I'm sick right now. My nose is runny, my throat feels funny, but worst of all, my left ear is popped and won't un-pop. I've tried the pinch nose and exhale through nose thing but I heard it was dangerous and it wasn't working anyway. This happened the last time I was sick but I'm not sure how I got rid of it. I think it just went away when I was sleeping or something.

Does anyone have any tips on how to make an ear stop popping? It might be good for the next time I get on a plane as well. I had a problem with it the last time.

Deleted User 3420

24492 Posts

March 31 2009 04:07 GMT

stop worrying about it

iSCOUT4u

United States327 Posts

March 31 2009 04:08 GMT

Chew some gum...then do a hand stand...works everytime...

Etherone

United States1898 Posts

March 31 2009 04:20 GMT

sex is the best medicine.

fanatacist

10319 Posts

March 31 2009 04:24 GMT

Swallow forcibly (no joke). Gather all your spit and swallow as deeply as you can.

Try pushing in on the earflap for a bit. Might not work but helps me sometimes.

Also, doesn't that happen because of elevated pressure in the head or something? Take some aspirin, it should broaden your vessels and make blood flow easier.

EDIT: I am not a doctor, but these things have helped me/people I know.

Divinek

Canada4045 Posts

March 31 2009 04:27 GMT

Yeah forcibly swallow. or try to force a yawn.

Or even like take a bath and immerse your head under the water for a bit until all the air comes out.

Zapdos_Smithh

Canada2620 Posts

March 31 2009 04:27 GMT

Unpop? I'm confused, do you want your ear TO pop or NOT to pop?

If it's a symptom of a cold, I suggest you not pop them. I had that before and really tried hard to pop my ears, exhaling while holding nose, etc. Eventually I actually caused more damage and one ear remained plugged for almost a month, talk about a pain. I ended up taking antibiotics to get rid of it. I recommend you wait it out.

fanatacist

10319 Posts

March 31 2009 04:29 GMT

On March 31 2009 13:27 Divinek wrote:
Yeah forcibly swallow. or try to force a yawn.

Or even like take a bath and immerse your head under the water for a bit until all the air comes out.

The key to yawning is that your jaw has to open as far as possible.

Not sure about the water one, usually that pops ears doesn't it? What about water-locked ears? Ear infection? ):

iSCOUT4u

United States327 Posts

March 31 2009 04:38 GMT

These people are talking all kinds of witchcraft...seriously just chew some gum and do a handstand...ur welcome.

fanatacist

10319 Posts

March 31 2009 04:38 GMT

#10

On March 31 2009 13:38 iSCOUT4u wrote:
These people are talking all kinds of witchcraft...seriously just chew some gum and do a handstand...ur welcome.

Rofl.

sMi.SyMPhOnY

United States226 Posts

March 31 2009 04:48 GMT

#11

if you're sick as well (runny nose + fever especially) ear infection is possible if you feel like you have a clogged ear.Also because you haven't taken anti biotics for what could have been an ear infection before is probably why you're sick again with the same symptoms maybe?

Elite00fm

United States548 Posts

March 31 2009 04:53 GMT

#12

there are tubes in your neck/ear area that get clogged up when you are sick, you can fix this problem by either yawning a lot or chewing gum.

ffswowsucks

Greece2296 Posts

March 31 2009 06:29 GMT

#13

Jump 100 times and it will get fixed.

Osmoses

Sweden5302 Posts

March 31 2009 06:39 GMT

#14

Seconding the swallow and yawn tips. They always work great for me when flying, in fact I can't land without swallowing like a thai hooker. It's either that or blow my eardrums.

Elian

United States129 Posts

March 31 2009 10:23 GMT

#15

Yawn and swallow is definitely a good way.

But it will fix itself, so don't panic. I flew once with a sinus infection... haha there was fluid draining from my inner ear for like a week. I do not recommend this. I hear fine now though.

Kennigit

Canada19447 Posts

March 31 2009 13:25 GMT

#16

You've got pressure in your inner ear (i think... physician?). To clear it, open your jaw as wide as you can try to lower the whole bone itself rather than just rotating around the joint...it that makes sense. When i fly its pretty standard, you just equalize ever couple minutes and its same with colds.

Another solution it to slide your jaw from side to side with your mouth open, basically you want to open your ear canal right up to clear the pressure.

Theres probably some doctors around with better explanations/solutions but these work 100% for me.

Kennelie

United States2296 Posts

March 31 2009 14:21 GMT

#17

I heard this might work but I forget if it was for a ear ache or to unpop your ears. Grab a hair dryer blower and turn it to medium blow with medium heat and point it in the direction of your ear 6-8 inches away. I have never tried this myself but heard about it a few weeks back.

While growing up and having popped ears my mom used to grab a sheet of paper and twist it into a funnel shaped cone. Insert the < part of the funnel into your ear(make sure you leave a opening at the end of the cone of course) and have someone either light a match or a lit candle and insert it into the open end of the funnel part and within seconds the heat will unpop your ear. Hope this works for you.

fanatacist

10319 Posts

March 31 2009 14:35 GMT

#18

On March 31 2009 23:21 Kennelie wrote:
I heard this might work but I forget if it was for a ear ache or to unpop your ears. Grab a hair dryer blower and turn it to medium blow with medium heat and point it in the direction of your ear 6-8 inches away. I have never tried this myself but heard about it a few weeks back.

While growing up and having popped ears my mom used to grab a sheet of paper and twist it into a funnel shaped cone. Insert the < part of the funnel into your ear(make sure you leave a opening at the end of the cone of course) and have someone either light a match or a lit candle and insert it into the open end of the funnel part and within seconds the heat will unpop your ear. Hope this works for you.

If not, you only have the potential to light shit on fire, which should still brighten your day. Unless you light your hair on fire.

I can actually flex some sort of muscle or something behind my ear and it makes a weird vibrating sound in my ear, and it clears the popped ear effect. I haven't had to do this in years though since I flew so many times and snowboarded in high altitude mountains in Canada where your ears would pop like 20 times a day

EDIT: Oh, and since you are sick, I'd go to a doctor to check for ear infection.

Kennelie

United States2296 Posts

March 31 2009 15:06 GMT

#19

Actually my first thoughts while growing up were that i would burn myself or catch the paper on fire but in actual reality once the match/candle reaches a certain point inside the funnel it's not even a matter of seconds or even milleseconds that your ear unpops. Only downside of this is if you are sick as previously stated it won't help for long.