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Ear feels like it is blocked

Hi, yesterday while i was swimming, right before I got out of the pool, It felt like I had gotten water in my ear... I didn't really notice it all that much after, later that night i was on my computer and i had my headset on, and I guess my volume was set really loud, because when I turned a song on it scared me quite terribly... after that when I took the headset off it felt like I had a little bit of water in my ear, not sure howto explain it. but when im still it feels alright, but when I move around it feels a little awkward. I also noticed that when I press under the ear, right under the ear lobe it feels a little sore, the same goes for if i burp... sometimes it just has this little uncomfortable pain in my ear when i burp.. If I lay on my side so my ear is facing towards the ground it feels like it's getting even more blocked... but when I turn my head normally it goes a way a bit... this is all I have noticed.... but if it does help I should mention this is the same ear that I had perferated while tubing in a lake about a year ago...

Thanks for any help
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1714093 tn?1308699702
Hi Alex,

This may be caused by a number of things including; Infection, water build up, wax build up or a block in your eustacian tube.

Infection may go hand in hand with water build up, causing the blockage and pain below the ear canal. You will need to visit your GP for antibiotics, as for the blocked feeling it may be from inflammation and reduce as the antibiotics start to work.

Fluid in the middle ear due to infection may also be a cause, you will need to visit your doctor to examine signs of indwelling pressure on the ear drum and redness and inflammation. You again will need antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.


A blockage of wax is possible, it is an abnormal build up of wax in the ear canal and can be a defense mechanism of the ear related to loud noises, debris or continuous infections. Sometimes people are just prone to this problem as their body just likes to over produce wax! Visit your doctor for an ear examination, ear drops like waxol are particularly useful in softening the wax to better help a practice nurse to flush it out with an irrigation system otherwise earclear to dissolve the wax. The tenderness could be caused by the pressure of the wax in the canal.  I wouldnt recommend any ear drops and this present time as you dont know what the cause of pain is, I would see a doctor and have them look in your ear before trying to treat yourself.

A block in the eustacian tube is commonly associated with the onset of a cold, You may not feel unwell now but you may come down with a cold in the next few days. A block in the eustacian tube can cause an echoing noise, white noise, dizziness, the feeling of water in the ear canal and can block on and off. Its similar to the feeling you get when your ears pop on an aeroplane.
If this is the case there's not much you can do but try cold and flu tablets like codral and suck on menthol lollies like vicks vapor drops to relieve the blockage.

The ear drum is very sensitive and vulnerable to damage, and with your history of a perforated ear drum I wouldnt take the chance that it may not need treatment. Untreated infections can lead to hearing loss and systemic infections.

Take care Alex :)
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Avatar universal
try putting a warm compress on it and seeing if it drains
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Avatar universal
Seen an ENT Doc. It may be an infection or just wax that has to be cleaned out pehaps trapping water and pressing against your ear drum
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