Plugged Ears With A Cold

When an individual contracts a cold, the Eustachian tube can become blocked due to inflammation and swelling caused by the viral infection. This blockage disrupts the normal functioning of the Eustachian tube, leading to an imbalance of air pressure in the middle ear. As a result, the eardrum may become concave or bulging, causing discomfort, hearing loss, and a sensation of ear plugging.

✅ The Valsalva Maneuver: Plug your nose, close your mouth, and gently blow. (Keyword: Gently. We aren’t trying to pop an eardrum here). ✅ Steamy Showers: Loosens the gunk everywhere else, might help the ears too. ✅ Chew Gum: Sometimes the jaw motion tricks the tube into opening. ✅ Time: The boring answer, but usually the right one.

It feels like someone stuffed a cotton ball deep inside my head and left it there. I’m nodding along to conversations saying "Uh-huh, totally," while having absolutely zero idea what you just said. (If you told me a secret yesterday, consider it safe—I didn't hear it).