It's normal to come home from a day of swimming with a bit of water in your ear. But if your hearing still sounds muffled for days after your time in the pool, you may have swimmer's ear. Swimmer's ear is a bacterial infection that occurs when...
When ear problems already exist, even a shift in position or a change in muscle tension can cause pain and the feeling of a "full" or blocked ear. Minor inflammations of the Eustachian tubes may linger after an illness and signal that you haven't...
Ear pain and muffled hearing can interfere with your normal workout routine. Although a blocked ear that resolves itself promptly after your exercise session generally does not pose any serious medical concerns, schedule an appointment with your...
Paraffin wax has been used in candles and ear candles since the mid-1800s. Since the discovery that burning paraffin candles produces toxic fumes and soot, alternative products such as soy wax and beeswax are used. Paraffin wax, however, is still...
Plugged ears are rarely a serious problem. They most often result from allergies or a cold and can last between a few hours or a couple of weeks. They usually subside on their own and are painless, only resulting in muffled hearing. Congestion in...
The tubes in the ear are called the eustachian tubes, and when they become blocked, ear congestion occurs. Ear congestion is most commonly caused by viral infections such as colds, or from nasal allergies. Changes in air pressure can lead to ear...
When you ride an elevator or fly in an airplane, the sudden change in altitude may cause blocked ears. Your ears may feel clogged and you may have difficulty hearing for hours or even days after the altitude change. By moving your face and mouth,...
Blocked ears can be painful and can temporarily impair hearing. The most common causes include colds, air travel, sinus infections and impacted earwax. There are exercises you can try to unblock your ears. If your ears remain blocked for more than...
If you are suddenly having difficulty hearing or feel an itchy sensation in your ear, your ear canal may be blocked with ear wax. Ear wax is beneficial because it keeps foreign objects from entering your ear canal, but when ear wax hardens and...
Wax buildup is the most common cause of hearing loss for people in the United States, according to MedLine Plus, the online health information network published by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Though a...
Earwax is helpful to prevent foreign objects from getting into your child's ear and prevent infection. Too much earwax in your child's ear, however, can create a blockage, which can cause hearing loss and discomfort. To prevent earwax from...
If you have a clogged sensation in your ear, or if you feel pain, itchiness or hear ringing, you may have earwax blockage. Earwax blockage occurs when the wax hardens and presses against your eardrum, which can cause temporary hearing loss and...
Experiencing a plugged ear after swimming leaves many newbie swimmers wondering exactly what they did wrong in the pool. Plugged or blocked ears occur fairly regularly among swimmers of all skill levels. Learn the facts about how this common...
When it's time to clean your baby's ears, don't poke inside them with a cotton swab. Although swabbing the outside of the ear is fine, pushing a cotton swab into the ear may push the wax into the ear canal, creating a blockage. If your child is...
Blocked ears or popping sensations in your eardrum can stem from a variety of circumstances. If this occurs while outside exercising, your surroundings may influence your symptoms, but exercise itself is not the culprit. Allergies, the common cold...
Earwax, also known as cerumen, protects your ears by trapping foreign particles and keeping bacteria from entering into your ears. If you have too little earwax, your ears may become dry and itchy, but having too much earwax can also be a problem....
According to the "Merck Medical Home Health Handbook," tinnitus is a symptom of either an injury, a blocked ear or an ear infection. Tinnitus can also be a symptom of ear damage or hearing loss. Ringing or buzzing in the ear, especially in quiet...
When ear wax builds up, some simple home remedies like irrigation or softening drops can help remove the blockage, according to Medline Plus. But the ear is a delicate and vulnerable organ, so a little know-how and a few simple precautions can...
NeilMed Sinus Rinse is designed to irrigate the nasal passages and clear them of mucus, allowing nasal medication to work more effectively. It is also used to clean bacteria, viruses, allergens and irritants from the nose with the intent of...
Mild to moderate earwax buildup is common in children of all ages. Though you can wipe the external ear clean with a washcloth, the website Ask Dr. Sears recommends leaving any wax inside the ear canal alone. Inserting a tool or cotton swab into...
Numerous conditions and problems can cause outer ear pain. According to the University of Illinois Medical Center, ear pain can range from mild to severe, and is usually caused by conditions of the outer or middle ear. The outer ear is the...
Clogged sinuses and clogged ears often affect people at the same time. That's because sinus infections are one of the top causes of blocked ear passages and ear infections, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Sinus infections...
Ear infection, or otitis media, is more likely to impact children than adults. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains that there are many reasons for this, including an immature immune system in children and a smaller eustachian tube....
If you are getting over a cold or suffering from seasonal allergies or sinusitis, you may experience congestion in your ears caused by a buildup of fluid or swelling in the middle ear. MayoClinic.com describes the condition as feeling as though...
While ear candling has deep historical roots, evidence suggests that it is not a safe or effective practice for removing excessive ear wax. The practice involves placing a cone-shaped candle inside your ear, tilting your head to one side, and...
Impacted earwax, or cerumen, develops in one out of every 10 children, according to data from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Earwax -- a sticky blend of aural secretions, loosened skin cells and hair -- moisturizes and protects the ear...
Ear congestion can be brought on by colds, nose-blowing or changes in air pressure. It occurs when the ear tube, or eustacian tube, between your ear and throat becomes blocked or clogged. Colds and allergies can bring on ear congestion because the...
A plugged ear typically involves some blockage, usually ear wax, of the eustachian tube (the passage connecting the middle ear with the throat and the back of the nose). This blockage impedes the normal vibration of the eardrums, making sounds...
Dramatic changes in pressure affect your ears and sinuses. You might have experienced ear popping as an airplane descends, for example. As you descend to begin a dive, the pressure increases dramatically with increased depth. Water will press...
