Wet Ears: Fluid, Plugged, Swimmers: Remedies & Pain Relief

[kamom]

   I cannot thank you all enough for all that I have learned through this site!
I can never remember having an ear infection but for the last week my ears ( one more then the other) feel bubbly inside. They pop and it feels like fluid in there. NO pain. Could this be an ear infection and what should I do to clear them? Would i know it's an infection without going to the Dr. I am feeling well.  Thanks!

[CKSMOM]

You may try using an ear syringe with peroxide water.  If you have wax build up it drives me nuts.  I have a terrible time with it.  If you do have an infection, the peroxide water may help some anyway, and it's good to help get the wax out of your ears.  Hope you feel better. Also try some warm garlic oil if you think you may have an infection.

[Simply Kristen]

   I cannot thank you all enough for all that I have learned through this site!
I can never remember having an ear infection but for the last week my ears ( one more then the other) feel bubbly inside. They pop and it feels like fluid in there. NO pain. Could this be an ear infection and what should I do to clear them? Would i know it's an infection without going to the Dr. I am feeling well.  Thanks!

Sounds like you have some water in your ear.
Try this:
Make a mix of rubbing alcohol and vinegar (1/2 and 1/2).  Put the mixture in a dropper.  Drop it in your ear (let it go ALL the way in)....then turn your head and let the liquid drain out. Repeat on alternate ear.

I do this after swimming (I used to be a competitive swimmer) and I never got swimmers ear.

HTH

[mxmom]

I wonder if you may not be able to feel the pain of an infection.  I have had this problem all my life.  Found out when mom took me, as a baby, to the doctor and he scolded her for not bringing me in sooner for the ear infection.  She was dumbfounded as that is not why she took me in.  I did not cry or grab at my ear as is normal, so she had no idea.  Due to this fact, I have never felt I have had an ear infection, but, the doctors say I have damage in my right ear due to untreated infections.  The only way I know, now (bil is an ENT and he looked at my ear once at the end of an infection), if I have had an infection is after it is too late and finally feeling the symptoms you are describing - fullness, fluid-filled, popping, and a little itchy.   Just a thought!

[KeepItSimple]

Not sure how or why this works..but any time the kids (or us big kids) have 'icky ears'...fullness with or without pain..we put a cut onion wrapped in a warm, moist towel over the affected ear.  Voila! the pain goes away (after about 20 minutes).

**Question of the hour: Ladies, why does this work?

[blessedmamadp]

We have two remedies for ears:

Take one garlic clove and use a garlic press to press it.  Pour about 1 T. olive oil over it and strain off all garlic pieces.  Drop about 5 drops in the ear and put a cotton ball in it to keep the liquid in.  We do this just before bed.  The vinegar and perioxide washes are about the same as this, I suppose.

The second one my chiropractor told me to do.  Your eustation tubes run down the sides of your neck.  Get in a hot shower and massage downward along the side of your neck, right behind the jawbone.  This helps the drainage.  Warning: Go slow the first time you do this because it can make you nauseated.  Do it a few times and see how you feel, then a few more, etc.

Because he told me about the eustation tubes, I told a lady at church to get to the doctor (she wouldn't have listed to herbal remedies and she was elderly anyway) because she had blockages.  She had swelling on both sides of her neck in these places.  Sure enough, the doctor told her that she had blocked tubes.

Hope that helps you!
Blessings,
Dawn

[kamom]

  Thank you so much for the ideas!!  I kindof knew what to do for an infection. I wasn't sure tho if I should go ahead and do these things and add more to fluid to the ears with these treatments not knowing if I did have an infection.   I went ahead and put the garlic oil into one,the worse feeling one and I have to say it feels alot better this morning. I might try the vinegar and rubbing alcohol yet.

[Simply Kristen]

   I wasn't sure tho if I should go ahead and do these things and add more to fluid to the ears with these treatments not knowing if I did have an infection. ???I might try the vinegar and rubbing alcohol yet.

I should have written this in the original post. 
The alcohol/vinegar will dry up any water that is in  your ear. 

[CinCapri]

Does anyone know how to unplug an ear? A friend of mine says her ear is filled with fluid and she can't even hear out of the ear anymore. It's been almost a week since it started.

She had some minced Garlic and tried a garlic poultice but got no relief. She's tried heat pack but that didn't work either.

thanks for any suggestions~ Cinnamon

[SC]

In addition to GOOT, there is something else that she can try. Go to a sporting goods section of any department store and purchase some hand warmers. These are little packets of stuff that you break. The packet warms up and hunters/campers keep them in their socks or gloves to keep fingers and toes warm. Only this time you are going to use it to lay against your ear. It is both soothing and healing as it gently warms the area and increases circulation. A good comforting treatment for ear aches/infections.

[healthybratt]

Does anyone know how to unplug an ear? A friend of mine says her ear is filled with fluid and she can't even hear out of the ear anymore. It's been almost a week since it started.

She had some minced Garlic and tried a garlic poultice but got no relief. She's tried heat pack but that didn't work either.

thanks for any suggestions~ Cinnamon

Fill a sock with salt and knot the end.  Lay the affected ear on the sock and the salt should pull the moisture out.

I've also used alcohol to help the water to thin and evaporate, but if her condition is this bad, there might be other damage to the ear and I might be a bit leary of this treatment without having the doc take a look first.

[SarahK]

If you want an inexpensive otoscope, I recommend this one:

Ware Otoscope by Levine Health Products

$26.50 with 4 ear pieces that we just wash & reuse.  Uses AA batteries.

Sarah K

[ShabbyChic]

I used to get swimmer's ear and what worked for me was to turn my head so that the full ear was down at my shoulder, parallel with the floor.  Then I'd rock up on to my toes, and fall on my heels.  Rock up onto my toes, fall on my heels until the water came out. 

[Mama Sita]

Ever hear of ear candling? My mom used to get swimmer's ear so badly (very painful), and she doesn't even swim! I used 4 ear candles on her (one ear), and that night, a lot of drainage came out of her ear, her hearing cleared up and no more pain! She could hardly believe it!

You will need someone to help you do the ear candling because this is certainly not a do-it-yourself thing.  Even us D-I-Y'ers need a hand once in a while...or an ear candle.

[KatieMac]

I once had a HUGE ear wax plug in my ear and fluid would get trapped behind it...I was deaf in that ear off and on for over a year. Finally I went to the doctor and they flushed it out. It usually only took one container of water (about the size of an ice container in the freezer door...) for me it took THREE! They shot it into my ear using this little pistol type thing. Finally they dislodged a huge glob of wax and I could hear again.

I would try hydrogren peroxide...that stuff eats ear wax. All the other suggestions are good too. If nothing helps, she should try getting it flushed out.

[Mama Sita]

I once had a HUGE ear wax plug in my ear and fluid would get trapped behind it...I was deaf in that ear off and on for over a year. Finally I went to the doctor and they flushed it out. It usually only took one container of water (about the size of an ice container in the freezer door...) for me it took THREE! They shot it into my ear using this little pistol type thing. Finally they dislodged a huge glob of wax and I could hear again.

I would try hydrogren peroxide...that stuff eats ear wax. All the other suggestions are good too. If nothing helps, she should try getting it flushed out.

Uh, yeah, I second this, too. We use a water pik (supposed to be for teeth) and it works great!! You can use half warm water, half peroxide. Put your water pik on the lowest setting and squirt away. It does work really well!!

[CinCapri]

Okay, she's tried the goot, the sea salt, the warm compress. She says it's not wax, it's water behind her ear drum. We don't know where to get something to do the ear candling.

any other suggestions?   ~Cinnamon

[herbalmom]

Okay, she's tried the goot, the sea salt, the warm compress. She says it's not wax, it's water behind her ear drum. We don't know where to get something to do the ear candling.

any other suggestions?   ~Cinnamon

I don't know if this will help but it might be worth a try. The idea is to snuff salt water up the nose to clean out the sinuses & reduce any possible swelling. The Eustachian tubes are connected to the back of the sinuses-that's where the fluid she is feeling is. If the sinuses are clogged w/goop or swollen the Eustachian tubes can't drain. Try mixing 1/4 teas sea w/1 cup warm water. Pour some into the palm of the hand, plug one nostril & snuff the salt water up the other nostril into the sinuses. Repeat. When you work your way through the gook in the sinuses the salt water ends up in the back of your throat & you spit it out. Repeat on each side several times. She will gag & it is not a pleasent treatment but it works to clear the sinuses. Maybe this will help, I hope it does.

[Blessedw/3]

I had to have my ears flushed 2 weeks ago. I think the water pik would do just as well. The candleing stuff you can get probably at a pharmacy or store that carries some natural things. We have a Drug Emporium here that has them.  Good Luck! I know it is miserable. 

[DebAnn]

Two winters ago, I had a similar problem.  It felt like there was water in my ear and nothing I tried helped, it started affecting my hearing.  After 2 visits to the Dr. and still no relief I researched it online and found out that alot of people suffer from ear congestion, like nasal congestion only the mucus stuffs up your ear instead--or both.   I started using Mucinex and that finally cleared it up.  I actually could feel it start to drain after about 3 doses.  After that experience, I looked into natural ways to prevent this from happening and learned that Thyme is good for clearing out mucus.  I had also suffered with a constant cough and chest congestion for several winters in a row (it would clear up in spring and come back in Dec)   Now I drink a tea from Good Earth called Tea for Colds.  It has meadowsweet flower, wild thyme, licorice root, plantain,echinacea, elder flower, and peppermint.  It tastes good with no sweetner and has prevented both the cough and ear problems.  I know it works because if I run out (I have before) and go a whole week in the winter with out it, I start coughing.
Hope this helps.

[healthybratt]

Okay, she's tried the goot, the sea salt, the warm compress. She says it's not wax, it's water behind her ear drum. We don't know where to get something to do the ear candling.

any other suggestions?   ~Cinnamon

I don't know if this will help but it might be worth a try. The idea is to snuff salt water up the nose to clean out the sinuses & reduce any possible swelling. The Eustachian tubes are connected to the back of the sinuses-that's where the fluid she is feeling is. If the sinuses are clogged w/goop or swollen the Eustachian tubes can't drain. Try mixing 1/4 teas sea w/1 cup warm water. Pour some into the palm of the hand, plug one nostril & snuff the salt water up the other nostril into the sinuses. Repeat. When you work your way through the gook in the sinuses the salt water ends up in the back of your throat & you spit it out. Repeat on each side several times. She will gag & it is not a pleasent treatment but it works to clear the sinuses. Maybe this will help, I hope it does.

You could put the solution in a nose spray bottle.  I've made my own and used it this way...I would think a bit more pleasant to use this way.   

[servantgirl]

Another suggestion, if it is clogged eustacean tubes, try chewing gum. If you chew a huge wad of gum with your very back teeth, and really CHEW, it will massage that area and may let it drain a little. Also once in a while I can get mine to open manually by reaching inside my mouth behind the teeth and along the side of the back of the mouth. Hope that makes sense.  If you think about where the eusatcian tube would meet the throat you will know where I mean. Touching this area doesn't cause me to gag. I just push on the side with my finger. It will often drain a bit right then. The area could be sore though, so be careful. Good luck!

[herbalmom]

HB-I agree that a nose spray bottle is more pleasant & it's great for reg. use but the idea of this is to wash the sinuses w/a large volume of salt water to completely clean them out. I suppose that a spray bottle could be used for this instead of sniffing from the palm but it would have to be refilled so many times to get the volume that it may not be worth the trouble.

SG-Thank you for mentioning chewing gum. I had LOTS of ear infections as a kid & the Dr. always had me chew gum as part of the treatment-he even had me chew it while at school. The reason for it is because gum chewing causes you to swallow frequently. Each time you swallow the Eustachian tubes mush shut & then open. The action of closing & opening helps clear the tubes. This REALLY helps & I can't believe that I didn't think of it last night when I posted but then too I was half numb & brain dead last night.

CinCapri- I hope this helps.

[BJ_BOBBI_JO]

I call clogged ears this----> EAR MAGGOTS.

I know its really not maggots but when that ear wax moves around it reminds me of what a maggot might feel like if it was in my ear.

I also call Q TIPs this-------------> ear maggot spears.

LOL

my ear maggots ( clogged ears full of wax) always cause lots of itching. Its very irritating because it causes intense ear itching. My ears are always juicy and yucky. I get so disperate  to reach that inner ear itch that I will stick about anything handy down in there to spin it around and kill the ear maggots. The doc has told me lots of times to not do that but I get so desperate.
 
I get ear infections all the time. Infact I think I am getting one right now.

I have noticed that thyme does help some. I am also learning from a book written by a Christian doctor that what we eat can cause those clogged ear maggots. Especially milk and grains can cause the ears to act up.

I read in the book there is something in milk that increase all over body mucus.  In some people it might increase in their digestive tract contributing to diarrhea, in others it might cause extra ear junk, in others it might cause increased sinus mucus and so on.

Its amazing how food can harm us if we don't know what foods are toxic for our bodies. I feel we are all differant and what works for me might not work for another. Everyones body processes things differently. But it does seem that milk tends to be toxic to many people not just me.

I been testing this food toxic theory this week and so far I have noticed that certain foods do cause troubles in my body that I never thought would. I already knew  straight milk and pork made me sick but I did not realize that there is so much more foods that can cause us trouble.

Like this week I have noticed that when I eat grains and any dairy ( even cheese) my bladder acts up and I have to pee a lot.

Food toxity is  just a consideration to check out.

Am I allowed to mention the name of the book by the Christian doctor??? It came out this year. I found it at walmart. 

[SC]

HB-I agree that a nose spray bottle is more pleasant & it's great for reg. use but the idea of this is to wash the sinuses w/a large volume of salt water to completely clean them out. I suppose that a spray bottle could be used for this instead of sniffing from the palm but it would have to be refilled so many times to get the volume that it may not be worth the trouble.

Okay, this method is not for the faint of heart -- but for those of you who suffer with the effects of clogged sinuses and inflamed tissues, (in other words the desperate ones) it won't sound too outlandish.

Use the salt water -- I would use distilled water. You can warm it and add some garlic tea to it. Put a little bit of coconut or olive oil (1/4 tsp maybe) in the mix to soothe the passages. If you want, a drop or two of eucalyptus essential oil, peppermint, or whatever stuff makes your sinuses open BUT only a drop or two to a 1/2 or 1 cup of water.

Then, take the phone off of the hook, get dad to watch the kids and go to the bedroom.

On a small table next to the bed where you can reach it easily place your cup of  warm water, an eye dropper and a LOT of tissues.

Lay down on the bed on your BACK. Move your head to the edge of the bed so that your head is no longer supported by the mattress. Your chin should be pointing up towards the ceiling and the top of your head should be towards the floor.

Breathe through your MOUTH. While you are doing this, use the eye dropper and fill your sinus passage with the water. You may even use one of those medicine syringes for kids to do this.

This will feel like you've got very full sinuses. Don't snort. DON'T SIT UP or tilt your head. Keep it hanging off the bed. You won't drown. Just keep breathing through your mouth and just hang there for as long as you can.

When you're ready, get the tissues (paper towels), cover your mouth and nose and turn over to your belly. Cough and blow all that gunk out of there. It will probably loosen up that inner ear as well.

[herbalmom]

SC-
Thank you for your post. Your method sounds drastic but EFFECTIVE. I've already told my mom about it as she has sinus problems & I will definitely file this one in mom's bag of tricks because I just know it's going to come in handy someday (like the next time someone in the house has a bad headcold ) ~herbalmom

[healthybratt]

Am I allowed to mention the name of the book by the Christian doctor??? It came out this year. I found it at walmart. 

if it's related to the topic, of course...

[CinCapri]

Thank you for all the ideas. She did try a few then went to the dr. They gave her antibiotics. Her ear cleared up but now she has either Bronchitis or Pneumonia. They've got her on a long lasting inhaler and prednisone. She's pretty wiped out all the time.

I'll be checking on here for help for those problems.

Thanks again for all the responses.

~Cinnamon

[Fallmom]

My eight year old son has had congestion for a week or so.  He tries to blow his nose..not much comes out.  Now, he is having a hard time hearing.  This happened a few years back, went to the Dr., who said fluid was in the ear, and it would go away.  I can't remember if we put in a few drops of alcohol in the ear or not.  Anyhow, I have been doing garlic/onion poultices, Rosemary essential oil baths, Vicks rubs, and nothing is working.  Today his neck glands are quite swollen.  Besides getting to a chiropractor on Monday, I don't know what else to do and would hate to see him with a nasty infection that we can't get rid of.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[IMPersuadd]

Had something similar a few weeks ago with one boy.  A head cold then a sudden hearing loss.  Anyways the ENT doc had us give him nasal spray (salt water) several times a day and have him really sniff it in good.  Up his liquid intake, run a humidifier at night if possible.  We noticed a dramatic improvement quickly doing just these non medicinal practical measures.