How to quickly cure a stuffy ear

The feeling of ear congestion is familiar to those who have ever taken to the air on board an aircraft at least once in their life. During takeoff and landing, the rapid change in external air pressure creates internal pressure on the eardrum, tinnitus and hearing loss. A person begins to hear sounds, as if through a column of water. Some time after the pressure has equalized, the unpleasant symptom disappears. But what if it appears suddenly and for no apparent reason? How to relieve ear congestion on your own and how to treat it?

Main reasons

Of course, a stuffy ear is not a disease, but rather a symptom or signal that something is wrong with the body. And if this sensation appears suddenly and does not go away for some time, it is better to consult a doctor. Sometimes this indicates the onset of a serious illness of the brain or nervous system. But more often than not, ear congestion is caused by simple reasons:

• water getting into the ear while bathing or showering;
• the formation and swelling of the sulfur plug;
• ingress of a foreign body blocking the ear canal;
• curvature of the nasal septum - congenital or after injury;
• severe runny nose during a cold;
• active inflammatory processes in the middle and inner ear.

Accordingly, the choice of how to treat the ear, when it is laid, directly depends on the cause. As well as what means to use for this - medication or folk.

If the reason is not a common cold or a runny nose, but the onset of a serious illness, then any folk remedy for ear congestion is likely to be useless. The same will happen in the case of deep neurological disorders.

Medicines

If you prefer traditional medicines, then the most popular and often the most effective remedy for ear congestion is ordinary boric alcohol, 3-5 drops of which must be dripped into the sore ear. It warms it up deeply, promotes the rapid removal of water, and is destructive for insects and most pathogenic bacteria that have entered the ear. Children under 3 years old cannot drip boric alcohol - you can get a skin burn.

There are other ear drops, for example:

1. Otipak is completely safe, as it does not contain antibiotics. Therefore, it can be used as a cure for ear congestion, even for children and pregnant women. Contains the anesthetic component lidocaine, quickly relieves the condition with colds and severe rhinitis. But it does not relieve inflammation and this is its main disadvantage.
2. Otofa is already a powerful antibiotic medicine that can even cope with purulent otitis media. With this disease, pus accumulated behind the eardrum and creates a feeling of ear congestion. When the acute inflammatory process subsides, the pus dissolves or comes out.
3. "Normax" - helps with both colds and otitis media. The main active ingredient is the antibacterial drug norfloxacin. One of the significant advantages of this drug is its relatively low cost with high efficiency. But it must be used according to the doctor's prescription. He is not able to act on the sulfur plug.
4. "Candibiotic" is a complex drug with a very broad spectrum of action. Includes both antimicrobial and antifungal components. It is effective in active inflammatory processes, thanks to the presence of lidocaine, it quickly relieves pain. Contraindicated in pregnancy.
5. "Naphtizin" is a well-known, very inexpensive, but excellent drug that allows you to get rid of ear congestion caused by a runny nose and a cold in a matter of minutes. Has a pronounced vasoconstrictor effect. It is used for adults and children over 12 years old. Does not help with acute inflammatory processes.

And these are just five of the most famous medicines. There are many more of them in the pharmacy network, but it is very difficult for a non-specialist to navigate them on their own. And the wrong choice of drug can lead to serious complications and side effects.

Therefore, before buying, it is better to consult with your doctor or pharmacist about how to treat ear congestion in your case.

Folk remedies

The choice of folk remedies is no less wide than the choice of medicines. They are natural, affordable and at times lower in price. But their effectiveness in most cases is small, and they only help well with congestion caused by the simplest reasons: colds, runny nose, sulfur plug, water ingress, pressure changes.

Sulfur plug can be easily removed with the usual 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, which is instilled into the sore ear, and then it is gently cleaned. But if, after 2-3 repetitions of this procedure, the cork cannot be removed, you need to go to a specialist, and not try to pick it out by force.

With a runny nose and colds, a decoction of chamomile flowers is excellent. To prepare it, you need to pour 2-3 tablespoons of chamomile with half a liter of boiling water, boil for 5-10 minutes and let it brew for two hours. With this broth, you need to wash your ears and nose 3-4 times a day. It will perfectly relieve pain and inflammation.

If, as a result of pressure drop, ear congestion has arisen, than treat it immediately with drops, try blowing first. To do this, you need to close your mouth and tightly pinch your nose with your fingers, and then try to gently exhale with your nose. Usually, after 2-3 repetitions, the ear lets go.

With otitis media, gauze turundas with garlic (or onions) and honey, which are injected into the ear for 30-40 minutes, help well. If the procedure is done for children (from 6 years old), it is better to soak the gauze with olive or warm sunflower oil so that there is no skin irritation.

When the ear is blocked, you now know how to treat it at home. But these are just a few recipes. On the Internet, you can easily find dozens of other effective and simple tools that are always at hand. But it's important to remember that self-medication is dangerous. Therefore, if the cause of the congestion is not clear, and it does not go away from simple procedures within 1-2 days, then you just need to consult a doctor to avoid complications.