Blocked Ear - cannot hear much - how can I unblock it?

[PavlovtheCatthatgottheCremeEgg]

I have had a blocked ear for over a week. It started with ear pain, which went away after a day, then stayed very very blocked. I thought it would go away, as I had it about 4-5 weeks ago and it just went again, but this time it is showing no signs of letting up. At night it is worse, and seems to effect my other ear a bit too. It is very muffled, and is making things hard to hear. My Dp also said I am mumbling as I canont hear how loudly I am talking, so he is constantly saying pardon to me, and me to him!

I can hear my spine creaking and myself swallowing ang myself talking, all of which is horribe. If there is other noise like radoi on, other people talking, I am struggling to hear what is being said.
I have tried to get a Drs appt for today but nothing but urgent appts only. My brother and his tibe of little ones are coming up this afternoon and I am very worried that I will not be able to involve myself as much as want, hear what is being said, appear to be too quiet. It is starting to get me down!!!

Any ideas on how to unblock it?

Tried a steam. Not working. Tried the salt in hankie.Nope.

However, if I tip my head right back, at an angle, it unblocks one ear. Like a cork.

I can't believe you haven't been to the doctors yet!!! It is an urgent appointment. You have an ear infection, or rather, two ear infections. The next thing will be that it will start hurting intensely and then your ear drums will perforate and you could have permanent damage to your ears. This just happened to a friend of mine a few weeks ago. He had the exact same symptoms as yours. He ignored me when I told him to go to the doctor. That night both eardrums perforated (pain stops for a bit when this happens...not a good thing) and he ended up in a&e and is now on his second rouund of antibiotics because the infection was so strong that the first round didn't work. Please go to the doctor and get yourself treated.!!!!!!

Sofia - I did not consider it urgent to start with, most people said it was a waste of time, try other things etc. By the time I felt I should go, it was near end of week, and now the weekend! I know, I know, I just thought/hoped it would clear up on its own.

Oh you poor thing, I have just had weeks of blocked ear torment with the bloody GP refusing to syringe it etc etc etc.

I tried three different kinds of drops, then olive oil, eventually it got better by itself but it was horrible.

And Sofia, OMG! Cant do anything now tho can i? Now I am worried! And I go back to work after 9 months on tuesday, after lots of hassle, I cant not go in. Oh dear, what to do

Sofia, I did have pain to start with, but not for ages . I would know if it had perforated tho?

Pavlov, I had pain at the beginning too but the GP said it was not an ear infection.

oh good dinosuar! I hope it is not, as I dont want the eardrums to burst before I get to the Dr next week

I think you would be in extreme pain if that were the case?

I thought so too. hear is hoping it does not happen (LOL at pun)

oh, it unblocked when I yawned. then blocked up when I had finished. oh dear

If it's unblocking when you're yawning, it's probably not an ear infection. If it's full of wax, it will ache a little and feel like you're swimming underwater. And it will probably take at least a week before the oil makes any difference. I would, however get a nurse to check it out when you get a chance, she'll refer you to the doc, if it isn't blocked anyway.

Can I take decongestant for it, in case it is sinuses? I have avoided it so far as I am breastfeeding, but if it will work?...

I'd probably be wary of taking decongestants if you're bf. BTW Does it ache?

Two of these Pav

Sometimes ear infections hurt and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they cause damage and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they affect hearing and sometimes they don't. My children and I have had all of the above at some point. I would recommend going in to see your gp first thing on Monday. My understanding is that if it's an ear infection that decongestant does absolutely nothing for it (at least that's the case with kids).

lol shosh!!!

what you need are indian ear candles me and my dd have used these loads it sounds strange but they really do work.This is what you do - the candles are long hollow tubes of cotton coated in wax'n'stuff, you light the end of tube and insert into ear - very slowly it burns down as it does it sucks all the gunk/blockage out then you do the other one - yay you can hear again ! The best bit is opening up the tube and looking at what came out - yuck!! Supposed to listen to relaxing hippy music and create a calm enviroment to do this HA HA HA not in our house!

Maxi - yes I have heard of them, sounds great, however one of my ears has unblocked, after much much effort, and the other is getting there I think.

I have been putting in olive oil twice a day, every day, did a vicks steam, nothing really happened at the time, not even gunk from my nose really. I tried decongestant recommended by pharmacist (sinutab) which is ok whilst breastfeeding, did nothing. Tok Ibruprofen to try to reduce swelling, nothing, did Carvol steam, dried everything out, then this morning I had a bath, nose felt bunged, blew it and both ears crunched and crunched and really really hurt, and popped several times, one cleared the other not yet!

Now everything is really loud! Not sure what did it, whether a combination of, or nothing at all, just did it on its own,

but phew! as I go back to work tomorrow after maternity leave of 9 months and was really worried about not being able to hear anything.

Thanks everyone for your advice

was going to tell you abotu my dad haveing grommets aged 72

Is it possible that you have hay-fever? I get tree pollen hay-fever (fortunately the season has just about finished). I used to just sneeze but for the last 5 years or so I also get streaming eyes and itchy and swollen ears. When the ear is swollen I go deaf, although often if I pull down on my earlobe I can hear better as it holds the ear canal slightly open. It also tends to 'pop' a bit as you describe when I move my head or yawn. I find it very helpful to double my anti-histimine dose for a few days to get it back under control.

Pav did you put peanuts in your ears so you didnt have to go back to work, I did when I didnt want to go to school once

Shosh - LOL did you really?!! Thats really funny? Could you get them out again? Did you get found out? I will have to try that one once I get settled back in LOL

Bran - hope it is not hay fever!

DONT WHA I was about 6, amd had to go to hospital to have it taken out, THEN my mum made me go to school after!