How do I get water out of my ear? What happens if water stays in your ear for too long? Get answers to these questions and learn 6 easy ways to remove excess water from your ears.

Effectively Removing Water from Your Ears: 6 Simple Techniques

Dealing with water trapped in your ears can be a frustrating and uncomfortable experience. Whether it’s from swimming, showering, or any other water exposure, excess moisture in the ear canal can lead to a range of issues, from a tickling sensation to muffled hearing. Fortunately, there are several effective at-home remedies you can try to quickly and safely remove water from your ears.

The Science Behind Water Trapped in the Ears

When water gets trapped in the ear canal, it can lead to a condition known as swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa. This type of ear infection in the outer ear occurs when the trapped moisture provides an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. While the water typically drains out on its own, if it doesn’t, the moisture can lead to an infection, causing further discomfort and potentially more serious complications.

6 Easy Ways to Get Water Out of Your Ears

Fortunately, there are several simple and effective methods you can try to remove water from your ears at home. Here are 6 easy techniques:

1. Jiggle Your Earlobe

Gently tug or jiggle your earlobe while tilting your head downward toward your shoulder. This method may help shake the water out of your ear right away. You can also try shaking your head from side to side while in this position.

2. Utilize Gravity

Gravity can be a powerful ally in draining water from your ear. Lie on your side for a few minutes, with your head on a towel, to allow the water to slowly drain out.

3. Create a Vacuum

Tilt your head sideways, and rest your ear onto your cupped palm, creating a tight seal. Gently push your hand back and forth toward your ear in a rapid motion, flattening it as you push and cupping it as you pull away. This method creates a vacuum that may draw the water out.

4. Use a Blow Dryer

The heat from a blow dryer on the lowest setting can help evaporate the water inside your ear canal. Hold the hair dryer about a foot away from your ear and move it in a back-and-forth motion while tugging down on your earlobe.

5. Try Eardrops or Sprays

Over-the-counter eardrops, such as those containing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or oil-based formulations, may help soften impacted earwax and repel water, reducing the chance of infection. However, it’s crucial to avoid these methods if you have a middle ear infection, a perforated eardrum, or any signs of injury or infection in the ear.

6. Add More Water

This technique may sound counterintuitive, but it can actually help draw water out of your ear. Lie on your side, fill the affected ear with water using a clean dropper, wait 5 seconds, and then turn over with the affected ear facing down. The water should drain out.

Preventing Water Buildup in the Future

To avoid the hassle of dealing with trapped water in your ears, there are a few preventative measures you can take. Use earplugs or a swim cap when swimming, and thoroughly dry the outside of your ear with a towel after exposure to water. If at-home remedies don’t work, it’s best to seek medical attention from a healthcare professional, who can safely remove any water or wax buildup.

FAQs: Getting Water Out of Your Ears

Will water come out of my ear naturally?

Yes, water typically leaves the ears naturally with the help of gravity. However, if it doesn’t feel like it’s working, some home remedies, including eardrops and jiggling your earlobe, may help the water work its way out.

Why can’t I get water out of my ear?

If you can’t get water out of your ear, earwax or other debris may be blocking the way. Avoid sticking anything in your ear to clear it, as this can potentially cause an infection. Sterile eardrops may help soften earwax, but if the problem persists, you may need to see a medical professional.

What happens if you have water in your ear for too long?

If water stays in your ear, you may develop an ear infection, especially if bacteria was present in the water. This infection is called swimmer’s ear, and it may require treatment from a medical professional.

How to Get Water Out of Your Ears: 6 Easy Ways

Remove excess water from your ears with methods like blow drying, using different types of ear drops, and even adding more water.

Although swimming is often the cause, you can get water trapped in your ear canal from any exposure to water. If this happens, you may feel a tickling sensation in your ear. This feeling may extend to your jawbone or throat. You may also not be able to hear as well or only hear muffled sounds.

Usually, the water drains out on its own. If it doesn’t, the trapped moisture may lead to an ear infection. This type of ear infection in the external auditory canal of your outer ear is called swimmer’s ear (otitis externa).

It’s not hard to get water out of your ear on your own. These 12 tips can help.

If water gets trapped in your ear, you can try several at-home remedies for relief:

1. Jiggle your earlobe

This first method may shake the water out of your ear right away.

Gently tug or jiggle your earlobe while tilting your head downward toward your shoulder.

You can also try shaking your head from side to side while in this position.

2. Make gravity do the work

Gravity can help the water drain from your ear.

Lie on your side for a few minutes, with your head on a towel, to absorb the water. The water may slowly drain out of your ear.

3. Create a vacuum

This method creates a vacuum that may draw the water out.

1. Tilt your head sideways, and rest your ear onto your cupped palm, creating a tight seal.
2. Gently push your hand back and forth toward your ear in a rapid motion, flattening it as you push and cupping it as you pull away.
3. Tilt your head down to allow the water to drain.

4. Use a blow dryer

The heat from a blow dryer may help evaporate the water inside your ear canal.

1. Turn on your blow dryer to its lowest setting.
2. Hold the hair dryer about a foot away from your ear and move it in a back-and-forth motion.
3. While tugging down on your earlobe, let the warm air blow into your ear.

5. Try eardrops or sprays

If a doctor recommends them, consider eardrops after swimming. Over-the-counter (OTC) eardrops may help soften impacted earwax that may prevent water from exiting the ear. Some formulations may also repel water and reduce the chance of infection.

Options may include:

• alcohol-based eardrops
• hydrogen-peroxide-based eardrops, including carbamide peroxide
• oil-based eardrops, including olive oil or almond oil
• glycerol-based eardrops

Do not use these methods if you have any of these conditions:

• a middle ear infection
• a perforated eardrum
• tympanostomy tubes (eardrum tubes)
• signs of injury or infection, such as pain, swelling, warmth, drainage, or bleeding from the ear

6. Try more water

This technique may sound illogical, but it can actually help draw water out of your ear.

1. Lying on your side, fill the affected ear with water using a clean dropper.
2. Wait 5 seconds and then turn over with the affected ear facing down. All of the water should drain out.

Warm steam may also help release water from your ear. Try taking a hot shower or giving yourself a mini sauna with a bowl of hot water.

1. Fill a large bowl with steaming hot water.
2. Cover your head with a towel to keep the steam in, and hold your face over the bowl.
3. Inhale the steam for 5 or 10 minutes, and then tilt your head to the side to drain your ear.

If at-home remedies aren’t working, don’t resort to using ear swabs, your finger, or any other object to dig inside of your ear. Doing this may make matters worse by:

• adding bacteria to the area
• pushing the water deeper into your ear
• injuring your ear canal
• puncturing your eardrum

A doctor, such as a primary care physician or an otolaryngologist (ENT) may be able to safely remove water or wax from your ear.

These simple tips can help prevent water from getting stuck in your ear in the future.

• Use earplugs or a swim cap when you go swimming.
• After spending time immersed in water, thoroughly dry the outside of your ear with a towel.

The following includes frequently asked questions about getting water out of your ear.

Will water come out of my ear naturally?

Water typically leaves the ears naturally with the help of gravity. But it doesn’t feel like it’s working, some home remedies, including eardrops and jiggling your earlobe, may help the water work its way out.

Why can’t I get water out of my ear?

If you can’t get water out of your ear, earwax or other debris may be blocking the way. If this is the case, avoid sticking anything in your ear to clear it, as this can potentially cause an infection. Sterile eardrops may help soften earwax. You may also have an ear infection known as swimmer’s ear that may require treatment from a medical professional.

What happens if you have water in your ear for too long?

If water stays in your ear, you may develop an ear infection, especially if bacteria was present in the water. This infection is called swimmer’s ear and may require treatment from a healthcare professional.

How do you open a blocked ear?

If your ear feels blocked due to water or pressure, you may be able to safely open your eustachian tubes and equalize pressure by yawning, swallowing, or applying a warm compress. If this and other remedies do not work, a medical professional may be able to help.

Trapped water usually goes away without treatment. If it bothers you, consider trying one of these home treatments to help relieve your discomfort. But if the water is still trapped after 2 to 3 days or if you show signs of infection, you should call a doctor.

If your ear becomes inflamed or swollen, you may have developed an ear infection. An ear infection can become serious if you don’t get treatment for it. It may lead to hearing loss or other complications, such as cartilage and bone damage.

A doctor can prescribe medications to eliminate infection and relieve pain.

Trapped water in your ear may work its way out naturally. Some home remedies, such as jiggling your earlobe or laying on your side so the water drips out, may help it along.

In some cases, water in your ear may lead to an infection that needs medical attention.

Avoid sticking anything, including cotton swabs or your fingers, into your ear. This can introduce bacteria or injury and lead to infection.

Read this article in Spanish.

Effectiveness, Methods, Safety, Ear Wax, Infect

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

• Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
• Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
• Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Some people use a few drops of olive oil to reduce earwax buildup or treat an ear infection. While more research is needed, it may be safe to give this home remedy a try.

Olive oil is one of the most common cooking oils and a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It has many health benefits too, including lowering your risk of cancer, heart disease, and other conditions.

It’s also a traditional remedy for removing ear wax and treating ear infections. Read on to learn more about the effectiveness of using olive oil in your ears and how to try it for yourself.

For ear wax

Ear wax is produced by glands at the entrance to your ear canal to lubricate and protect your skin. It usually doesn’t need to be removed. However, a buildup of wax can sometimes affect your hearing, cause discomfort, or interfere with hearing aid use. It can also trap bacteria, increasing your risk of developing an ear infection.

There aren’t many large, high-quality studies about the effectiveness of olive oil for removing ear wax. A 2013 study followed participants who applied olive oil to their ears every night for 24 weeks. Over time, olive oil actually increased the amount of ear wax. However, applying olive oil to the ear just before having a doctor remove extra ear wax did seem to help ensure that all the wax was removed.

When it comes to removing ear wax, it’s best to stick with ear drops specifically designed for removing ear wax. You can purchase these on Amazon.

For ear infection

Some people also use olive oil to treat ear pain caused by an infection. Olive oil does have some antibacterial properties, but it’s unclear whether it kills the types of bacteria that cause ear infections.

Still, a 2003 study found that herbal ear drops containing olive oil helped to reduce pain from an ear infection in children. Keep in mind that these drops also contained soothing herbs, such as lavender and calendula, in addition to olive oil.

While there’s no clear evidence about the effectiveness of olive oil on its own for common ear problems, it’s also not associated with any serious health consequences, so you can still try it to see for yourself.

To apply drops to your ear, use a glass dropper or you can dip a cotton swab in olive oil and allow the excess to drip into your ear. Don’t put the cotton swab or any other object in your ear.

You can use room-temperature olive oil, though some people prefer to warm it up in a pan over low heat. Make sure to test the temperature on your skin first. The oil should be just slightly warm, not hot.

Follow these instructions to safely apply olive oil to your ears at home:

1. Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up.
2. Gently pull your outer part of your ear back and up to open your ear canal.
3. Put two or three drops of olive oil in the opening of your ear.
4. Gently massage the skin at the front of the entrance to your ear canal to help the oil work its way in.
5. Remain on your side for 5 to 10 minutes. Wipe away any extra oil that drips from your ear when you sit up.
6. Repeat in the other ear if needed.

Tailor the application to your need, and contact your doctor if you aren’t seeing the desired results:

• For ear wax removal, do this once a day for one or two weeks. If you’re not feeling any relief by then, contact your doctor. Remember, long-term use of olive oil in your ear may lead to even more built-up wax.
• To treat an ear infection, do this twice a day for two to three days. If your symptoms aren’t getting any better after a few days, or you develop a fever, see your doctor.

It’s important to choose a high-quality olive oil if you’re using it for medicinal purposes. When choosing an olive oil, look for extra virgin olive oil. This type of olive oil isn’t chemically processed, (processing can reduce some of its therapeutic benefits).

You can also purchase olive oil–based herbal ear drops. These contain extracts from medicinal plants, such as garlic, that might provide added benefits. You can purchase these drops on Amazon.

While olive oil is generally safe, there are a few precautions you should take when using it in your ears.

Don’t use olive oil or any other product in the ear if you have a ruptured ear drum. If you’re not sure if you have a ruptured ear drum, see your doctor before using any remedy in your ear, including natural remedies.

Don’t place cotton swabs or any other object inside the ear to remove wax or relieve itching. This can easily damage your ear drum or push wax deeper into your ear. Putting cotton swabs in your ear also increases your risk of developing an ear infection. It’s also responsible for sending thousands of children to the emergency room with ear injuries each year.

Finally, make sure to use only room-temperature or just slightly warmed olive oil to avoid burning the delicate skin in your ear.

Olive oil may have some benefits for your ears, but it can sometimes do more harm than good, especially when it comes to removing ear wax.

You can try using it for a short period of time for both ear wax removal or ear pain from an infection, but make sure to follow up with your doctor if your symptoms don’t start to improve within a few days or weeks.

You should also steer clear of this natural remedy if you have a ruptured ear drum. Choose another approach that is better supported with research.

What to do when your ear hurts – an article on the website Aptechestvo, Nizhny Novgorod

Ear pain in adults or ear pain in a child is simply exhausting. Usually it is accompanied by discomfort, fatigue, sleep disturbance, loud crying. Practice shows that people with ear pain make many mistakes that lead to complications. What to do when your ear hurts? First of all, you need to consult a doctor who will diagnose ear pain and prescribe the appropriate course of treatment.

When an adult’s ear hurts or a child’s ear hurts, discomfort can occur in different departments. We will analyze them in accordance with the generally accepted classification.

Pain in the outer ear

This part of the auditory organ is considered the most unprotected for infections. Why does my ear hurt? Very often, pain occurs due to inflammatory processes caused by bacteria. Another reason is improper cleaning, physical damage, foreign bodies. All this leads to the appearance of boils and even eczema. In such cases, doctors put otitis externa.

Pain in the middle ear

Ear pain can also appear in the middle ear. The department is closely connected with the outer ear and nasopharynx. Therefore, it is also characterized by the appearance of infections. Pathologies in the middle ear are accompanied by shooting pain, pulsation, hearing loss, distortion of the perception of one’s own voice.

Main pathologies:

• inflammatory processes;

• tumors in the tympanic cavity;

• trauma and breach of integrity;

• problems in the auditory tube.

In some cases, severe ear pain may appear after going to the pool. Pain extends both to the outer ear, where the infection could have entered, and to the middle ear, where pain is caused by the strong pressure of water when diving to depth.

Pathologies of the inner ear

The defeat of the inner ear in most cases is not accompanied by pain. Therefore, here, it is best to talk about pathologies. The main symptoms: impaired coordination, periodic nausea, extraneous sounds, headaches, dizziness and rapid hearing loss. The list of the main diseases that are the result of damage to the inner ear:

• labyrinthitis;

• hearing loss;

• Meniere’s disease;

• otosclerosis.

In addition, in some cases, acute ear pain may be due to complications in other organs. For example, dental problems, trigeminal neuralgia, or swelling of the larynx.

Ear hurts, how to treat?

Sometimes, if a child’s ear hurts, the parents don’t know what to do. If acute ear pain is not possible to see a doctor, you should use painkillers. For example, take a tablet of Solpadein, Tempalgin or Pentalgin. In some cases, it is possible to use vasoconstrictor ear drops. In addition, a solution of ammonia with camphor will help. Gauze is dipped into the solution and placed in the ear for a few minutes. This allows you to get rid of pain.

Help for ear pain

Contents

• Causes of ear pain
• Otitis as a common cause of ear pain
• First aid for ear pain
• First aid for ear pain OM

Acute pain in the ear always delivers strong discomfort. Until you get to the otolaryngologist for an appointment, and the drugs prescribed by him begin to work, you will need reliable and safe ways to eliminate the painful symptom. What is the first aid for ear pain?

Contents

Causes of ear pain

Both the course of treatment prescribed by the otolaryngologist and the first aid methods for ear pain will depend on what disease caused the painful symptom. The following pathological conditions can cause pain in the organ of hearing:

1. Pressure drops. If the auditory tube does not perform its function well, then during pressure drops (when diving and ascent, takeoff and landing, traveling by car or train), unpleasant sensations arise in the organ of hearing. The eardrum retracts inward, causing ear pain, pressure, and congestion.
2. Inflammatory processes of different locations. Otitis and inflammatory processes in all parts of the organ of hearing can lead to the occurrence of painful symptoms. So, boils, erysipelas and eczema may appear in the outer ear; on average – different forms of otitis, in the internal – labyrinthitis.
3. Acute pain in the ear can occur after trauma to various parts of the hearing organ. Painful symptoms can manifest themselves due to improper hygiene of the auditory canal, the ingress of foreign bodies into it and the shocks suffered.
4. Inflammation of the parotid gland. The close location of this gland to the organ of hearing in the event of an abscess leads to the fact that patients begin to complain of severe pain in the ear.
5. Mastoiditis. One of the sections of the middle ear – the mastoid process of the temporal bone – can also undergo an inflammatory process that has become a complication of otitis media. During the course of the disease, patients complain of very intense ear pain.

Ear pain is not always associated with diseases and inflammatory processes in the organ of hearing.

Pathological conditions in other parts of the human body can provoke the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms:

ear pain may appear against the background of sinusitis, in which purulent masses press on the nerve receptors that transmit signals to the organ of hearing.

See also: By what signs can you understand that the baby has an earache?

Since a painful symptom can indicate various diseases related to different areas, only a specialist is able to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment for the underlying pathology. If the otolaryngologist does not find the “ear” cause of the appeared pain in your hearing organ, he will redirect you to other narrow specialists – a dentist, neurologist, surgeon or therapist.

Otitis as a common cause of pain in the ear

Otitis is the most common cause of pain in the ear. These inflammatory processes can be localized in different parts of the organ of hearing, and then the nature of the pain and its accompanying symptoms will also differ.

Otitis externa

Inflammation of the external part of the ear develops mainly under the skin of the auricle or auditory canal. This otitis media usually leads to water entering the passage or when the integument is injured.

Ear pain in otitis externa is usually located closer to the exit of the auditory canal. As purulent masses accumulate under the skin, patients also note the appearance of itching, a feeling of pressure inside the hearing organ. If the tissues of the ear canal swell strongly and the lumen of the canal overlaps, there is also a feeling of stuffiness in the ear.

Otitis media

An acute inflammatory process affecting the tympanic cavity is always accompanied by excruciating sharp and shooting pain in the ear. Due to the fact that the mucous membrane of the middle ear is densely lined with nerve endings, the painful symptom becomes the very first signal that speaks of the development of the pathological process.

The disease, in addition to pain in the ear, is accompanied by increasing hearing loss, a feeling of congestion and pressure deep inside the organ.

Pain increases at rest, usually at night – this is due to an increase in exudate pressure on the mucous membrane of the tympanic cavity.

Pain in the ear with otitis in acute form, as a rule, immediately disappears after the rupture of the eardrum under the pressure of purulent masses. But the relief of symptoms does not mean the end of the disease – if at this stage the need for antibiotic therapy is ignored, the pathology can develop into a chronic form.

See also: Hearing aid for the elderly: selection rules

First aid for ear pain

First aid for ear pain will be different depending on what pathological condition caused the appearance of this unpleasant symptom.

Pressure Drop First Aid

Earache caused by pressure drop can be relieved by simple techniques to reposition the eardrum:

• Chew gum;
• swallow saliva several times;
• close the nostrils, close the lips tightly and exhale smoothly through the nose;
• Press the tragus against the entrance to the ear canal.

Toothache First Aid

If you are sure that your earache was caused by a toothache, then you should take painkillers to relieve symptoms and make an appointment with your dentist.

Sinusitis First Aid

For earache caused by sinusitis, a series of relief measures can help you:

1. First of all, the nasal passages should be washed from accumulated mucous masses with saline solution.
2. To thin the mucus, ensure optimal humidity in the room, drink more fluids and take special preparations, such as sinupret.
3. To eliminate swelling, vasoconstrictor drugs should be instilled into the nasal passages.

First Aid for Otitis Pain

How you deal with ear pain from otitis media will depend on your symptoms. If you have a fever and discomfort increases in a horizontal position, it is better not to take risks and, after taking a painkiller, wait for the consultation of an otolaryngologist.

The fact is that if the nature of the disease is unclear, one cannot self-medicate and use folk methods based on heating. Heat will temporarily eliminate the pain in the ear, but it can also accelerate the development of pathogenic flora in purulent otitis media and lead to serious complications.

Painkiller

Taking an analgesic will help you fall asleep and calmly wait for an appointment with an otolaryngologist. Paracetamol, Novigan or ibuprofen can help you with ear pain. The last drug, in addition to eliminating the painful symptom, is able to slightly restrain the development of the inflammatory process. To enhance the action of analgesics during the day, you can drink a little coffee or strong tea.

Ear drops

Ear drops should only be used if you are sure of the nature of your condition. So, patients suffering from chronic forms of otitis media, without waiting for the consultation of an otolaryngologist, usually begin topical use of analgesic drugs. Otipax and Otinum effectively relieve ear pain, while they do not have an antibacterial effect, which means that when you visit an otolaryngologist, he will be able to freely choose the optimal treatment program for the disease for you.

See also: Prevention of otitis in adults and children

Dry heat

Applying warm salt bags to the sore ear or using a blue lamp due to the action of heat will quickly relieve pain. But the use of such a method in some cases is fraught with negative consequences. So, if the pain in the ear is caused by purulent processes in the tissues of the organ of hearing, dry heat will only provoke the development of pathogenic flora and increased exudate release.

Therefore, before consulting an otolaryngologist, it is better not to apply dry heat in order to eliminate in the ear.

Camphor compress

This is another way to relieve ear pain based on the effect of heating. You can use it only in situations where you are sure that there is no purulent process in your organ of hearing.

1. To make a warming compress to relieve ear pain, prepare gauze, fold it into 4 layers and cut a hole in the middle for the ear.
2. According to the size of the bandage, you need to cut the same pattern from polyethylene.
3. Soak the created bandage in slightly warmed camphor oil and put it on the affected ear through the hole.
4. Polyethylene is applied on top of the bandage, the entire compress is fixed with a bandage and covered with a towel to keep warm.