Clear up Ear Congestion With Olive Oil

Everyone needs some earwax to keep their ears healthy and functioning well. However, too much can lead to blockages, pain, and even infection. Luckily, it's easy to get rid of earwax at home. Read this wikiHow to learn how.

10 Second Summary

1. Warm up 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil to body temperature.
2. Add 4 drops of essential oil. Make sure it's antibacterial.
3. Collect some of the mix with an eyedropper.
4. Squeeze 2 drops into your ear.
5. Wait 5 to 10 minutes. Keep your head tilted.
6. Repeat the process 2 to 3 times a day.

Steps

Removing Earwax with Olive Oil

1. Do not use olive oil if you have another ear injury. While olive oil is almost always perfectly safe for healthy people, certain injuries and conditions can make your ears too sensitive for it. If you have any of the following problems, speak to your doctor before taking any action.
   • Perforated eardrums
   • Frequent ear infections
   • Hearing loss in either ear
   • Mastoid cavity
   • Any condition for which you've been told to keep your ears dry
2. Warm up the olive oil. Olive oil helps soften the wax in your ears, making it easier to drain on its own. Before putting any of the oil into your ears, however, you should warm it roughly to body temperature—98.6°F. This is the temperature of your inner ear, and the oil will be more comfortable at a comparable temperature. You should warm two to three tablespoons of pure olive oil.
   • Ensure you don’t overheat the oil since this can cause damage to your eardrum.
   • Note that while olive oil is a common option, it’s not the only option. You can also safely use hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, baby oil, or mineral oil.
3. Add essential oils if you wish. Blockages can also trap bacteria, which can lead to infection of the ear. Some people choose to add essential oils with antibacterial properties to help with excess bacteria that may be present due to the blockage. However, the olive oil alone has shown to be effective in simply helping to break up the blockage. Make sure to test a drop or two of the oil on your skin to check for irritation before adding it to your ears. Add about four drops to the warmed olive oil. Some essential oil options include:
   • Garlic oil
   • Eucalyptus oil
   • Lavender oil, which is safe for children
   • Oregano oil
   • St. John’s wort
4. Collect some of the mix with an eyedropper. Once you’ve mixed the olive oil and any essential oils you’ve chosen, pick up some of the solution with an eyedropper. This will help you deliver the correct amount of the solution, and it’s much easier than trying to pour olive oil into your ear.
5. Squeeze two drops of the solution into your ear. Rather than filling your ear with the oil, you can apply just a few drops, which will soak into the wax. Keep your head titled to stop the oil from escaping for five to ten minutes.
   • You can keep a tissue next to your ear to catch any remaining oil that drips out when you straighten your head—if any.
6. Repeat the process two to three times a day. Using the olive oil isn’t likely to work in a single application. You should try to repeat the process two to three times each day for approximately three to five days. This should be sufficient time to help dissolve and break up the blockage.
7. Consider irrigating your ear. Though the olive oil may have softened the blockage, some cases require more to actually dislodge it. You can irrigate the affected ear as an additional step if necessary. Use a rubber-bulb syringe (such as those used for babies), tilt your head, and gently squirt warmed water into the canal of the affected ear.
   • Be very gentle since you can damage your eardrum if you squirt the water with too much pressure.
   • You can pull your ear both up and backward to help straighten the ear canal for best results.
   • Your doctor can also irrigate your ear. He or she will have a safer method with tools using an exact pressure of water to avoid damaging your ear.
8. See your doctor. If the process of softening the blockage and irrigating your ear doesn’t help, then consider seeing your doctor. He or she will have several methods available to safely remove the blockage. Your doctor will also be able to exam your ear and form a proper diagnosis. Your problem may not have been an earwax blockage in the first place. Other causes of a congested sensation in your ears include:
   • Sinusitis - inflammation of the sinuses
   • Meniere’s Disease - an inner ear disorder with hearing and balance problems
   • Cholesteatoma - a cyst in the middle ear
   • Acoustic neuroma - a tumor of the acoustic (hearing) nerve
   • Fungal infections
   • Serous otitis media - a middle ear infection
   • Temporomandibular junction (TMJ) dysfunction

Taking Additional Steps

1. Equalize the pressure in your ears. Most often, the sensation of ear pressure isn’t a blockage at all but a brief dysfunction of the Eustachian tube in your middle ear. You can force this tube open to equalize the pressure in your ear with various easy steps, including:
   • Yawning
   • Chewing
   • Swallowing
   • Trying to exhale through your nose while pinching your nostrils closed
   • Common causes of Eustachian tube dysfunction include the common cold, flu, elevation changes, and exposure to air pollutants such as cigarette smoke.
2. Stay hydrated. For sinus congestion that leads to ear pressure, you can also help reduce the pressure by simply staying hydrated. Fluids help to thin the mucus causing the pressure. Try to drink at least eight cups of water each day.
3. Sleep with your head elevated. By adding an additional pillow and keeping your head elevated, you make it easier for your sinuses to drain properly. This will help to reduce ear pressure.
4. Put a warm compress on your ear. Try heating a towel and then placing the towel over your ear for several minutes. You can also place a cup over the portion of the towel covering your ear to help trap the heat.
5. Take a hot shower. If the pressure is due to sinus congestion, you can also take a hot, steamy shower. This will help to thin and drain the mucus plugging your sinuses, which will help to relieve the pressure.
6. Take an over-the-counter (OTC) product. A variety of different OTC products are available to help relieve ear pressure depending on the specific cause. Common options include:
   • Antihistamines - If your ear pressure is due to congestion from seasonal or environmental allergies, then you can take an antihistamine to help reduce symptoms.
   • Decongestants - If the pressure is from congestion due to a cold or the flu, then a cold and flu medicine with a decongestant will help to relieve the symptoms causing the pressure.
   • Cerumenolytics - These products essentially act the same way as olive oil to help soften the blockage if earwax is the cause of the pressure.
7. See your doctor. If the pressure in your ear is causing pain and none of these options relieve the symptoms, then consider seeing your doctor. Your doctor will be able to diagnose the exact cause of the ear pressure and determine the appropriate treatment plan for your specific case.

Tips

• If your earwax doesn't improve, see a doctor. Doctors have special tools for removing bad wax buildups, including micro-suction devices that can suck it out like a vacuum cleaner.
• Don't let a bad wax buildup go untreated. If it completely blocks the path to your eardrum, the increased pressure can damage or rupture the eardrum.

Warnings

• Do not use this method if you have a ruptured or torn eardrum.
• Do not use a Q-tip—or anything else for that matter—to “dig out” ear wax. This can jam the ear wax deeper into your ear and could also potentially rupture your eardrum.
• Make certain you warm up the olive oil. Test a drop or two on your forearm to make sure it is not too hot or too cold.

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Sources and Citations

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• Drain Ear Fluid
• Remove Wet Wax from Infected Ears
• Make a Homemade Ear Cleaner

What links here

• Relieve Ear Congestion
• Prevent Your Ears from Popping