# Arrrrrgh!! How do I get my ear to stop clicking?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364 "2003-01-28T00:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/1 "2003-01-28T00:12:00Z")
For the last couple hours, every time I inhale through my nose, my ear clicks. I know it’s being caused by fluid in the eustachian tube, but it’s annoying! Anyone have any tips to make it stop quickly? This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it drives me crazy! ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/2 "2003-01-28T00:38:55Z")
Poke a hole in your eardrum to release the liquid… ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/3 "2003-01-28T00:45:33Z")
Wow, just realized that my ears are doing that to. But it doesn’t bother me. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/4 "2003-01-28T00:53:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alien2022 \* > \*\*Poke a hole in your eardrum to release the liquid… \*\* Um…NO! You don’t need to. That’s what used to be done before they had antibiotics. But you don’t even need those. Just get a product called “Swim Ear,” or something like it. IIRC, it is an alcohol tincture that – when dropped into the ear – causes the water to evaporate. This usually works. I learned the hard way about this. I had two occurrences of an ear infection when I was a toddler, but have since forgotten about that. Last summer, I got it again. I didn’t even know I had it, until it started to get worse and worse, and it was so painful I thought my head was gonna crack open and I was gonna die (pain causes delirium). Anyway, I ended up going to the ER and had a horrible week of painful chewing and sneezing (although, strangely, it didn’t hurt to cough). Point being, use the Swim Ear early on; it’s a hell of a lot easier. ---
**Author:** ![fauxpas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e480ec/32.png) [@fauxpas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fauxpas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/5 "2003-01-28T00:56:12Z")
I invented a new way to stop getting my ears “clogged” up. Doctors have tried doing it and they have said that it’s an ingenious way, or maybe I’m the first person to bring it up. First you: Open you mouth like if you’re going to yawn, then breathe in and out of your nostrils, and you feel and hear the air swooshing though your ears and boom! It snaps and the fluid is released. Or another method is holding your nostrils and breathing hard and quick to unclog your ears. Please tell me if you’re able to do it as well, if not…then probably I’m the only person able to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/6 "2003-01-28T01:19:41Z")
**sleeping** - The fluid is in the eustacian tube, the tube leading from the inner ear to the back of the throat to equalize air presure. I don’t see how putting drops in the exterior ear will help that. But I’ll look into it anyway. **fauxpas** - No dice. I tried both techniques several times with no results, although I did get temporary relief using the first one. Maybe if I do it longer… **Alien2022** - I’m desperate, but not **that** desperate! **BobT** - You’re a tougher man than I. To me it’s like a dripping faucet you can’t shut off. It’ll go away on its own in a few hors to a day or so, but during that time it will drive me up the wall! ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/7 "2003-01-28T02:08:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fauxpas \* > \*\*I invented a new way to stop getting my ears “clogged” up. Doctors have tried doing it and they have said that it’s an ingenious way, or maybe I’m the first person to bring it up. First you: > Open you mouth like if you’re going to yawn, then breathe in and out of your nostrils, and you feel and hear the air swooshing though your ears and boom! It snaps and the fluid is released. Or another method is holding your nostrils and breathing hard and quick to unclog your ears. Please tell me if you’re able to do it as well, if not…then probably I’m the only person able to do it. \*\* Be careful not to put too much pressure on the eardrums, you don`t want to damage them. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/8 "2003-01-28T02:20:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\ ***sleeping** - The fluid is in the eustacian tube, the tube leading from the inner ear to the back of the throat to equalize air presure. I don’t see how putting drops in the exterior ear will help that. But I’ll look into it anyway. > > **fauxpas** - No dice. I tried both techniques several times with no results, although I did get temporary relief using the first one. Maybe if I do it longer… Fauxpas’ method doesn’t really work for this. His technique is nothing novel; I – and everyone I know – use it. However, it is intended, as you said about the E tube, to equalize the pressure. (When you open your mouth, the pressure of the inside is basically equal to atmospheric and is thus the same as the outside. Like when you’re on an airplane and your ears start to hurt.) I’ll admit I don’t exactly know where the water was for me, though I suspect that it couldn’t have been any deeper than yours. But you should definitely try the Swim Ear – I don’t think it can hurt in any way, even if it doesn’t work. Oh and don’t try to get it out with a Q-tip. This will only push the liquid (and the bacteria that are possibly breeding there [not to scare you or anything 😉] ) back. BTW, poking a hole in your ear is _rarely_ necessary anymore. It is also dangerous: doing it repeatedly (i.e., if you do it every time you get an ear infection) can result in loss of hearing. ---
**Author:** ![kspharm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ebca7d/32.png) [@kspharm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kspharm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/9 "2003-01-28T03:55:48Z")
Try Reson GG, even though it is not an OTC item, you can get it from the pharmacy. It contains a decongestant and an expectorant which may help. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/10 "2003-01-28T05:27:09Z")
Are you absolutely certain it’s caused by fluid? For a long time in college, I would get a clicking, throbbing sensation in one ear that just wouldn’t go away. After a long time, I realized that I whenever I was stressed, I’d tense my jaw, which eventually caused the muscle to spasm (and usually caused me to become even more stressed). Once I found out what it was, I could make it go away by relaxing my jaw, and it hasn’t bothered me since. Just a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/11 "2003-01-28T05:52:52Z")
No, it’s definitely fluid. If I tilt my head in the direction of the good ear, I can get some temporary relief. Unfortunately, when I let it sit normally, the problem usually comes back in a minute or two. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/12 "2003-01-28T14:55:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fauxpas \* > \*\*Or another method is holding your nostrils and breathing hard and quick to unclog your ears. Please tell me if you’re able to do it as well, if not…then probably I’m the only person able to do it. \*\* This is known as the “Valsalva” manuever in scuba diving. It is used to equalize the pressure as you descend. It also works well as your plane is coming in for a landing. If you’re careful to be gentle (you can actually damage your eardrum if you’re too forcefull), you can help facilitate the drainage from clogged eustacian tubes by doing this periodically. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arrrrrgh-how-do-i-get-my-ear-to-stop-clicking/151364/13 "2003-01-30T02:42:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*No, it’s definitely fluid. If I tilt my head in the direction of the good ear, I can get some temporary relief. Unfortunately, when I let it sit normally, the problem usually comes back in a minute or two. \*\* Upon reading more of your description, I don’t think I suffer from the same malady. I say this because I’m a certified wimp.