How to Pop Your Ears When You Have a Cold
How to Pop Your Ears Safely
Last Updated: July 10, 2020
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You may be familiar with the feeling of clogged ears, whether it's from head congestion when you have a cold or when you're experiencing a change in air pressure, such as while flying on a plane. The feeling might seem like your ears are stuffy, and sounds are often muffled. In some cases, this clogged feeling can even be painful. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to pop your ears safely and relieve ear pressure. It's important to learn how to pop your ears safely to protect your eardrum from damage.
Causes of Clogged Ears
The Eustachian tube connects your middle ear cavity to the back of your nose and throat. It allows mucus to drain out of your middle ear to prevent infection. Normally, the tube remains closed to protect your eardrum from loud noises. It opens when you yawn or swallow to equalize the pressure in your middle ear with your surroundings—both sides of your eardrum.
When you feel pressure in your ear due to congestion or a change in altitude, you're experiencing ear barotrauma. It occurs when the Eustachian tube doesn't open to equalize the pressure in your middle ear. In some cases, barotrauma can damage your ear. When fluid also builds up in the ear, it can cause an ear infection. This frequently happens in very young children because their Eustachian tubes are short and get clogged easily.
Causes of blocked Eustachian tubes include:
- Congestion and swelling due to cold, allergies or a sinus infection
- Negative pressure inside the ear, which occurs when the air pressure outside the ear is higher than inside the ear. This can happen when landing during an airplane flight, descending while scuba diving, skydiving, or driving down a mountain.
- Positive pressure inside the ear, which occurs when the pressure outside the ear is lower than inside the ear. It may happen while taking off in an airplane, ascending to the surface while scuba diving, or driving up a mountain.
How to Pop Your Ears Safely
Popping—or clearing—your ears can be done safely. If you have sinus congestion due to a cold, a nasal decongestant can help relieve the pressure in your sinuses and ears. If a change in altitude is the problem, safe ways to pop your ears include:
- Yawning
- Chewing gum
- Swallowing
- Sucking on candy
- Moving the jaw side to side
- Using the Valsalva maneuver: Pinch your nose shut, close your mouth and gently attempt to breathe out through your nose, as if you were blowing your nose. Be sure to do this gently, or you can cause an ear infection or perforate your eardrum.
- For babies, feeding a bottle, nursing or using a pacifier will encourage swallowing, which can help pop their ears.
You can tell when you've popped your ears because you'll hear a pop sound and feel less pressure in your ears. It is particularly important for scuba divers to be able to pop their ears safely. Descending quickly into deep water without popping the ears can cause severe barotrauma.
When to See a Doctor
Most of the time, self-care treatments to safely pop your ears will relieve ear pressure and protect your eardrum. If you're unable to pop your ears and pain persists, you can suffer serious ear damage, such as hearing loss, a ruptured eardrum, or chronic tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Most of the time hearing loss due to barotrauma is temporary, but it can be permanent in some cases. Call your doctor if you experience other symptoms, such as:
- Ear drainage
- Bleeding from the ear
- Severe ear pain
- Fever
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About The Author
Ashley Festa is a Greenville, S.C.-based freelance writer and editor who has been writing professionally for nearly two decades. In addition to Healthgrades, she also has written for Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing and Health Innovation, and Fit Pregnancy magazine.
Medical Reviewer: William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
Last Review Date: 2020 Jul 1
THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
How to Pop Your Ears When You Have a Cold
Source: https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/ear-nose-and-throat/how-to-pop-your-ears-safely