A top physiotherapist has revealed a simple, two-minute hack that he claims can instantly relieve blocked ears.
Dr Joe Damiani, a head and neck specialist based in New Jersey, told his 767,000 Instagram followers that fullness in the ear could be due to a problem with one of the muscles in the jaw.
That’s because the pressure in the ear canal is controlled by two small muscles that run down the back of the mouth, behind the teeth.
These tissues control the level of air that sits inside the ear canal — which connects the middle ear to the throat and nose.
According to Dr Damiani, gentle strokes on the inside of the mouth can help relieve tension in these muscles, preventing them from trapping air and relieving pressure in the ear canal.
However, he advised those with a strong gag reflex to position their finger carefully, as reaching that far back into the mouth can make some wretch.
Muscular problems in the jaw not only cause the sensation of blocked ears, he added, they can also trigger teeth grinding and severe earache.
In the clip, Dr Damiani explained the components of the ear in greater detail.
He said that the muscles in the jaw are called the veli palatini and medial pterygoid — and these work together to open the ear canal, also called the eustachian tube.
This small canal helps to balance air pressure in the ear, and it can stop working if these muscles start to spasm.
As a result, the ears can feel full and clogged.
Dr Damiani said: ‘When [the medial pterygoid muscle] is open or dilated, it allows a balance of pressure between the inner ear and the tensor veli palatini muscle.
‘When it contracts, it allows the eustachian tube to do it’s job.
‘However, muscle spasm in the medial pterygoid prevents that tensor veli palatini from doing its job, hence, pressure, fullness, clogged ears.’
To help release this pressure Dr Damiani suggests rubbing the medial pterygoid muscle on the inside of the mouth, next to the back molar.
He said: ‘Take your finger and drag it along the inside of the bottom of your teeth back to the last molar and then pull outward. Work your way all the way up putting pressure in different spots and work your way up and down.’
However, the cause of blocked ears isn’t always muscular, it can also be triggered by an ear infection or an earwax blockage.
An ear infection is usually painful and occurs when fluid accumulates behind the eardrum, which causes a feeling of fullness in the ear. This can be treated with antibiotics and pain relief.
Earwax build-up is another common problem that can make the ears feel full and blocked.
Made to keep the ears clean, earwax usually falls out on its own, but sometimes too much builds up and blocks the ears, the NHS explains.
But as well being a nuisance, an ear full of wax can cause pain, hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.
And, counterintuitively, cleaning your ears with cotton buds may actually be making wax build-up worse.
Instead earwax blockage can be cleared using eardrops which can be bought from a pharmacy.
