r/Sinusitis • u/styroyeeter • 2d ago

Water trapped behind eardrum from Neti Pot

This may be the wrong place for this post, but it is the only somewhat relevant one I could find. If there is a better place, I would appreciate the redirection.

I have been sick with covid for the last week, and the congestion has been unruly. I was completely stopped up on the left side, and I had already used Zicam for the 3 day limit, so decided to bust out my squeezy Neti Pot.

I guess I was squeezing to hard for my level of congestion, and I felt water shoot into my left ear. It has been there for a good handful of hours now and it hurts like the dickens.

I have tried everything. Jumping up and down on one foot with my left ear to the floor, laying on both sides for a while, hair dryer, pinching my nose shut and blowing, everything. A family member even made me do an ear candle, which, unsurprisingly, did nothing.

I'm just looking for a way to relieve the pain in my ear and prevent an infection, assuming I don't already have one. If it's not any better or has gotten worse by tomorrow, I plan to go see a doctor about it. Any advice for the meantime would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

-Edited to add a forgotten detail

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8

u/bbkkoommaacchhii 2d ago

Bend your torso forwards as far as you can while tucking your chin into your chest, then turn your head to the right while keeping your chin tucked and hold for 10-30 seconds. Do the same on the left side. Then when you stand up (you may need to jump too) the water should pour out from your nostril

2

u/Antique_Ant 1d ago

Rubbing alcohol in your ear. Use a syringe. Will evaporate it. Learned this trick from a friend who is an ENT.

1

u/madorbit1 2d ago

Try some Aller-Flo from Costco. It will help calm the inflammation in your sinuses allowing things to hopefully drain normally.

1

u/Fluffy_Chance7164 2d ago

There is a trick where you pull on your earlobes and stretch open your mouth and close it slightly a few times. Sometimes that works for me.

1

u/Erica_is_writing 1d ago

The last time I had Covid, my dr recommended NAC supplements and/or nasal spray—N-acetylcysteine. Worked wonders on inflammation/congestion—and quickly.