Is Popping Your Ears Bad for You?

If you are experiencing congestion, especially in your ears, you may feel the urge to plug your nose and blow in order to pop your ears. This can be a very satisfying feeling, but it can also become a bit painful if you keep blowing and the pressure isn’t relieved.

When you plug your nose and blow, the thougth may have crossed your mind: is ear popping safe?

Popping your ears is when air is pushed up your Eustachian tube behind your eardrums. The popping noise is your Eustachian tube opening and closing. By releasing air, pressure becomes equalized on both sides of the eardrum.

In this blog, our ENT doctor explores when ear popping becomes dangerous.

The first situation where popping your ears is bad for your health is the risk of infection. The Eustachian tube connects to the nose, and this is normally not relevant. However, if you are suffering from sinus pressure or sinus congestion, then you likely also have some mucus backed up.

Popping your ears can liquids from your nose to enter your ear, which can then cause an ear infection.

The second way that popping your ears can be unsafe is that you run the risk of blowing out your eardrums. Holding yuru nose and blowing out is the common method of popping your ears, but too much pressure can blow out the eardrum. You should never plug your ears and sneeze, as this is far too much pressure on your ears.

If you are trying to pop your ears while holding your nose and blowing, you should stop if the pressure begins to hurt your ears.

If you need pressure relief, our ENT for ear problems recommends trying over the counter nasal decongestant, as this will solve the root of the problem. Placing a warm washcloth or heating pad over one ear can help pop your ears.

If you find yourself with excess pressure in your ears on a regular basis, you may need special tubes inserted to relieve pressure. Contact us to set up an appointment for ear relief.