Why do my ears feel clogged?

A clogged ear feeling is usually from pressure, earwax, or fluid.

Most common causes:

• Eustachian tube dysfunction: often after a cold, allergies, sinus congestion, or altitude changes; may cause popping, fullness, or muffled hearing.
• Earwax buildup: can cause muffled hearing, itching, mild pain, or ringing.
• Fluid in or behind the ear: often after an infection or from trapped water.
• Sinus pressure/nasal congestion: can make your ears feel blocked too.

Safe things to try: swallow, yawn, chew gum, or try a very gentle nose-pinching blow. Warm compresses can help. Don’t put cotton swabs or objects in the ear.

Get urgent care for sudden hearing loss, severe pain, dizziness/vertigo, fever, drainage, bleeding, or one-sided worsening. If it lasts more than a few days or keeps coming back, get checked.