I had an earache problem this spring. It wasn’t debilitating, but definitely painful at times. They coincided with my yearly physical, so I asked the doctor about it. Turns out that a ton of pollen, plus sniffling a lot caused some kind of build-up/clog in my nasal passages which then turned into an earache. Her prescription was over the counter Claritin and snot rockets...seriously, my doctor prescribed snot rockets to help prevent future earaches. She is a cyclist too, so she understands how difficult it is to blow your nose while riding. I must admit that I had some difficulties perfecting my snot rocket technique, but I haven't had an earache since!