Got water stuck in your ears? Try these techniques to get it out

Having water enter your ears is arguable one of the most annoyingly uncomfortable experiences you can ever. Sadly, if you are someone who bathes (hopefully everyone) or swims, you are bound to have water trapped in your ear.

Sometimes you can hear it ‘moving’ in your ear canal as you walk. It could cause you to have muffled hearing in the affected ear. If you’ve experienced this, you know it can be frustrating to get the water out. Next time it happens, you might want to try these techniques.

But first, why does it happen?

According to healthyhearing.com, although this tends to be more common among children, adults who spend a lot of time in the water are prone to getting water stuck in their ears. Activities such as swimming and showering could cause water to get trapped in your ears for different reasons, including:

a narrow ear canal or because it’s trapped by something inside the ear canal, such as excessive earwax or another foreign object.

Left unattended for long, it can lead to a bacterial infection known as otitis externa or swimmer’s ear.

How to get rid of it

For starters, you might want to dry out your outer ear with a soft towel or cloth, resisting the temptation to stick the material into the ear canal. You can go ahead and try these techniques as well:

• Tip your head to one side to help water drain while gently pulling on your earlobe. This will straighten your ear canal and help the water flow.
• You could also lay on your side for a few minutes with the affected ear resting on a soft, cotton towel.

• If that doesn’t work, try cupping the palm of your hand securely over your ear as you tilt your head toward the ground, all the while gently pushing and releasing your palm back and forth to create suction.
• Turn your blow-dryer on the lowest setting and blow it toward your ear. Hold it at least a foot away.

You could also buy over-the counter ear drops to facilitate the removal. Whatever you do, do not insert cotton bud or even your finger into the ear as this may just push the offensive substance further down the ear canal.

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⋙ Tinnitus: The condition that produces ringing sounds in your ears