You do not need to go to the beach to get water inside your ear. This problem can happen everywhere, even when you are very careful. Water can be easily trapped inside your ears when you are exposed to it. How to find out that you are having water in your ears? You can figure it out by a tickling sensation that might appear even in your throat or jawbone. Water in your ears can prevent you from hearing well. Muffled sounds are common to happen.
Of course, in most cases, water will go out by itself and there is nothing to worry about. Nevertheless, in rare circumstances when water is trapped for a long time, you are likely to suffer from ear infection. And it is definitely not comfortable at all. Thus, it is always imperative that you know some ways to get water out immediately. In fact, it is not complicated. You can remove water from your ears easily with these following tips.
How To Get Water Out of Ears
1. Gravity
You find it ridiculous, don’t you? No, it is not a joke at all. Gravity can be the first and best way to get rid of trapped water in ears. All you need to do is to lie on one side and maintain that position for several minutes. Thanks to gravity, the water will finally come out.
2. Hot Compress
Gravity is of course the simplest way, but it is not that easy in every case. Very often, you may have this problem in the Eustachian tubes and no matter how hard you tilt the head, the water does not come out. To deal with this, hot compress is a good idea you can try applying.
How to apply:
- Dip a clean washcloth into hot water. Please do not use scalding water
- Squeeze the washcloth carefully before using. If you are not careful in this step, the likelihood is that the washcloth will drip and worsen the situation
- Then, keep your head downward and place the washcloth in your ear’s outside
- About 30 seconds later, take the cloth out
- After 1 minute, continue to keep the cloth for the next 30 seconds
You had better repeat doing so at least 4-5 times until you notice improvements in your ears.
3. Blow Dryer
In addition to hot compress, using blow dryer is one of the best (and perhaps most surprising) ways to treat trapped water. It is certain that water will evaporate quickly after being exposed to the heat. Yet, you had better use the blow dryer at the lowest setting only. The safe distance between your ear and the blow dryer is approximately one foot away.
4. Salt
A great quality of salt is to absorb water. As a result, you can make use of this ingredient to cope with trapped water in your ears. If you are wise to combine salt and hot compress, the water will even evaporate more quickly. This remedy is also effective to save you from painful feeling.
How to apply:
- You can use microwave to heat some salt first
- Then, keep it inside a cotton cloth. Remember that it should be tied tightly
- Then, place the cloth near your ear and remain it for about 2-3 minutes
This method can bring about immediate results, but it might take longer. So, you should use it several times if you are not satisfied.
5. Olive Oil
Another common way to get rid of trapped water is olive oil. The main function of this oil is to promote the water’s flow so as to make it run out of your ears. Many sufferers are seriously concerned about the possibilities of ear infection. Olive oil can make you free of worries immediately. With antiseptic qualities, olive oil is one of the best ways to help you stay away from ear infection effectively.
How to apply:
- For better results, you should start with warm olive oil
- Put the oil into a dropper and take some drops in your ear
- About 10 minutes later, your head should be tilted so that both the oil and water can run out
Furthermore, this is also a great method to prevent the problem before it actually happens. Before swimming, you can get some olive oil into the ears. It will reduce significantly the chance that you get trapped water later.
6. Chew
Or you might not need anything to kick all water out of your ears. There is one simple method that has been practiced for years and proved to be effective. You can chew. This activity will alleviate tension in the Eustachian tubes and stimulate water to come out.