How to Drain Fluid From the Middle Ear at Home (2025)

You can drain fluid from your ear at home with techniques like applying a warm compress and inhaling steam, popping your ears, or pulling your earlobe. Over-the-counter medicines may also work to open the ear canals and drain the fluid. If these methods don't help seek medical attention to have the fluid drained.

Fluid in the middle ear (serous otitis media) can be caused by a middle ear infection, allergies, a sinus infection, a viral infection, and even acid reflux. If you catch the signs early, you may be able to prevent more serious symptoms including pain and hearing loss.

1. Gently "Pop" Your Ears

Fluid buildup is mainly caused by blockage of the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear and the upper part of your throat.

Sometimes, you can clear your Eustachian tubes by making facial movements. These include yawning or holding your nose while blowing through the nasal passages. When the Eustachian tubes open, you mayfeel or hear a "pop."

2. Create a Vacuum

If you are unable to pop your ears with the above techniques, try the Valsalva maneuver:

• Cup your hand over your ear so your palm covers the entire ear.
• Press your palm into your ear and try to create a seal.
• Using very slight moves, gently pulse your palm in and out creating a vacuum.

You should feel a little pressure inside the ear as you press in. You may feel or hear a slight pop when the Eustachian tube opens.

To help the fluid drain, tilt the earlobe downward and pull on it gently up and down, back and forth.

3. Inhale Steam

Steam inhalation through the nose is known for clearing the sinuses. And because the Eustachian tube is connected to the sinus cavity, steam can also open up a clogged tube and allow trapped fluid in the middle ear to drain.

You can inhale steam using a personal steam inhaler, an electric device that turns water into steam and has a soft, flexible plastic mask that you hold up to your nose.

You can also fill a large bowl or pot with boiled water, cover the back of your head with a towel, lean over the bowl, and breathe through your nose.

4. Gargle With Saltwater

Healthcare providers often recommend gargling with salt water to enable fluid to drain from the ears. This may help in a few different ways.

Warm salt water helps soothe and shrink swollen tissues and is a go-to natural remedy for sore throats, which often accompany earaches.

Because the Eustachian tube connects to the back of the throat, a saltwater gargle may help relieve swelling in the ear as well, allowing trapped water to drain.

To gargle with salt water, add a teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water. Stir and allow the salt to dissolve. Take a mouthful of saltwater, keep your throat closed, and tilt your head back. Gurgle for 30 seconds to one minute.

5. Warm Compress

A warm compress can increase circulation to the ear, which can help loosen fluid. This method can also help reduce pain and inflammation. Switching between a warm and cool compress may also help provide pain relief.

6. Drink Fluids

Staying hydrated can help thin secretions, which will make it easier for them to flow from your ear. Good hydration can also help reduce pressure and pain in infected ears.

7. Tug Your Earlobe

Try tilting your head down and tugging gently on your earlobe. This can help loosen the trapped fluid, which will allow it to drain.

8. Use Gravity

Try lying on the side where your affected ear is, or try tilting your head and hopping. Sleeping in an elevated position may also help reduce pain and pressure from an ear infection.

9. Massage

Ayurveda is an alternative medicine practice that originated in India. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend massaging the lymph nodes outside the ears to help drain fluid from the Eustachian tubes.

10. Ease Symptoms With OTC Medication

Medications can't drain fluid from your middle ear, but they may make related symptoms more tolerable while you wait for your condition to resolve on its own.

• Anti-inflammatories: Medications that reduce pain and inflammation include Advil, Motrin (ibuprofen), and Aleve (naproxen sodium).
• Decongestants: Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and similar medications can be used for short periods of time to relieve pressure and unclog ears.
• Antihistamines: Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and similar medications are specifically recommended for people whose symptoms are related to allergies. They should not be used for other situations.

When to See Your Healthcare Provider

If left untreated, serous otitis media can cause hearing loss. If at-home treatments don't drain the middle ear, or you have other symptoms listed here, see your healthcare provider:

• Pain inside the ear that worsens when you tug on the outer ear
• A sensation that the ear is blocked or full
• Foul-smelling or pus-colored drainage from the ear
• Fever
• Decreased hearing
• Intense pain that may spread to the neck, face, or side of the head
• Swollen lymph nodes around the ear or in the upper neck
• Redness or swelling of the skin around the ear

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and examine your ear, looking for redness and swelling in your ear canal. They may also take a sample of any abnormal fluid or discharge in your ear (ear culture), especially if you have recurrent or persistent ear infections.

When At-Home Treatments Don't Work

If you have tried home remedies and over-the-counter treatments without success, or if your healthcare provider suspects a bacterial infection, these treatment options may be needed:

• Prescription antibiotics: Amoxicillin-clavulanate is usually recommended unless you have a penicillin allergy. Those with penicillin allergies will likely be given azithromycin or cefdinir.
• Surgery: A procedure called a myringotomy may be needed. This involves making a small hole in your eardrum, which allows the fluid to drain. A tube may be placed in the hole to prevent recurrence.

Summary

Fluid in the middle ear can lead to an infection. However, if you can drain the fluid from your ears before bacteria or other infections can colonize, you can avoid complications. Pay attention to the signs of a clogged Eustachian tube and use simple steps to pop your ears, draw out the fluid, reduce inflammation with salt water, or manage symptoms with OTC medications.

If symptoms get worse or don't improve, see a healthcare provider.