Ear Noise & Blockage: Causes, Relief & When to See a Doctor

Question
For about the past month I have been having problems with my right ear. At first it was annoying because every morning after taking a shower my ear would be plugged. The water would not drain out, I would have to put a q-tip in my ear to soak up the water and alleviate the plugged feeling. That is still happening but not as often. My biggest complaint is that I am hearing a crackling type noise in my ear. It's not consistent but daily and it often wakes me up. I went to see a Nurse Practitioner at the college who said my ear looks a little cloudy but fine otherwise. She suggested I try some sudafed. I am not finding any relief from sudafed, allergy meds, antibiotics, or ibuprofen. My PCP has recommended in the past that I go to an ENT because I often hear my heartbeat in that ear as well, and my BP is under control. Is there anything else I can try to make this stop, its kind of distracting.

Thanks
Pam

Answer
as a trial, try using AFRIN nose spray twice a day for 3 days.....  sniff it back so you can taste it.... if that helps, then it is probably a sinus congestion problem.... you can't use Afrin long term but you could be changed to Flonase.    I assume you did not have any wax buildup since they looked in there....  so it is probably the above.