I have a sore throat, painful pressure in my ears and congestion. What can I take to help me?

Question

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Good evening ma'am, In such a situation, sometimes the pressure in the ear can come from a buildup of mucus in the canal that connects the ear and throat. By using a product like Sinus Rinse™ (with the technique described below) twice a day, one could get the buildup of fluid to drain from the ear into the throat (through a small duct we call the Eustachian tube): When the nose is free of most of its secretions (about 20 minutes after the Sinus Rinse), use a product like Otrivin™. This will work by opening the small canal that connects the ear and throat (the Eustachian tube); About 30-45 minutes after applying Otrivin to your nose, do the Valsalva maneuver, which involves pinching the nose with your fingers, closing your mouth and "blowing" while swallowing. It may sound complicated written here, but it's pretty simple. By doing this you will allow the Eustachian tube to open and allow the fluid that has accumulated in the ear to drain out (as illustrated here at 1:40). If the technique doesn't fix the problem in less than 2 days, I would encourage you to see a doctor. Good evening, Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist