That plugged, muffled feeling in your ears happens when pressure builds up in your middle ear and can’t escape. The fix is usually simple: you need to open the small tubes that connect your middle ear to the back of your throat. These are called eustachian tubes, and they normally open briefly every time you swallow or yawn to let a tiny puff of air through. When they’re swollen shut from a cold, allergies, altitude changes, or sinus congestion, pressure gets trapped and your hearing sounds like you’re underwater.
Here’s how to get them open again, depending on what’s causing the blockage.
Two Maneuvers That Work Immediately
If your ears feel blocked from a flight, elevation change, or general stuffiness, these two techniques are the fastest way to pop them open.
The Valsalva maneuver: Close your mouth, pinch your nostrils shut, and gently blow out as if you’re trying to exhale through your sealed nose. You should feel a soft pop or click as air pushes into your middle ear. Don’t blow hard. A gentle, steady pressure is all it takes, and forcing it can actually damage your eardrum.
The Toynbee maneuver: Close your mouth, pinch your nostrils shut, and swallow. This creates a slight vacuum that pulls the eustachian tubes open. Some people find this works better than the Valsalva, especially if blowing against a closed nose feels uncomfortable. You can repeat it several times.
If neither maneuver works on the first try, yawning widely or chewing gum can also trigger the tubes to open. All of these work by activating the muscles around the eustachian tubes or changing the pressure in your throat.
When Congestion Is the Problem
A cold, sinus infection, or allergies can swell the lining of your eustachian tubes so much that no amount of swallowing or jaw movement will pop them open. In that case, you need to reduce the swelling first.
A nasal decongestant spray can shrink swollen tissue quickly, but there’s an important limit: don’t use it for more than three consecutive days. After that, the spray itself starts causing rebound congestion, a condition called rhinitis medicamentosa, which makes the swelling worse than it was before you started. Oral decongestants don’t carry the same rebound risk and can be used for a few days longer, though they can raise blood pressure in some people.
Steam inhalation helps thin the mucus that may be blocking your eustachian tubes. Breathing in warm, moist air from a bowl of hot water or a steamy shower for five to ten minutes can loosen things enough for the maneuvers above to finally work. A warm washcloth held against the affected ear for five to ten minutes can also ease discomfort and encourage fluid to drain.
Earwax Buildup Feels Similar
Sometimes the problem isn’t pressure at all. Impacted earwax can muffle your hearing and create a feeling of fullness that’s easy to confuse with eustachian tube congestion. If your ears feel blocked but the Valsalva maneuver doesn’t help and you don’t have a cold, wax may be the culprit.
To soften and remove it at home, tilt your head so the affected ear faces the ceiling, pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal (just enough to fill it), and wait a few minutes while it fizzes. Then tilt your head back to let it drain. You can also use lukewarm water with a bulb syringe: angle your head to the side, gently spray the water along the outer edge of the ear canal, then let it drain out. Repeat as needed and dry your ear thoroughly afterward.
One critical rule: only try these techniques if you’ve never had ear surgery and you’re certain you don’t have a hole in your eardrum. If you’re unsure, have a provider look first. And never use cotton swabs to dig wax out. They push it deeper and can puncture the eardrum.
Opening a Child’s Ears
Babies and toddlers can’t perform the Valsalva maneuver, which is why they often scream during airplane takeoffs and landings. Their eustachian tubes are shorter, narrower, and more horizontal than an adult’s, so they clog more easily.
The best strategy is to encourage frequent swallowing. Offer a bottle, pacifier, or breastfeed during takeoff and landing. For older kids, have them drink water throughout the flight, yawn frequently, or chew gum. One often-overlooked tip: try to keep your child awake during ascent and descent. We swallow far less often during sleep, so the tubes stay closed and pressure builds without any way to escape.
Fluid Behind the Eardrum in Children
If your child has had recurring ear infections or persistent muffled hearing, fluid may be trapped in the middle ear. This is common in kids and often resolves on its own within about three months. Antibiotics, antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal steroids have not been shown to help clear this fluid effectively. Neither have herbal remedies, special diets, or chiropractic treatments. The two things that do help: keeping your child away from secondhand smoke (especially in enclosed spaces like cars) and, for children over 12 months, stopping daytime pacifier use.
Signs Something More Serious Is Happening
Most ear blockages are harmless and temporary. But certain symptoms suggest a ruptured eardrum or infection that needs prompt attention: sudden sharp pain followed by relief, significant hearing loss, a loud ringing in the ear, dizziness that makes it hard to stand, fever, or fluid draining from the ear canal. If you tried to pop your ears and felt a sudden, intense pain, stop immediately. A ruptured eardrum usually heals on its own within a few weeks, but it needs to be evaluated to rule out infection and to make sure healing is on track.