Ear problems
Information about blocked ears, outer ear infections and waxy ears.
Blocked ears (eustachian tube dysfunction)
The eustachian tube is a tube that runs from your ear to the back of your nose. It is normally closed but opens when you swallow or yawn. This lets air into your middle ear.
If your eustachian tube is not working properly, this causes reduced air pressure in your middle ear, which pulls your eardrum inwards. This can make your ear feel blocked and may cause ear pain. You may also notice you cannot hear properly.
The most common causes of blocked ears are a build-up of wax in your ears and a blocked nose. The swelling from a blocked nose closes the entrance to the eustachian tube. A cold is the usual reason for this, but it can also happen with allergies.
Smoking can affect how your eustachian tube works. This includes being exposed to smoke by:
- being around people who are smoking
- living in a house where people smoke — this is particularly important for tamariki.
Air travel and scuba diving when you have a cold can make blocked ears worse.
Glue ear and large adenoids (tissue where the back of your nose meets your throat) can also be a cause, especially in tamariki.
Glue ear in children — KidsHealth
If you have blocked ears, see if you can clear them by:
- closing your mouth
- holding your nose closed
- blowing into your nose.
Sprays
- A nasal decongestant spray used for up to 3 days may help if you have a blocked nose. Do not use it for longer than this, as it may make your nasal stuffiness worse.
- A steroid nasal spray can be used for longer and may help, especially if the problem is caused by an allergy.
If your symptoms do not get better, see your healthcare provider to check for other ear problems. There may be another cause of your pain, such as waxy ears or a middle ear or outer ear infection.
Outer ear infection (otitis externa)
An outer ear infection (also called otitis externa or swimmer's ear) is an infection of the tube that runs from your outer ear to your ear drum (your ear canal).
Symptoms of an outer ear infection include:
- pain
- itching
- discharge from your ear canal.
Outer ear infections are caused by bacterial or fungal skin infections.
Because these bugs like to grow in warm, moist areas, you are more likely to get an outer ear infection if your ears are often wet. That is why swimmers often get it.
You are also more likely to get infections if you have a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis in your ear canal.
Outer ear infections are treated with ear drops, and symptoms usually improve within a few days.
How to use ear drops
- Warm the ear drops by holding the container in your hand for a few minutes.
- Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up.
- Place the recommended number of drops slowly into your ear canal.
- Massage the front of the ear (tragus) to encourage the drops to coat the canal down to the ear drum. Remain lying on your side for 5 minutes.
- When upright, place cotton wool at the entrance to the ear for a short time to absorb excess drops (some drops stain material). Do not plug your ear with cotton wool.
You can also take paracetamol for pain relief if you need it. If the infection is severe, you might need antibiotic tablets.
It is best to avoid getting water in your ears for 14 days after you have had an outer ear infection. You can do this by:
- avoiding water sports
- wearing ear plugs or a shower cap in the shower.
If you have a lot of pus or debris in your ear canal, it may need to be gently cleaned out. Your healthcare provider may do this, or you may need to have your ear microsuctioned.
Microsuction
With microsuction, a nurse uses a small microscope to look into your ear and removes earwax with a low-pressure suction tube. You may feel some discomfort, tickling, or dizziness during microsuction. Microsuction is usually done at an ear hygiene clinic in the community.
Find a hearing clinic — Healthpoint
To stop outer ear infections from coming back:
- Give your ears a rest from ear devices such as earplugs and in-ear headphones.
- Dry your ears thoroughly after a shower with a towel or hair dryer on low to remove water.
- Do not poke anything into your ear canal. This can injure it and make an infection more likely. It can also push debris further into the ear.
- Keep your ears dry when swimming — use a tightly fitting swimming cap.
- Use ear drops (ask your healthcare provider which to use) after swimming if you keep getting outer ear infections.
Waxy ears
Your ears naturally produce wax (cerumen) to protect the skin in your ear. This can sometimes build up and block your ear canal.
Symptoms of wax building up can include:
- losing some of your hearing
- an uncomfortable feeling in your ear
- earache
- a blocked feeling in your ear
- itchiness in or around your ear.
Do not insert cotton wool buds or similar objects into your ear to try to clean out the blockage. This can make things worse as the wax is often pushed deeper inside. Accidentally grazing your ear canal can cause an ear infection.
Ear drops
Use ear drops instead of cotton wool buds. This softens the wax, allowing it to run out of your ear. You can buy ear drops at your pharmacy. If ear drops do not fix the problem, you might need to get your ears microsuctioned or syringed.
How to use ear drops
- Warm the ear drops by holding the container in your hand for a few minutes.
- Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up.
- Place the recommended number of drops slowly into your ear canal.
- Massage the front of the ear (tragus) to encourage the drops to coat the canal down to the ear drum. Remain lying on your side for 5 minutes.
- When upright, place cotton wool at the entrance to the ear for a short time to absorb excess drops (some drops stain material). Do not plug your ear with cotton wool.
When upright, place cotton wool or a cloth at the entrance to the ear for a short time to absorb excess drops (some drops stain material).
Microsuction
With microsuction, a nurse uses a small microscope to look into your ear and removes earwax with a low-pressure suction tube. You may feel some discomfort, tickling, or dizziness during microsuction. Microsuction is usually done at an ear hygiene clinic in the community.
Find a hearing clinic — Healthpoint
Ear syringing
Ear syringing is where lukewarm water is squirted into your ear canal to dislodge softened wax, which then falls out with the water.
This is done much less often these days, as microsuctioning is easily available and safer.
Ear syringing can cause:
- infection or damage to your ear canal
- a hole in the eardrum (a perforated eardrum).
You may feel some discomfort or dizziness during ear syringing.
Ear syringing is not suitable for everybody, including:
- tamariki
- people who have had a recent ear infection.
Ask your healthcare provider if ear syringing is a suitable option and available.
You can reduce the need for syringing or microsuction by regularly using:
- a cooking oil such as canola, sunflower or olive, at room temperature
- wax softening ear drops.
Apply 2 or 3 drops in each ear once a week to keep wax soft. This can be particularly useful if you use a hearing aid or ear plugs.
Ear problems in tamariki (children)
Ear pain and concerns about hearing are some of the most common reasons parents take their young tamariki to a health professional. Tamariki often get middle ear infections (otitis media), which can lead to glue ear.
Ear infections in children — KidsHealth
If you have been told your child has glue ear, it means there is fluid in the space behind the eardrum. This is not an infection, so there is usually no pain. Fluid in this space most commonly causes difficulty hearing. Hearing loss for long periods during the early years may affect the development of speech. It may also impact learning at school.
Glue ear in children — KidHealth