I need to unplug my ears as soon as possible

March 25, 2017 9:26 AM

I have a date in 3 hours, but my ears are plugged and I can't hear a thing. What's the quickest way to unplug them? I've been using olive oil spray all day, bit it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I've also tried the Valsalva Maneuver and nasal spray in case it's a sinus blockage (they usually get blocked because of ear wax, but I just had a cold so it could be sinuses). Is there anything else I can do to unplug them before 7:30?
posted by Chenko to Health & Fitness (22 answers total)

Is there a salon near you that offers ear candling?
posted by schroedingersgirl at 9:28 AM on March 25, 2017

Chewing gum and yawning. Get to it!
posted by Toddles at 9:34 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

(also would cold medicine help, maybe?)
posted by Toddles at 9:34 AM on March 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

Maybe impacted ear wax? It's not exactly cheap, but you could go to one of those clinics in CVS or Walgreens and get your ears looked and cleaned out if it is impacted ear wax
posted by Attackpanda at 9:38 AM on March 25, 2017 [7 favorites]

If it's due to sinus congestion, I find taking the expectorant Mucinex (Guaifenesin) helps me when other things don't. It thins mucus and phlegm. Also, a hot shower could help.
posted by quince at 9:40 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Ear candling is scientifically contraindicated

Bring a whiteboard for your date to use. It'd be a heck of a meet-cute.
posted by stevis23 at 9:42 AM on March 25, 2017 [26 favorites]

Decongestant?
posted by heathrowga at 9:52 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

The internet at large claims this might not be a great idea, but I sometimes lay on my side and pour a capful of hydrogen peroxide (3%) in my ear and lay there for 5 or 10 minutes. It will fizz a little and I feel like it loosens things up a bit.
posted by mjcon at 10:00 AM on March 25, 2017 [7 favorites]

Take a face cloth, run hot water over it - as hot as you can stand. Liberally sprinkle some salt over the hot steamy cloth and lie so that the steamy salty water can get into your ear while you're watching tv or resting.

Replace the water on the cloth as necessary (try to keep it as hot as you can).

I used to get recurring ear infections, and this was one way that I was able to get it to drain or loosen up. Don't stick anything inside your ear if possible. All you need is steamy salty water.

Decongestant helps. Also a gentle GENTLE blow with hot air using your hair-dryer can help.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 10:00 AM on March 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

Real sudafed- I use Aleve Cold and Sinus-D which makes a huge difference within an hour.
posted by Mouse Army at 10:01 AM on March 25, 2017 [4 favorites]

Hydrogen peroxide is right. If you have a build up of ear wax it will help break it up. You may need to do it a few times if there's a lot of buildup.
posted by Bistyfrass at 10:18 AM on March 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

Just to be sure: You tried holding your breath and plugging your nose, right?
posted by areaperson at 10:24 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Have you tried having a long bath or shower?
posted by carbide at 10:26 AM on March 25, 2017

Removing_earwax_with_a_paperclip_is_magic_and_not_at_all_recommended

For the record, I've never done this and I'm not recommending it either, just calling attention to it because nobody else has.
posted by cali59 at 10:34 AM on March 25, 2017

Just to be sure: You tried holding your breath and plugging your nose, right?

That is the same thing as the Valsalva Maneuver that the OP mentions in the post.

OP, I'd try Sudafed if you think it's probably congestion and urgent care (or a CVS clinic type thing) if you think it's probably earwax. Or Sudafed on the way to Urgent Care. FWIW, I've never been unable to hear because of congestion, but I have had trouble hearing due to an ear infection. Ear infections usually happen at the end of a cold - urgent care would be able to take care of that as well, but that means antibiotics and waiting about 24 hours before you start feeling / hearing better.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:42 AM on March 25, 2017

Have you tried one of those earwax removal kits? You can get them at any pharmacy. Drops and a bulb syringe. That's what my doc told me to use, I think she was trying to save me $$ so that I didn't get charged for a "procedure". Sometimes I have to squeeze really hard and fast to get enough pressure to flush something out. I am not a doctor/your doctor or recommending that you do this but that's what I do on the advice of my doctor who is also not your doctor.
posted by BoscosMom at 12:53 PM on March 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

Warm your body fluids with hot drinks and wear head phones or some other ear coverings and do some aerobic exercise. This will open up your breathing and ear passages in an non-invasive way.
posted by effluvia at 1:09 PM on March 25, 2017

Warm water and one of those ear squeeze bulbs does the trick. If they are bad, it can take quite a bit of water.
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:49 PM on March 25, 2017

If you suddenly can't hear in both ears, that's an emergency. If it's just one ear that's probably an earwax situation and you should consider urgent care or the minute clinic.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:45 PM on March 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

Sometimes pharmacies sell the Ototek loop which is a safe earwax removal took; call around.
posted by Hypatia at 2:59 PM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I took sudafed, put some hydrogen peroxide in my ears, and chewed a lot of gum and my ears cleared up half-way through the date.
posted by Chenko at 4:54 PM on March 25, 2017 [5 favorites]

I used to use the paperclip method described above, until I took home a microspatula from the lab and now I use that. It works well, except I do have that cough reflex when you really get in there.
posted by koolkat at 6:35 AM on March 27, 2017