, that ear rings like hell. I'm afraid I'm becoming deaf but I pray every night that its not the case. When I lay on my left ear I feel something moving behind my eardrum and it kind of tickles. This has been happening for a week now. I have problems hearing in that ear. I have problems sleeping because of it and I'm confused a lot. I'v had ear problems since I was 9 but on and off it will occur. When I yawn, swallow or try to inhale with a clogged nose, I feel pain in my left ear but I got used to it. Its kind of like a crackeling sound, kiinda like air moving or something. I'v tried the wax removal thing tonight but it didn't seem to help.. but that is just one dose. I'm not sure if I'm using it properly. I put it in my ear, leave it for 10 minutes then wash it out. I have visited a ent a few years ago and he prescribed a medicine to dry fluids behind my ear.. it worked but I guess it wore off. If anyone can help me id be vry happy. Happy new year

I went in with the same thing and had a hearing test... it seem one ear hears 100% word discrimination and the other hears at 90%. The doctor says the brain sees this difference and creates that muffled, full, plugged feeling...

My left ear is blocked right now... and whenever I walk on my left foot or move my head suddenly, I can hear a funny sound and when I yawn or sneeze there is some discomfort... From the internet, I have found out that if your ear blocks it is because of ear wax, and if you see your local GP then they can remove all of the ear wax. It also helps if you shower regularly and clean out your ears... But I have also read that you shouldn't use cotton buds to clean them out, because this could lead to an infection in the inner ear..

This past week, I have had some kind of cold or bad allergy attack. I am already one to suffer from sinus issues and tonsilitis so I thought nothing of it. Just 2 days ago my left ear started to feel clogged and tonight it really started to bother me so bad my ear was throbbing. I did NOT try to stick a q-tip down my ear or water in the canal. I did however, blow the crap out of my nose. Sure, it took a whole box of tissues ( I know, gross right ) to finally get my ear to unclog. Sometimes when we are all sick, we tend to try and keep the snot in and not try to get it all out so we don't suffer. Well, just get it out. Blow the hell out of your nose and don't be afraid to really get stuff out. All of a sudden I let out a really big blow out of my right nostril and lo-and-behold my left ear, squeaked not popped, clear. A little Motrin should help with the little bit of pain I am feeling but in the long run I feel so much better. Another tool that works is neck stretching. Do these sitting down: move your head side to side and each time stretch the muscles in your neck just a little bit. Sometimes you might hear a little crunch sound but that is OK because it is whatever is trapped in your sinuses and you are trying to break them up. After a few of these really try to let a few blows out of your nose and just keep at it until you get nothing out. That always seems to help me. Try not to sniff everything back in again, just let it out! Haha! Also, a waterless or water vaporizer will help break some of your congestion up as well if you are having issues sleeping or breathing. Hope this all helped. Just. Let. It. Go! :)

Hey.. I went to sleep last night with my headphones on real loud , and today I woke up and my left ear is clgged. I can't hear anything on mu left ear and its really uncomftarble. What should I do?

Got ear infections yearly ever since a young kid (swimmers ear). 6 yrs ago discovered ear wax candles - do them every 3 months & no longer have ear infections -buy them at a health/nutrition store ($2.24 ea). Try it, you'll like it :-D

Hi, I also feel tinnitus and blocked sensation in my left ear canal for 3 weeks. It is like a bag of water in the ear canal. Feel heavy , clogged and unclear hearing. No pain, no fever, no wax, no infection, no inflammation. I'm seeking medical treatment but my GP hasn't refer me to ENT specialist yet. I'm worrying for serious problems such as benign tumor or neurological problem.

I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but to the poster who suggested that a clogged Eustachian tube... that is NOT your inner ear. I suspect it was a spam post for people to go to that website. I doubt a doctor would make that error. Your eustachian tube is in your MIDDLE ear. Its purpose is to balance pressure there through your throat. That is why kids often get infections there and are sometimes drained through the eardrum if the other direction is angled too straight (which is often the case in younger people.) It also explains how swallowing/chewing gum etc. can help "pop" your ears with altitude changes as the action balances out the change in air pressure. If you routinely have infections in your eustachian tube, there may be some physical reason for it (scar tissue, alignment, etc.) There isn't anything you can do from the outside of your ear to reach it... your eardrum blocks the way (that is why you can go underwater and not swallow the pool!) There could be natrual remedies other than surgery that could work for you, such as humidifiers, reducing allergens in your environment, etc. But you are avoiding infections in general... not directly treating your ear from the outside.

An infection which causes fluid to build up in your middle ear can indeed cause sound muffling (just as a blockage in the outer ear can.) If the outer ear is clear, a doctor can often see infection by the way your ear drum looks and how it behaves with an air test called a tympanogram. Antibiotics can help clear the infection. Inner ear damage is often the result of abuse (continued loud music, a loud noise too close to you, etc.) That actually damages your cochlea and there isn't some medicine to fix it. It often manifests as difficulty hearing right after the incident, especially with the frequency (pitch) of the damaging sound. The way we hear high sounds is more "fragile", so those are often the first to go.

Do you really want to see the real stuff come out, the wax Im talking about. Visit a Naturopath and or research who in your area does "ear candling" that should help many of the ear clog and wax build up issues.

Don't worry its just from a cold me and my brother had it on the same week!what I do lay on the side its on on a soft pillow when u wake up it gone!but its going to come back to that for a coule of days and it will never happen again unless u have another cold. If it continues and you most likely have a tumor cancer or an ear infection go to the doctor. Try getting the ear flushed .good luck!! :)

I had a bad ear infection when I caught a cold and my ear was clogged for 3 weeks. I went to the doctor and they gave me antibiotics and steroids. The meds cleared up the infection but my ear was still clogged. I went back to the doctor and they flushed my ear, real good, with peroxide and warm water about 10 times. It helped to get some of the cold out that was behind my ear drum and clogging up my eustachian tube. It's not totally clear, I can still feel a little something in my ear but it doesn't have that clogged feeling anymore. I hope this helps.

I'm pretty sure this is brain cancer.

I am having the same problem... my left ear feels clogged even after I clean it!
It has always done this but I always put drops of waterin my ears to let it break through the earwax and then let it drain but it hasn't helped!

I just used sweet oil... it helps soften it and to come out!! You can find sweet oil at any local drug store or grocery store in the medical ailes hope the sweet oil helps you too!!

I feel clogged my ear, if I drink some hot tea it is gone a while then start over again.
Specially, my left ear is clogged more, after I do some massage also it helps a few minutes. Could you explain me what is the problem with my ear.

Is it advisable to use ear solution if ever I have the same problem as him?

I had this too and you don't know how irritating and annoying it is until it happens to you. Scary too if it last more than a couple days. Just going to pop in and mention something's I tried and what worked. When I was googling this to see what to try I found forum's like this very helpful!

1. q-tips - bad idea only made it worse
2. prescription - ear wax loosener - also bad idea only seemed to clog more
3. swimmer's ear drops - stung a little and only gave very temporary relief
4. Bulb syringe - bad idea only made it more painful - again only very temporary relief
5. Plastic "scoop" q-tips - good but I didn't get any ear wax out (helped rule out the ear wax as the problem) although I will use these from now on instead of q-tips
6. affrin - good in theory but I don't think it worked I didn't have congestion and it only seemed to leave a bad taste in my mouth
7. Sudafed - the good stuff behind the counter with psuedophedrine in it and a decongestant - this is what finally worked it took two doses but I was cooking dinner and having a discussion with my husband (sort of talking loudly he was in the other room) and all of a sudden *poof* I stopped what I was doing and I could hear.

It feels like the world opens up when your hearing finally comes back. I agree about the music I have itunes on now :)

Good luck don't give up it will clear up. I didn't go to the doctor but I only endured 7 days of this vowing if it went on one more day I would go to the doctor.

Have heard syringing your ears with water for wax removal can bring mastoidities.Is it true ? Mahesika

Hi, I am in the same situation. Tried a course of antibiotics, didn't help. Neither did ear wax removal kit. Wondering what finally helped you?

I had an ear infection in March 2012. Since then the once effected ear hisses, pops, squeals. I've been to two doctors, had hearing test, been told my hearing is fine and nothing is wrong. This drives me nuts! I rarely go to doctors. The first one had me do a hearing test every time I had an appointment! I have Crohn's disease so after they put me on all of these antibiotics for the infection, my ear filled up with yeast! Then I had to take medication for that too! Once the infection cleared up this horrible hissing started. So I went back. More hearing tests, more money. I went and got a second opinion. He told me maybe I never had an ear infection. Added, maybe the pressure and hissing has always been there. I swear. No more doctors for me! I had a bad ear infection, followed by a yeast infection in the ear. Now I have constant hissing, but I guess its all in my head!

I currently experiencing those same symptoms so if drops and syringing does not work I will be trying the hydrogen peroxide - I hope to hear soon and my era will stop being sore, even worse just now as I also suffer from Jaw joint dysfunction ( both problems on my right side) OUCH

Horses. That is the answer to everything. (Not kidding) First, get a wet towel, then strap some TNT to it and get your horse to eat a bagel. After you do all that, take the wet towel, and run straight into the White House. If some people try to stop you, just detonate the TNT for a fun parade! Hope this helped!

All natural health stores sell "ear candles". They are about $2 each. If you use an ear candle in each ear it pulls out all of the stuff in your ear that shouldn't be there, like excess ear wax. It is an old-school remedy and it works. Just Google "ear candle" and your city. They are easy to find and will cost you less than $5 for both of them.

My right ear is totally clogged and I can't get it to clear up. Thanks for the suggestions

I have allergies, and have had a bit of a cough and stuffy nose for about 2 weeks. 4 days ago while I was cleaning I stood up and my hearing was muffled and I can feel pressure. I have NEVER had a problem with my ears. I have tried decongestants and zyrtec, afrin and nasonex. Once my sinus are clear I still have horrible muffled hearing ( now spreading to the right side). I don't have insurance and was hoping someone might be able to help.

Some background info.I have been having a lot of nasal problems which I suspect are either allergies or sinus issues. I went to an ear, nose and throat doctor who came up empty. Of course I could not and still can not get any one to check if I have an allergy to my meds or anything in my meds.

August 2011 I was in bad shape and my ears were clogged. I decided to go to my family doctor who indicated there were signs of a virus in the back of my throat which would irritate and create pressure in my ears. I was taking Motrin which I was told was the best and only thing to do. It did clear up in a day or two.

But ever since I keep having this re-occuring experience. The moment I even slightly think it is happening, I now pop a Motrin. About a year ago I started to notice my one ear would clog up while in the shower. Not all the time but every once in a while. I again discovered by taking a Motrin, it didn't clog. When it did clog usually upon stepping out of the shower it would open up,sometimes wait until I use Q-Tips to clean my ear and once waited until I was part way to work.

Last Saturday, my left ear clogged up but this time remained clogged. Not even Motrin was opening it up. A couple days earlier, I was hearing complaints that people were having a bad sinus day and I wondered if this time it skipped my sinuses and went straight to my ears. I then started to take sinus pills. Saturday-Sunday-Monday_Tuesday clogged. My wife's cousin told her she used something over the counter to clean out wax where you put this stuff in your ear, leave it for four days and it really works. So Wednesday morning, discovering we already had the remover, I put a few drops in my ear and left it for 2.5 hours. That day my hearing was even worse.

I thought I was wrong and it had to be an infection so round the clock except when sleeping I kept alternating between Motrin, a sinus pill, Tylenol, a different sinus pill, Aspirin, yet a different sinus pill etc and stayed clear of the wax cleaner.

Now Thursday, I was going out of my mind. I kept thinking something was wrong with the wax cleaner. The instructions say put it in for a few minutes not really specifying how many or what is the max. I started to think that I melted the wax but by leaving it in so long, it re-hardened so anxious, I went home to try it again.Sadly, not being able to hear right, my judgement was clouded and while backing in to my garage, I broke my side view mirror.

I got inside the house, angry beyond words and decided to try and use the cleaner again. I put a few drops in my ear and watched the clock. After about 5 minutes, crackling was dying down, I went in to the bathroom and flushed my ear. To my shock, I could hear again.

I am not blaming anyone for my stupidity but I am a bit unhappy that the product's instructions did not specify a time range or at least post the message not to exceed so many minutes. And I think my wife's cousin just remembered the usage a little bit wrong. She was mostly correct.

Yes, to those thinking it, I was a fool. To anyone using it, make sure you don't leave the cleaner in your ear more than about 5-10 minutes. The wax will reharden and it will make your hearing worse.

I've been having this muffled sound in my ear for a few weeks and thought it was just stopped up or swollen from allergies. I probably clean my ears too much. I think some of the wax is necessary. I'm also guilty of using Qtips but I'm extremely careful. I know that you're never supposed to use them but I don't feel like my ears are clean w/o them. I'm a very healthy, slim 58 year old female and just started thinking maybe it's just hearing loss. I've never had anything like this before. In fact, I'm not on any medication. My blood pressure is good, I don't have diabetes and I stay active. I hesitate to go to the Dr. because of no insurance. As I was reading all of these questions and answers, it made me sad to see how many of us can't afford to see a Dr. I think this is the most awesome country in the world but how is it that a 14 year old boy has to get online and inquire about problems with his ears. I don't know his circumstances but by reading these questions, it seems sad that there are so many of us that have to think we're seriously ill before we can financially justify a Dr.'s visit. I just find that very disturbing and felt the need to vent.

Tankgurl, I've been sent to an ENT for the same thing. I started with laryngitis and what was thought to be an upper respitory infection. On antibiodics which seems to have taken care of the laryngitis (although my throat is still a little sore) and then ear drops for the clogged ear which did nothing, so then predizone... still nothing. ENT sent me for blood work and an MRI, which was just done today... waiting for results

Hi- I sure know what you are feeling. I currently have swimmers ear so I have pain drainage and swelling. But I don't think you have it. My doctor gave me a special ear deops for clogging you should really go tp the doctor!