Airplane ear: Here are some genius hacks to pop your blocked ears while on a plane

While plane travel has its perks, it can also be annoying and anxiety inducing for many people. Even with plane travel becoming a necessary evil for most long distance travel, many people are still not aware of best airplane travel hacks, like to never sit next to the window, to never drink water on the airplane, or that taking your shoes off on a plane comes with its own set of risks.

Plane travel can also be physically uncomfortable for many people. Apart from too little leg space, or dehydration up in the air, airplane ears can also be a major source of discomfort.

What is Airplane Ear?

As per Mayo Clinic, airplane ear occurs because the eustachian tube, which is connected to the middle ear, and which regulates air pressure, is unable to do its job due to the quick altitude change during ascent and descent of an airplane.

The air pressure changes in a plane leave your ears feeling stuffy and blocked, and could affect your hearing. Sometimes it can also be painful.

Unclog blocked ears with these tricks

As suggested by experts at Mayo Clinic and CN Traveler, here are some ways you can prevent your ears from getting clogged, as well as ways to pop them if they are left clogged by a plane journey.

Yawn and swallow during ascent and descent

Doing yawing or swallowing motions helps the eustachian tube open up. These movements help the tube to do its job and maintain equilibrium in the air pressure inside and outside the ear.

Chewing gum or sucking on candy can also have the same effect.

Use the Valsalva manoeuvre

This manoeuvre entails pinching your nostrils, and blowing while keeping your mouth closed. Make a similar motion as when you blow your nose. Repeating it can help your ears to adjust to the change in air pressure.

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Try the Toynbee manoeuvre

This method is probably one that most of us are familiar with. Pinch your nose, and do swallowing motions. The result should be that your ears pop easily.

If everything fails, try the balloon trick

As per Explore, another easy and fun way to pop your ears, is to blow a balloon. The blowing motion essentially recreates the same effect as in our first method: opening up the eustachian tube, and helping the air pressure inside the ear to come to terms with the air pressure outside in the plane cabin.

This can be especially useful in case you are travelling with kids.

Get filtered earplugs

If you want something very effective and simple, and are ready to invent some money, buying filtered ear plugs can be a worthy investment. These earplugs help you slowly equalise the pressure against your eardrum, even though you'll still need to do yawing or swallowing movements to open your eustachian tube.

Do not sleep during ascent or descent

Staying awake during take-off and landing is also advised by medical practitioners. Sleeping while the air pressure outside is rapidly changing can leave you with painful blocked ears. So, it is advised to stay up and take necessary precautions to help your eardrums out.

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Sources used:

CN Traveler: 'How to Pop Your Ears on a Plane: 9 Tricks for Relieving Ear Pressure, According to Medical Experts

Mayo Clinic: 'Airplane Ear'

Explore: 'Try TikTok's Latest Hack To Keep Your Ears From Popping On Your Next Flight'