Ear hurt then it popped now its hard to hear?

I've been sick with a sore throat since Monday the 20th... Then randomly last night I woke up with a constant pain in my right ear and my sore throat hurt more than usual that I didn't even want to talk. I couldn't go back to sleep so I stayed up. Then around 5 o'clock randomly my right ear popped... I felt it and heard it pop... My ear stopped hurting after that, but I kept worrying about it because I'm not able to hear well in that ear now... like it feels fuzzy. Is this build up ear wax or did I permanently hurt my right ear? I'm really worried about it because I've had ear problems before, since I was premature... a pound and a half. Can someone please help me?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

There are tubes called 'Eustachian  tubes' which connect the middle ear to the throat, this balances the air pressure in the ears. This tube can get  blocked due to infections of the throat, which can give lead to a feeling of fullness in the ears. This can also result in infection of the ears. The blocked ears can be opened up by the valsalva maneuver, where air is blown into the cheeks against a closed nostrils, this sometimes helps to open up the tubes. Steam inhalations and warm salt water gargles can help clear the tube. Please consult your family physician.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.