I have your basic cold symptoms x7 days and at first my right ear would pop off and on but this morning I woke up and my right ear is completely plugged and hurts. I feel like there is a cotton ball or something in there. I have decreased hearing in the ear. Should I be concerned or will this subside with time?

Get an OTC drug for congestion or an antihistamine.
Blow your nose with your mouth open so that your eardrum isn't injured.
Gargle OFTEN with salt dissolved in hot water, and make sure you include the back of your throat.
That's where mucus from the ears drains down the throat (all the time, even when you don't have a cold). When the canal is congested, it closes in from swelling, and that makes it worse.
Keep your head, ears, and neck well wrapped, even indoors.
Make sure you have humidity indoors if you have heat on.
I put a scarf over my nose to trap moisture as I exhale. It helps/