Ear fullness i recently flew with a cold and upon the return trip my ears never "popped" after landing. after 7 days i still cannot hear and feel as if i need to pop my ears. i have been to my family physician who says there is fluid but no infection.

So : So what you have is called barotrauma and your doctor is right, the fluid does not need an antibiotic if it is clear. However, having the fluid there puts you at risk for an infection- so if more than a week has passed since you saw your doctor the first time, you should be reexamined. You might try chewing gum and yawning, but since 7 days has already passed, i doubt that would work. You might also change to Pseudoephedrine which is more effective than phenylephrine (the active ingredient in sudefed pe). In most states now, you need to get Pseudoephedrine from the pharmacist (as it is the ingredient used to make methamphetamine). You should not take this if you have high blood pressure.