Steam loosens thickened mucus that may be sealing the tube shut.
: Simply yawning or swallowing repeatedly can engage the muscles that pull the Eustachian tubes open.
During a cold, the Eustachian tubes (the small tunnels connecting your middle ear to the back of your throat) get swollen and clogged with mucus. These tubes are responsible for equalizing pressure and draining fluid. When they get blocked, fluid builds up behind the eardrum. This creates that feeling of pressure, muffled hearing, and fullness.
You’ve survived the sore throat, the coughing, and the endless nose-blowing. You’re finally feeling human again—except for one thing. Your ear feels like it’s stuffed with cotton wool, or underwater, or just full .
: Pinch your nostrils shut, close your mouth, and gently try to blow air out through your nose. You should feel a slight "pop." Warning: Do not blow too hard, as this can damage your eardrum or push infection deeper into the ear.
Try these in order, from gentlest to most active.
Emma also used saline nasal sprays to help moisturize her nasal passages and loosen up any mucus that might be contributing to the blockage. She used the spray a few times a day, and she found that it helped to make her nose feel less stuffy and her ear feel less blocked.