Why Do I Have a Feeling of Fullness in My Ear? Causes & Treatment

• Meniere’s disease: Inner ear disease in which fluid buildup in the inner ear leads to loss of balance and pressure changes. Symptoms include ear fullness, severe dizziness, and hearing loss
• Cholesteatoma: Abnormal skin growth in the middle ear that presents with symptoms such as foul-smelling discharge, ear pain, and hearing loss
• Acoustic neuroma: Benign tumor of the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. Symptoms include hearing loss, ringing sensation in the ear, and ear fullness
• Chronic otitis media: Prolonged bacterial, viral, or fungal infection of the middle ear that leads to fluid buildup in the middle ear and causes ear fullness along with hearing loss.

Tips for getting rid of ear fullness include the following:

• Move your mouth: Move your mouth up and down by swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. You can also try taking a deep breath and exhale through your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut until you hear a popping sound.
• Use gravity: If water is stuck in the ear canal from a recent shower or swim, help drain the area by turning your head to one side and gently pulling your earlobe in different directions.
• Nasal spray: If you tend to get ear congestion during air travel, try a decongestant nasal spray one hour before traveling. Always consult your doctor before using any medications.
• Hot towel: If severe pain occurs while on a flight, place a hot towel tightly over the opening of your ear. The heat may relieve pressure on your eardrum.
• For babies: If a baby has a blocked ear, give them water or milk to drink or a pacifier to suck on.

Other options for clearing clogged ears may include:

• Topical nasal steroids, especially for allergies
• Ventilation tubes, in severe cases, to drain fluid and relieve pressure
• Antihistamine medication for hay fever

Seek medical treatment if the feeling of fullness in your ear lasts longer than 2 weeks or is accompanied by other symptoms such as:

• Severe ear pain
• Tinnitus
• High fever (higher than 101 F) that lasts 48 hours or more
• Severe headache
• Throbbing or tenderness behind the ear (especially over the bone)
• Swelling and redness of the skin surrounding the ear 
• Drainage of pus from the ear

Any ear discomfort in a small child should be evaluated by a physician.