My tubes just opened after almost 2 weeks so I wanted to explain the method that worked for me. I got serous otitis media by flying with a cold, and my ears were immediately plugged, with some sensation of fluid moving in my inner ear. This method worked pretty well after I started it, thank god because I was going insane.
First, be extremely hydrated. Drink a ton of water, cut down on super salty foods, and eat more potassium rich foods.
Then, Every 12ish hours do this:
- Take 120mg Sudafed, and some antihistamine if you have allergies. Experiment with doses, but I wouldn’t take more than 240mg Sudafed within 12 hours.
2.Wait around 30 minutes for it to kick in
Use a Neti pot a couple times to further clear sinuses
Take a very hot shower for a while, breathing in the steam through your nose.
Get out of the shower, dry off etc, then do 1-2 sprays of fluticasone through each nostril.
Wait around 10 minutes for the spray to kick in
This is the most important step, use an otovent for around 5-10 minutes, moving around your jaw and swallowing, and trying different pressures by blowing up the balloon more. What worked for me was very high pressure by squeezing the balloon or blowing it up more than recommended. Swallowing water also helped.
This will not work with just one cycle. I had to do it for about 4 days straight until both ears mostly cleared. Just trust the process. Also, for me massaging or using massage guns on my ear area did not do anything helpful.