u/ShuttyMcButterPants

Hi everyone,

I’ve had severely clogged ears for 3+ weeks due to sinus issues and I’m too scared to take anything to drain out the fluid. I haven’t been able to breathe properly for around a month, and my ears are so clogged that I can see some sort of gunk just by looking inside them. I don’t know exactly what it is. I see yellow/orange wax, but there is also a huge blob of white-ish matter in there as well.

I have extremely severe ocd/anxiety and I don’t leave my house. Should I force myself to leave and see if a dr can clean out my ears before the 4th of July fireworks start? My Peltors don’t block much sound, partially because I’ve worn them too much and my head is literally pushed in around my ears and they don’t fit tightly anymore.

I don’t know how to handle the anxiety from all of this. The fact that this all happened because I used a fan that I probably didn’t need and stupidly pointed it directly at my face is so absurd. I will never forgive myself. Now I have to see if riding in a car with just muffs and trying to talk to a dr without plugs is going to be worth it.

I’ve done micro suction and water irrigation on two different occasions and I don’t think I’d feel comfortable doing those again. I don’t even know if the primary care drs I would go to offer manual cleaning, and if the gunk is a slime like texture then it might be difficult to scrape out.

I’m at a loss and any help is greatly appreciated. If I could put plugs in, I wouldn’t be as worried. Thanks again.

I think I clogged my Eustachian tubes and sinuses badly after using a fan too close to my face. My ears are clogged/painful, and I can feel fluid trying to drain. I haven’t been able to breathe properly since my nose is so stuffed up deep into my sinuses.

I have hyperacusis (sound sensitivity) from noise exposure and I’m terrified to use anything medicated in case it damages my ears.

Is it safe to try and flush my sinuses with a saline rinse? Some things I read said it could be dangerous if your ears are clogged. My tinnitus has gone up noticeably which is also concerning.

Thanks for your help! Any other safe recommendations for opening Eustachian tubes and clearing sinuses would be great as well. I wish I could see a doctor but I have borderline agoraphobia from bad anxiety.

Hi everyone,

I used a fan too close for too long and severely dried out my sinuses. I’ve had terrible ear pain and a clogged feeling for around a week and I can hardly breathe out of my nose. I can feel my ears trying to drain, and I have post nasal drip.

I bought saline rinse to do an irrigation, but I read that could be dangerous with clogged ears. Is this true? I basically have agoraphobia from my severe anxiety at this point, and I don’t know if I can see a doctor in person. I could do a televisit, but I don’t know if they can tell what I have without seeing inside.

I think my Eustachian tubes are badly clogged bc my ears are clicking/popping and the Dr cannot see inside of them. I get terrible ear pain when I bend over. I don’t know where to even start medicine wise since I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m scared of ototoxicity.

Any advice is appreciated. I’m panicking bc it’s getting worse and going on a week or more. Thanks again.

Hi everyone,

My sinuses are stuffy from using my bedroom fan too much, and my ears are hurting from what I think might be clogged Eustachian tubes.

Is it safe to use a saline nasal spray? I have mild hyperacusis and occasional pain from certain sounds and I’m terrified to use anything. I’m scared I might have an infection, but I have bad anxiety and leaving my house to see a doctor might be hard.

Any advice is much appreciated, thank you!