Ear, Nose & Throat ENT Disorders What to Do When Your Ears Won't Pop By Kristin Hayes, RN Kristin Hayes, RN Facebook Twitter Kristin Hayes, RN, is a registered nurse specializing in ear, nose, and throat disorders for both adults and children. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 24, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by John Carew, MD Medically reviewed by John Carew, MD LinkedIn Twitter John Carew, MD, is board-certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. He is an adjunct assistant professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center and NYU Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Causes the Feeling How to Pop Your Ears Why Your Ears Won't Pop Symptoms of a Ruptured Eardrum Frequently Asked Questions Your body usually balances the air pressure on both sides of your eardrum. When the pressure changes between the middle ear and the outside, you will feel like your ears are plugged. If there's a lot of pressure change, it might even hurt. Verywell / Emily Roberts In some cases, the air in your middle ear can have trouble adjusting to the pressure. This can happen when you are diving in water or flying in an airplane. It could even happen when you drive up or down a steep mountain. Your middle ear usually adjusts to the pressure difference eventually. When it does, you will feel your ears pop. Sometimes you may need to help equalize the pressure by yawning or swallowing. Certain medical conditions may impact your ability to pop your ears. When this happens, you may need to see a healthcare provider. This article will discuss why your ears sometimes feel plugged, and how you can pop them. It will also discuss some of the conditions that may make it difficult to pop your ears. What Causes the Feeling of Plugged Ears? The eustachian tubes connect each middle ear to the upper part of your throat. They are also called auditory tubes. The popping sensation you feel happens when air moves from the upper part of your throat and nose through the eustachian tube into your middle ear. Any medical condition that affects your eustachian tubes can prevent you from being able to easily pop your ears. Effective Ways to Pop Your Ears Try these tricks to help to equalize the pressure in your ears: Swallowing Yawning Chewing gum Sucking on hard candy Using decongestants like Afrin (oxymetazoline) or Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) before traveling If you are traveling with an infant or toddler, try giving them a bottle, pacifier, or drink. If the pressure difference continues and you're unable to pop your ears, you may experience ear pain. It is also possible for this to lead to barotrauma, which is a ruptured eardrum. Why Your Ears Won't Pop If you feel pressure, pain, or your ears feel plugged but they won't pop, you may have an underlying ear disorder. Disorders that affect the function of your auditory tube can cause this problem. Fluid in the Ear Fluid in the ear may prevent ears from popping. The thickened fluid blocks the auditory tube. This prevents fluid from draining into the back of the throat. Sometimes this is caused by an ear infection. This condition has a few different names, including: Serous otitis media Glue ear Otitis media with effusion The adenoids are patches of tissue located high in your throat. When they become enlarged, they may block the auditory tubes, causing fluid to get trapped in the ear. This can also happen when the tissues in your nasal passages become swollen. If the auditory tube is blocked by surrounding tissue, the tissue may have to be removed. Frequent issues with fluid in the ear can be treated with a surgical procedure to insert artificial ear tubes. They let the ear drain and equalize pressure. If you have ear tubes, your ears will not pop. This is because the tube will automatically equalize pressure. Fluid in the Ear: Overview and More Excessive Earwax Too much earwax can also impair the function of your auditory tube. There are a few ways that your healthcare provider can remove the earwax. It can usually be done in their office. Wax can be removed with special ear drops that dissolve the wax. It can also be flushed out with water. The healthcare provider can also use a special instrument called a cerumen spoon to remove the wax. Do not use ear candles or cotton swabs to remove wax. This may push the wax down further. A heavy earwax blockage should be removed by an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT). How to Have an Ear Wax Blockage Removed Congestion Too much mucus can make it hard to maintain pressure in the middle ear space. If you have allergies, try taking a decongestant before boarding an airplane or going on a road trip to a higher elevation. Cold viruses also cause congestion, but if this symptom lasts longer than about three weeks, see a healthcare provider. Your congestion may be caused by allergies or another condition. Patulous Eustachian Tube Patulous eustachian tube is a disorder in which the tube is always open. It is an uncommon condition. Symptoms include: The sensation of plugged ears Tinnitus, a ringing sound in the ear Autophony, when your voice seems abnormally loud to you Hearing your own breathing Other Causes Some other conditions that can cause problems with your auditory tube include: Sinusitis, an infection of your nasal passages Nasal polyps, which are growths in your nasal passages Enlarged turbinates. Turbinates are structures in your nasal passages that help warm and humidify the air you breathe in. Tonsillitis, an inflammation of the tonsils Usually, an ENT practitioner will be able to help treat or manage any of the above problems. Your ENT may prescribe medications. In some cases, ear surgery may be required. These conditions may make it uncomfortable or painful to travel. See a healthcare provider ahead of time so you can resolve these problems before you go. Recap There are a number of possible reasons why you might not be able to pop your ears. Fluid in the ear, excess earwax, and congestion are some of the most common. Symptoms of a Ruptured Eardrum Some conditions may result in a hole or tear in your eardrum. This is called a ruptured eardrum. A ruptured eardrum can cause hearing loss, so it is important to see a healthcare provider is you have these symptoms: Blood or fluid draining from the earAn intense earache followed by a pop and sudden relief of painDifficulty hearing If you have any of these symptoms, see a healthcare provider at once. Summary The sensation of having clogged ears happens when your body can't equalize the pressure in your ears because your eustachian (auditory) tubes are blocked. You can try to pop your ears by yawning, swallowing, or chewing. Taking decongestants may also help. There are a number of conditions that can cause the sensation of plugged ears, including fluid in the ear, excess earwax, and congestion. Some problems like sinusitis and tonsillitis may require treatment by a healthcare provider. A Word From Verywell Ear problems that affect the ability to equalize pressure can be bothersome or even painful. They may get in the way of your enjoyment of activities like traveling by plane and scuba diving. Sometimes you won't know you have a problem until you are already participating in the activity. If your ears do not pop and you feel like they are clogged or you are experiencing significant ear pain, see a healthcare provider. You should also see a healthcare provider at once if you have symptoms of a ruptured eardrum. Frequently Asked Questions How can I prevent airplane ear? To avoid the feeling of clogged ears, especially during takeoff or landing, you can try a few things:Take a decongestant 30 minutes to an hour before travelingUse ear plugsChew gum or repeatedly yawn as the plane takes off and lands Learn More: How Decongestants Work Could COVID-19 cause ears to feel clogged? COVID-19 has been associated with ear infections, which can cause you to feel like your ears are clogged. However, other illnesses such as a sinus infection or another type of ear infection are more likely to cause ear pressure. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms. Learn More: Guide to COVID-19 Is it normal for children to feel like their ears are blocked? Yes, because children have narrow eustachian tubes (tubes that connect their throat to the middle ear) that are easily blocked by congestion or changes in air pressure. This is also why children are more susceptible to ear infections than adults. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 6 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. 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