eight ways to get water out of your ears

here are some techniques to help get rid of that annoying waterlogged feeling in your head.

by nick beare

published aug 09, 2022

last updated feb 21, 2023

3 minute read

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3 minute read

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water in the ear can feel tingly, with the sensation reaching to the jawline. it can also affect hearing, causing sound to be muffled or completely diminished. getty

there are a variety of ways and reasons why water might get trapped inside your ears. for many people, it happens when swimming, but that annoying waterlogged feeling can also happen in the shower or bath too. and while it can happen to anyone, people with a narrow ear canal are more likely to have water stuck their ears. other times, excessive ear wax can be the culprit. and while most of the time the water drains out by itself, if settles into the ear for too long, it can cause a bacterial infection known as swimmer’s ear.

ugh, that muffled feeling

water in the ear can feel tingly, with the sensation reaching to the jawline. it can also affect hearing, causing sound to be muffled or completely diminished.

how can i get water out of my ears?

according to healthy hearing, there are numerous techniques to encourage the water to drain, including:

tipping your head toward the affected ear and gently tug on your earlobe
moving your jaw by yawning or chewing gum, then tilting the affected ear toward the ground
taking a breath, pinching your nose with your fingers, closing your mouth and gently exhaling to open the eustachian tubes.
laying on your side for a few minutes with the affected ear resting on a soft, cotton towel
cupping the palm of your hand securely over your ear and tilting your head toward the ground while gently pushing and releasing your palm back and forth to create suction
resting the affected ear on a warm compress or blowing warm air from a hair dryer (low setting) into the ear canal
using hydrogen peroxide ear drops, available in most drug stores, or making your own with equal parts vinegar and alcohol (but make sure you don’t have an ear infection or perforated eardrum)

you can also try adding a couple drops of olive oil to the affected ear using a clean ear dropper, then lying on your side with the affected ear facing up. after a few minutes, turn over — the water and oil should drain out. this method has the added bonus of dissolving and clearing out any excess ear wax that might also be trapped.

but a note of caution: never try to stick your finger or an ear swab deep into your ear to try and remove the water. doing this may add more bacteria to the ear canal which could make matters much worse.

infection is a risk when water stays in your ears

while in most cases, water leaves the ear on its own, sometimes it can get trapped deep inside and grow bacteria. when this happens, a potentially painful infection called swimmer’s ear can occur.

swimmer’s ear, also known as otitis externa, can also be caused by scratching inside the ear or getting a foreign object stuck in the ear. swimming in dirty water can also raise the risk of swimmer’s ear. symptoms include yellow or green, pus-like, foul-smelling drainage coming from the ear as well as pain, hearing loss or an itchy ear or ear canal.

antibiotic drops used for up to two weeks will usually clear the infection, but a doctor may opt to prescribe oral antibiotics, corticosteroids for the itching, or pain medication.

earplugs or a swimming cap can help

short of avoiding water altogether, the best way to prevent it from getting stuck in your ear is to use ear plugs or a swimming cap. also, keep your ears as dry as possible to avoid water pooling inside and make sure to consult a doctor if the trapped water hasn’t gone away in a couple days, or you are starting to experience signs of infection and pain.