One Tuesday morning, Leo woke up feeling stuffy. His nose was clogged, his head felt heavy, and—strangest of all—his right ear seemed to be stuffed with cotton. When he poured his morning cereal, the clinks of the spoon sounded distant, like sounds traveling through water.
“Classic cold,” his mom said. “Your Eustachian tube is swollen shut. It connects your ear to your throat, and right now, it’s angry.” how to open a blocked ear at home due to cold
His mom warned him: “Never blow hard. Gentle only.” Leo closed his mouth, pinched his nostrils shut, and gently breathed out as if blowing up a soft balloon. He pushed no harder than a sigh. Pop-pop. The pressure equalized. The muffled feeling vanished like a curtain opening. One Tuesday morning, Leo woke up feeling stuffy