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The Daily Insight

How do you stop ears popping when you have a cold?

Author

Ava Richardson

Updated on February 20, 2026

How do you stop ears popping when you have a cold?

If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn’t work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.

Can a head cold affect your ears?

Head colds and congestion can cause fluid to build up in your sinuses and ears making hearing more difficult during the illness. The most common type of hearing loss during a cold or the flu is a conductive hearing loss.

How do you clear a congested ear?

Treatment

  1. Breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water or shower.
  2. Use a humidifier or vaporizer.
  3. Place a warm, wet towel over the nose and forehead.
  4. Use decongestants or saline nasal sprays.
  5. Take OTC pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to relieve pain and swelling.
  6. Perform nasal irrigation.

Why do ears pop when sick?

After a few days of a stuffy or runny nose, the lining of your middle ear is irritated. This can block the Eustachian tube, which can feel like popping in the ears, fullness or congestion. Sometimes this blockage results in a temporary hearing loss, called conductive hearing loss.

Why do my ears feel bunged up?

Eustachian tube dysfunction. Eustachian tube dysfunction occurs when the Eustachian tube — which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat — doesn’t open and close properly. When the Eustachian tube doesn’t open and close properly, it can cause that clogged-up feeling.

Why are my ears popping?

Clogged eustachian tubes. They help keep the fluid and pressure in your inner and middle ear at the right level. Your eustachian tubes may not be able to open or close properly when you have allergies, a cold, sinus infections, or polyps or tumors in your nose. This causes ear popping or crackling sounds.

How long does ear congestion last?

If you have ear congestion, you might feel ear pressure or fullness together with some sort of muffled hearing. Some people also experience some crackling or buzzing noises. A congested ear will usually go away on its own after five to seven days and generally isn’t something to worry too much about.

How do you tell the difference between a cold and a sinus infection?

How long have you had symptoms? Cold symptoms typically peak after three to five days and then improve over the next week. A sinus infection can stick around longer, though. If you have a runny nose, stuffy nose or sinus pressure that lasts for more than 10 days, suspect an infection.

Are blocked ears a symptom of Covid?

Is an ear infection a symptom of COVID-19? Ear infections and COVID-19 share few common symptoms, most notably fever and headache. Ear infections are not a commonly reported symptom of COVID-19.

What causes ears to get cold easily?

Common factors that can cause clogged ears are wax buildup, air flow blockage to the Eustachian tubes, pressure differences in the middle ear, and cold and sinus problems. Clogged ears can affect people of all ages, but is most common among children, especially when they have colds.

Why do my ears pop when I get cold?

Ears might pop as a result of having a cold or sinus infection. Ears pop to equalize pressure outside the ear and the inner ear. The ears of scuba divers pop as they descend into lower depths. Teething toys can help relieve the pressure in a baby’s Eustachian tubes. Yawning can help relieve pressure build up in the ear.

How to unblock ears from a cold?

Take medication to clear ear blockage after a cold. You don’t need to continue taking cold medication after cold symptoms improve.

  • Run a humidifier to produce moisture to help break up congestion.
  • Take in plenty of liquids to hydrate your body.
  • Move the jaw muscles to help pop congested ears.
  • Does popping ears cause damage?

    Your ear naturally regulates internal air pressure to protect itself from damage. If your ear isn’t popping on its own you’ll feel intense pressure and pain in your ear. Regularly popping your ears isn’t safe, but at times, manual pressure release is necessary.