Blocked ears: causes and how to unblock them
A blocked ear is one of the most common things we see. Most of the time it is earwax, a cold or pressure, and it clears quickly once you know which. Here is how to tell the difference, and when to have it looked at.
One feeling, several causes.
A blocked ear feels as if something is plugging the ear canal, or as if your head is under water. Sounds are dull, your own voice can sound louder or echoey, and you may feel pressure or fullness. The feeling is much the same whatever the cause, which is why it helps to have your ear looked at rather than guess.
The cause is usually in one of three places. In the ear canal, it is normally earwax or water. Behind the eardrum, it is usually fluid or pressure from a cold, sinus problems or flying. Occasionally the blocked feeling comes from the inner ear or the hearing nerve, and that is the one that needs prompt medical attention.
A wax blockage is the most frequent reason for a blocked ear in adults, and microsuction usually clears it in one visit.
If your ear suddenly feels blocked and your hearing has dropped with no obvious cause, treat it as urgent and contact your GP or NHS 111 today.
How did your blocked ear start?
Tick anything that matches. It helps point to the likely cause.
Gradual blockage is often wax. Blockage after a cold or a flight is usually pressure. Pain or discharge suggests infection, so see a pharmacist or GP. A sudden drop in hearing needs to be seen the same day.
The usual causes of a blocked ear.
Most are easy to put right once you know which one it is.
The most common cause. Wax builds gradually, so hearing fades over days or weeks, often after using cotton buds.
Read about earwax build-upWater trapped after swimming or a shower, often behind a plug of wax that swells when it gets wet.
Read about swimmer's earSwelling blocks the Eustachian tube, which balances pressure behind the eardrum. Usually settles as the cold clears.
Read about Eustachian tube dysfunctionRapid pressure changes can leave the ear blocked and sore for hours or days afterwards.
Read about Eustachian tube dysfunctionFluid behind the eardrum or a swollen ear canal can both make the ear feel blocked, usually with pain.
Read about ear infectionsRarely, a blocked feeling is the first sign of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss. This needs urgent medical care.
Read about sudden hearing lossHow to unblock your ear at home.
What helps depends on the cause, so start with whichever matches how the blockage began.
- Wax: olive oil or sodium bicarbonate drops three or four times a day for three to five days.
- Pressure after a cold or flight: swallow, yawn or chew gum. You can also try gently breathing out with your mouth closed and your nose pinched, as if blowing your nose, until you feel a pop. Stop if it hurts.
- Water: tilt your head with the ear facing down and gently pull your earlobe. A hairdryer on a low, cool setting held at arm's length can help it dry.
- Congestion: steam inhalation can help, and a pharmacist can advise on a decongestant nasal spray, used for no more than a week.
Avoid cotton buds, which push wax deeper, and ear candles, which do not work. If the blockage has not cleared within about a week, keeps coming back, or is getting worse, have it checked.
Find the cause, then fix it.
An appointment for a blocked ear usually takes about 30 minutes.
We look into both ears to see whether the canal is blocked with wax, swollen or clear, and check the eardrum.
Wax is removed there and then, with a free hearing check afterwards.
If the ear canal is clear, a full hearing test shows whether the problem is behind the eardrum or in the inner ear.
Infections, fluid that will not clear, or a sudden change in hearing need medical care. We explain why and write to your GP.
When a blocked ear is urgent
- Your hearing dropped suddenly, over hours or a few days
- Severe pain, a high temperature, or swelling behind the ear
- Discharge, blood or pus from the ear
- Dizziness, or a blocked ear after a head injury
For sudden hearing loss, do not wait. Contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day. Treatment works best when it starts early.
Frequently asked questions.
The most common reasons are pressure behind the eardrum from a cold, sinus problems or flying, fluid from an infection, or a change in your hearing itself. If your ear canal is clear, a hearing test helps show which.
Usually from a few days to a couple of weeks. If it lasts longer, keeps coming back, or is painful, see your pharmacist or GP.
Often, yes. Pressure and water usually clear within days, and mild wax may clear with drops. A blockage that lasts more than a week or keeps returning is worth checking.
No. Cotton buds push wax further in and can scratch the canal or damage the eardrum. They are one of the most common reasons we see packed-in wax.
We have evening and weekend appointments in clinic and at home. Call or WhatsApp us on 07442 499414 and we will find the earliest time that suits you.
Get your ear checked.
Earwax removal and hearing tests in our Birmingham clinic or at home, evenings and weekends included.
Earwax build-upMuffled hearingEustachian tube dysfunctionSudden hearing lossEarwax removal
Written and clinically reviewed by our HCPC registered audiologists. Last reviewed: 15 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your hearing or your ears, book an appointment or speak to your GP.