Water plays an essential role in our life, not only to hydrate our body but also to help us wash impurities. Since the dawn of human history, people have used water to make their body clean. Sometimes, it even goes beyond a regular activity, becoming a ritual.
However, most of us will have to experience water getting inside the ears at least once in our lifetime. It can easily happen when you are swimming, taking a bath or a shower. Why do we need to know “How to get water out of your ear?” This might sound too normal to be concerned about; nevertheless, it is much more severe than you thought.
Many people hold a belief that only swimmers or babies may have trouble with water in ears. But the fact is that anyone might be the victim.
In this article, My HealthCare Tips will show you how to get water out of your ear with so many different effective and safe ways! Read on!
The Consequences
Getting water in the ear can make you feel uncomfortable and feel like you are hearing from a bottom of a well. Generally, water can go in and then go out without any problems. But in some cases, water is trapped in the ear canal; thus it can decrease your hearing. Furthermore, if you leave the condition untreated for a long time, there is likely to have a potential risk of you developing more serious problems like ear pain and infection [1].
Swimming may enable the bacteria, namely, staphylococcus or Pseudomonas, to enter the ears and lead to terrible problems, ranging from eczema to psoriasis. In many ways, not only water but also other things, like sand or debris, are responsible for such ear problems. Even though you might not be aware, your ears will face trouble if you clean them too much.
Symptoms
Before learning how to get water out of your ear, you should know if you are experiencing it by reading about the symptoms of this situation.
Pain is one of the most apparent symptoms of water in the ears. Besides, you might experience a series of others, such as itchiness or swelling. In some worse situations, there will be yellow discharge from your ears.
Luckily, with a few tricks, you can remove water from your ear easily. The most important advice for you is to stay away from polluted water. If you suffer from some skin problems, it is better to swim in any public area. Moreover, swimming cap or earplugs are recommended items to help you prevent this problem.
But if home treatments don’t work, you should visit the doctor as soon as possible before you experience ear pain.
Ear pain is another common problem that can cause you lots of discomfort during the time if it is not untreated properly. Home remedies for earache are available to help you overcome this problem.
How to Get Water Out of Your Ear
Here are top 17 tips on how to get water out of your earthat you should take into consideration to prepare yourself for annoying conditions. You should bear in mind all of them and make them daily habits for the sake of your ears.
1. Salt
Salt can absorb water easily so you can use this ingredient to help with the question of how to get water out of your ear. You can also relieve pain and make the fluid evaporate by using the heat from the hot salt compress.
- Take a ¼ glass of salt and heat it in the microwave
- Next, put the salt in a cotton cloth and then tie it tightly
- Take this near the opening of the ear that the water goes into and hold it for 2 to 3 minutes
2. Olive oil
How to get water out of your ear with olive oil? Olive oil has a lot of excellent benefits, and one of them is facilitating the flow of fluid that trapped in the ear. Moreover, olive oil can reduce the chances that you get ear infection because of its antiseptic properties.
- Slightly boil some olive oil and put it in a bowl
- Put a few drops of warm olive oil into the ear
- Wait for 10 minutes
- Remove the oil and the fluid by a soft earbud. Remember to turn your head sideways before removing the oil
You can also put some drops (2 to 3) of olive oil in both of your ears before you go swimming so that it will prevent water from getting trapped in your ears.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
Another answer to how to get water out of your ear is hydrogen peroxide. It can get the water as well as ear wax and debris from the ear canal easily because of its effervescent property [4].
- Use a dropper to put three percent hydrogen peroxide (4 to 5 drops) into the ear that water got in
- Wait for it to settle for 1 to 2 minutes
- Take the water out by tilting your head downwards
4. Garlic
One more effective way on how to get water out of your ear is garlic. It can also dislodge water out of your ear. In addition, garlic can reduce pain and prevent ear infection because it has antibacterial properties [5][6].
- Extract the garlic juice by pressing some garlic cloves
- Put garlic juice into the affected ear (2 to 3 drops)
- Wait for 1 minute then use a blow dryer to dry the ear
Note: Remember to hold the blow dryer 12 inches away from your head.
5. Blow Dryer
You can use a blow dryer to dry your ear so that the water will be gone from your ear. Water will steam and then dissipate out of the ear thanks to the warm, dry air from the blow dryer. So the blow dryer is one of the best ways on how to get water out of your ear!
- Pull your earlobe away from your body
- Keep the blow dryer away from your ear for at least 10 to 12 inches
- Set the airflow to low and the dryer heat to warm
- After turning on the blow dryer, aim it directly into your ear
- Hold the blow dryer still for about 30 seconds
- Repeat this if you haven’t seen the result
Note: Do not do this remedy for more than a few minutes each time.
6. Gravity
This is one of the best methods if you’re wondering how to remove water from your ear. All you have to do is let gravity take its course.
- Head tilted to both sides
- Hold the ear that was wet parallel to the ground and gently press your palm against it.
- Give it a few seconds of pressure.
- Then swiftly remove your hand from your ear. There is a momentary vacuum that is about to form that will push the fluid aside.
- With extreme caution, remove the water-draining cotton earbud from the ear.
Note: Do not insert the earbud in the ear.
7. Heat therapy
Heat therapy can help you on how to get water out of your ear quickly. The Eustachian tube, which the water builds up in, will be opened with the help of the heat compress in order to let the water escape.
- Take a hot water bowl and dip a washcloth into it. After that, wring out the excess water
- Place the washcloth against the affected ear and wait for 30 seconds
- Repeat this again after waiting for 1 minute
- Lie down on your side so that the water will get out easily
Do this 4 or 5 times.
8. Valsalva Maneuver
The question of how to get water out of your ear can also be answered with this method. This way can pop your ears in order to open the Eustachian tubes. As a result, you can push water out of your ears.
- Pinch your nose with two fingers and close your mouth
- Breathe in for 5 seconds
- Regulate the air pressure by blowing air out through the nostrils slowly
- There will be a small popping sound if you’ve done it correctly. That can be understood as the Eustachian tubes have been open again
Warning: Do not blow your nose with too much force because your eardrum might be damaged.
9. Rubbing Alcohol and Vinegar
Rubbing alcohol and vinegar is an age-old but effective home tip on how to get water out of your ear. The germs present in the ear will be killed because of the antibacterial properties of vinegar. In addition, rubbing alcohol will help you dry up your ear.
- Take rubbing alcohol and vinegar (1 teaspoon each) and mix them together
- Use a dropper to put this mixture into your ear (2 to 3 drops)
- Rub the opening of the ear canal in a gentle way
- Wait for 30 seconds
- Drain the water out by tilting your head
10. Steam
Another tip on how to get water out of your ear is inhaling steam. Like Valsalva maneuver, steam can also open Eustachian tube to encourage the release of water trapped in the ear [7][8].
- Take a large bowl and pour hot water into it
- Use a towel to not let the steam get out by covering over your head
- Breathe in the steam slowly (5 to 10 minutes)
- Tip your head from one side to another so that the water can leave your ear
- Another way to get the water out of the ear is having a hot steaming shower
11. Clean your ear
This is one of the easiest ways on how to get water out of your ear. Use a soft towel or a clean cloth to clean your outer ear slowly in order to get the water out of the ear.
You can also tilt your ear down to the cloth.
Note: Do not push the cloth inside the ear because the water may go back into the ear.
12. Chew
This is one of the simplest answers to how to get water out of your ear. You can dislodge water by chewing gums because it can free the water stuck in Eustachian tubes.
You can also yawn to remove water. Yawning has effect when you feel a “pop” or water shifting.
13. Yawn
Yawning is another strange tip on how to get water out of your ear, but the fact is that many people find it helpful. Thus, it deserves a place in this list. Yawning has effect when you feel a “pop” or water shifting. It works in the same way as chewing as it helps to make Eustachian tubes open and the water will come out effectively.
14. Add More Water to Ear
How to get water out of your ear by adding more water? Isn’t that an absurd idea? Well, not at all, because you can use the cohesive force to remove water.
- Tilt the affected ear upwards then put some drops of water
- After that, turn that ear downwards to drain the water out of your ear
Note: You should use room temperature water.
15. OTC Ear Drops
If you have tried many ways but failed, the answer to how to get water out of your ear might be some ear drops. You can get the water out of your ear by using over the counter ear drops. You can find them easily in pharmacy stores.
Add these ear drops to the ear and then tilt the ear down so that the water will come out.
Note: Ask for help if you can’t do this by yourself.
16. Not Use Earphones
In addition to tips as mentioned earlier on how to get water out of your ear, there are several notes you have to know for lowering the risk of the problem. One of them is this. Earphones or earplugs are everyday items nowadays, and there is nothing wrong with using it.
Nevertheless, when you have water trapped in the ear, it is a great idea to keep these items far way to reduce the pain you might suffer from. They do nothing but worsen the situation by pushing water more inside.
17. See the doctor
If all these tips can’t help you on how to get water out of your ear, the best way is visiting your doctor.
You should also remember to take special notice that after you have tried all the home remedies to remove the water from your ear and they do not work, it’s time you go to the doctor, because if you leave the water in your ear for a few days, the situation can get worse!
The reason for water to stay in your ear might be because there is an earwax blockage, and the doctor might have the right tools to look into it and figure out the problem. There are also some signs to alert you that you need a trip to the doctor, which are:
- Yellow or brown fluid draining from your ear
- Ear discharge has a weird smell
- Loss or reduction of hearing ability
- Pain in ear, which is usually a sign of infection
Ear infections can get severe if not treated and might cause further damage.
Your doctor will remove the water very easily and also give you the advice to avoid getting water into the ear again. This is the most reliable tip, although it will cost you money and time as well.
How To Avoid Swimmer’s Ear
The feeling of having water in the ear is such an uncomfortable feeling! So besides knowing how to get water out of your ear, it is more important to know how to protect your ear from water while swimming. Here are some useful tips that you can proactively practice when coming into the water.
Always Take Good Care Of Your Ear
For some people, ears are a body part that might easily be neglected. But people who have gone through any ear infections know that it’s always painful and no one wants to suffer from that. So the first thing to do is to take good care of your ears. But how specifically?
Firstly, people with skin conditions such as allergies or eczema are more likely to get infections from improper care after swimming. If you have such conditions, we highly advise you to treat them as soon as possible.
Dry skin is a common occurrence, and if you have dry, flaky skin, you should protect your ear with the following tips and tricks:
- Keep your ear clean and dry. The wetness or dirt can lead to some infections and discomfort for you. After taking a shower or swimming, you should always clean your ears and dry them with a clean, soft towel. A trick for you is to tilt your head while drying so the water can flow out and easily be cleaned.
- However, do not clean your ear too often! Most people use a Q-tip to clean ear wax, and the warning is not to put it inside your ear. Cleaning your ears too vigorously can lead to damage and inflammation.
- It’s best to learn how to get water out of your ear if you are suffering from it, and as we have said, you can try ear drops. There are many types of ear drops to prevent infections that you can purchase at local drugstores. Make sure you consult with your doctor before that. As we mentioned above, olive oil is also a great source of relief for dry itchy skin and will help to remove water from your ear much faster and more efficiently.
Ear Wax Are Not That Bad
Did you know earwax, though seemingly needs to be removed, actually plays an essential role in protecting you from an ear infection? Earwax can keep water out of your ear! But too much of it is not advisable. So you need to have proper cleaning methods to have clean ears.
If you have a lot of earwax that needs to be cleaned regularly, you can use a piece of tissue and only wipe the outer part with the tissue paper on one of your fingers. Alternatively, you can go to the doctor to have your ears professionally cleaned.
Protect Your Ear While Swimming
There are plenty of products out there for you to choose from. The most common way people apply is wearing a swimming cap, which will cover the hair and the ears, preventing water from getting into your ears.
If you are not a fan of swimming caps, maybe you can give earplugs a try. They will keep water out of your ear and you can buy them at many stores. Make sure you purchase pliable silicone earplugs so that they fit your ears to utilize their functions.
Once you have had ways of prevention, you would not have to search for how to get water out of your ear again!
Conclusion
Water in the ear is annoying to each one of us, and it can sometimes lead to infections. Fortunately, they can be treated and they are preventable, so you should not be too worried. There are various answers to how to get water out of your ear that have been mentioned in this article, and you can prevent water from getting in your ears with our amazing and easy tips!
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