Devices That Help Fix Clogged Ears

Clogged ears due to eustachian tube dysfunction or fluid in the ears is one of the most common complaints seen in an ENT clinic. Beyond medications like steroids & nasal sprays or even surgery (ear tubes) to resolve this complaint, a fundamental physical maneuver the patient MUST also be doing is called "valsalva". Valsalva is the attempt to "pop" the ears by yawn, swallow, or attempting to gently blow air out the nose that is pinched shut.

The yawn and swallow are passive maneuvers to pop the ear whereby trying to gently blow air out the nose while keeping it pinched shut to create intra-nasal pressure is an active maneuver.

The key concept is that medications do not pop the ears for you... YOU have to pop the ears yourself. Medications just help accomplish this task.

Typically, when things are truly clogged and it is very difficult if not impossible to pop the ears open, actively trying to pop the ears open is key. Yawning and swallowing typically is ineffective.

However, there are patients who can't quite grasp the idea of HOW to pop the ears by nose pinching. OR, they are too scared that they might rupture their eardrums (which could happen if the nose-blowing is too aggressive).

Furthermore, what about the 2 years old who doesn't even understand how to nose-blow let alone valsalva?

As such, there are two main devices to perform the active valsalva for such individuals. Please note, I have no financial ties to either companies to disclose.

Otovent

The first is a simple balloon called Otovent (can be purchased on Amazon). In essence, you snug the balloon up against the nose and try to inflate the balloon up. The balloon itself provides the necessary and sufficient back-pressure into the nose resulting in an active valsalva. This is mainly used by children who can appreciate the visual feedback.

EarPopper

The second is an electronic device, EarPopper (also can be purchased on Amazon), that pushes air into the nose. So, rather than having the lungs "push" air into the nose to create intra-nasal air pressure, this device replaces the lungs and pushes air into the nose from the front. This device comes in two flavors: Home and Pro versions.

Please keep in mind that there's another electronic device which supposedly helps with ear popping called EarDoc which is not recommended as it uses an unproven concept.

So there you have it...

Read more about this condition here.

Products That Help Pop the Ear Due to Eustachian Tube Dysfunction or Fluid in the Middle Ear:

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Geared Toward Adults

Balloon Geared Toward Kids

Does the EARDOC Work?

So I've seen a whole lot of hub-bub regarding a medical device called EARDOC.

The way EARDOC is explained to work is through vibrations conducted via the mastoid bone into the middle ear and eustachian tube by placing the device behind the ear and activating it.



The main question on my mind is whether it actually works... And on that point, it's less clear. There certainly is a lot of patient testimonials as well as marketing spots in support of its effectiveness. However, it would be nice to see independent testimonials as well as promotions NOT by professional bloggers. I find the negative reviews on Amazon.com to be most enlightening.

AND while it may work, it would be nice to have actual research done on this device to prove it.

According to their website, "The Eardoc was tested in the Top Medical University in Europe. The Eardoc test was performed with a Tympanometer on 40 Patients over 6 weeks, it shows with no doubt that the EARDOC opens the Eustachian tube and relieves the pain."

So where is the paper showing this? I did a pubmed search and nothing came up.

If it is a "Top Medical University in Europe", what is the name of it? If this product is so great, why is the university itself not promoting it and associating its name to a medical device that works so amazingly well on a problem that is so common?

I can say for one thing... they have a pretty aggressive marketing campaign going on via twitter and facebook.

In any case, what I CAN say is that it probably can't hurt to try it out (beyond losing $55 and extending your ear infection/pain which may get worse while waiting for it to work). For those curious, it is sold on Amazon as well as directly from the company.

Without further independent research evidence by a reputable institution (research that is published and listed in PubMed), it is not possible to say whether it truly works beyond placebo or if it is just a gimmick.