Blocked Ear Without Wax? Causes and What Helps

A blocked ear is usually caused by earwax, or by a cold or allergy that stops the tube behind your ear letting air in. Flights, diving and fluid after an ear infection are other common causes. Most settle within days or weeks. A blocked ear with sudden hearing loss and no clear reason needs a doctor today.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

Why does my ear feel blocked?

That full, muffled feeling has a few common causes:

• Earwax. The NHS lists a blocked feeling, hearing loss, earache, ringing and dizziness as signs of wax build-up.
• A cold, sinus problem or hay fever. Swelling at the back of the nose blocks the Eustachian tube, so pressure cannot even out.
• Pressure changes. Flying, diving and even mountain roads can cause "airplane ear".
• Fluid behind the eardrum. This is called glue ear. It is common in children, often after a cold or an ear infection.
• An ear infection. An outer ear infection, often after swimming, can swell the ear canal. See our guide to swimmer's ear.
• Sudden hearing loss. This is rare, but it can feel like a blocked ear. It needs prompt care (see below).

Why does my ear feel blocked when there is no wax?

The usual reason is Eustachian tube dysfunction. The tube runs from the middle ear to the back of the nose. It opens when you swallow or yawn and lets air in or out.

When it stays shut, pressure builds. An NHS leaflet from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital describes it as hearing "underwater" or with cotton wool in your ears. You may also notice:

• A feeling of fullness or pressure.
• Popping or clicking when you swallow.
• Mild ear pain.
• Ringing (tinnitus) or slight dizziness.

Colds and allergies are the commonest triggers. Mild cases usually settle on their own.

How can I unblock my ear at home?

For a blocked feeling from a cold, an allergy or a flight, try these:

• Yawn, swallow or chew. These open the tube. Sweets or gum can help.
• Pop your ears gently. Pinch your nose, close your mouth and blow softly, as if blowing up a balloon. This is the Valsalva move. Do not force it.
• Treat the stuffy nose. Steam, decongestant sprays and, for allergies, antihistamines can help the tube open. Ask a pharmacist (farmacéutico) which suits you. Use decongestant sprays only for a short time.

For earwax, the NHS suggests olive or almond oil drops. Lie on your side with the blocked ear up. Lumps of wax often come out over about two weeks. Do not use almond oil if you are allergic to almonds.

Some things make it worse:

• Cotton buds and fingers push wax deeper.
• Ear candles and ear vacuums have no evidence that they work, says the NHS.
• Drops or rinsing are not safe if you might have a hole in your eardrum.

What about a blocked ear after a flight or a dive?

Mayo Clinic explains that the air pressure changes faster than the tube can adjust. It is worst during take-off and landing. Muffled hearing and mild pain are common. It usually goes away with the steps above.

To prevent it, stay awake for take-off and landing, and swallow and yawn often. Avoid flying or diving with a bad cold if you can. Oral decongestants are not suitable for everyone. Mayo Clinic advises avoiding them with heart disease, high blood pressure or in pregnancy.

See a doctor if the fullness lasts more than a few days. Get help sooner for severe pain, bleeding from the ear, ringing or spinning dizziness.

What causes a blocked ear in children?

In children, the usual cause is glue ear. Fluid collects behind the eardrum, often after a cold. The NHS notes it can affect both ears and usually clears within 3 months.

Signs include speaking loudly, asking you to repeat things, turning up the TV, or seeming distracted. No medicine is proven to clear it. A doctor often waits and checks again. A technique called autoinflation may help, but not usually under age 3. If it lasts more than 3 months, a hearing test and a specialist visit may follow.

For babies on a flight, Mayo Clinic suggests a bottle or a dummy during take-off and landing, so they swallow. Decongestants are not recommended for young children.

When is a blocked ear urgent?

Sudden hearing loss. The US National Institute on Deafness (NIDCD) calls sudden deafness a medical emergency. It often starts on waking, sometimes with a pop, fullness, dizziness or ringing. People often blame wax or a cold and wait. Treatment works better when it starts early. If one ear suddenly goes quiet with no cold or wax, get seen in person today, so a doctor can examine the ear and arrange a hearing test. If your health centre cannot see you today, go to urgencias.

See a doctor soon if you have:

• Severe ear pain, a high temperature, or pus or blood coming out of the ear.
• A blocked feeling from a flight or a cold that lasts more than a few days.
• Wax that has not cleared after about 5 days of drops (NHS advice).
• Fullness that lasts more than 3 weeks. The Chelsea and Westminster leaflet advises a specialist check.
• A child whose hearing or speech worries you.

Call 112 if hearing loss or dizziness comes with a drooping face, weakness or numbness on one side, slurred speech or a sudden severe headache.

How is it handled in Spain, the UK and the US?

• Earwax removal. The NHS says not all UK GP surgeries remove wax, so some people pay privately. Methods include ear irrigation, microsuction and gentle scraping. In Spain, ask your centro de salud or an ear, nose and throat doctor (otorrino).
• Words you will see. Earwax is cerumen, and a wax plug is a tapón de cera. The Eustachian tube is the trompa de Eustaquio. Glue ear is otitis serosa.
• Emergencies. In Spain and the rest of the EU, call 112. In the UK it is 999, and in the US it is 911.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

• Ask when the blocked feeling started and what came before it: a cold, a flight, a swim or wax.
• Check for warning signs such as sudden hearing loss, fever or discharge.
• Agree a plan for home care, and tell you if you need an in-person ear check.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace a consultation with your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NHS: Earwax build-up
• NHS: Glue ear
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS: Eustachian tube dysfunction
• Mayo Clinic: Airplane ear
• NIDCD: Sudden deafness

Related guides

• Swimmer's ear and ear infections in Spain
• How long does a cold last?
• Sinus infection (sinusitis): what helps
• Nasonex nasal spray in Spain
• Vertigo and dizziness
• Ear infection care online