Ears hurting when planes land.

[Noni Juice]

Hi there,

Hope this is not breaking the "medical advice" rule.

Basically I get bad pain whenever I'm in a plane and its starting to descend to land. I think this is because of one of my nostrils being blocked, and has been since a young age.

I fly to Japan, including a stop off soon so I was wondering if anyone is in the same position and what they do to help ease or stop the pain. I've tried the ear plugs, which, to be honest do not help much.

Thanks.

 

[JAzz]

Have you tried swallowing when you get the funny feeling in your ears? Usually helps for me.

 

[nydryl]

I was always told to get sucky sweets for take off/landing to stop ears popping. Absolutely no idea if there is any science behind it.

 

[POB]

Suck something....

Foxes hard sweets are good.

 

[Lysander]

Chewing gum.

 

[Russinating]

Sucking sweets/gulping/yawning/holding your nose and breathing out (but not too hard) will all help. Yawning is my personal fave.

 

[guyfawkes5]

It's the change in air pressure; chewing something or trying to blow out your nostrils while holding your nose should help your inner ear readjust.

 

[tres]

It's all about equalising the pressure.

Same as diving - hold your nostrils and blow

 

[Ahleckz]

Sucking boiled sweets, or those vicks inhalers are good. Most planes used to carry the inhalers so worth asking when on board.

 

[int]

It's all about equalising the pressure.

Same as diving - hold your nostrils and blow

That's a great way to push small amounts of fluid into your middle ear and get an infection.

Swallowing lots aided by sweets/drinks should help

 

[guyfawkes5]

That's a great way to push small amounts of fluid into your middle ear and get an infection.

Starting to realise why 'doctor' threads are forbidden.

 

[Scam]

I never used to be able to do the whole your nose to pop your ears thing and suffered quite a bit on planes. If you can't do that method then try holding your nose, looking up and them swallowing. It works really well and is a lot less painful

 

[cheets64]

Suck it up, I get it bad coming home, being tired from all the drinking and water in the ear and long nights and boom coming into land in Manchester you know about it, takes a day or two to get normal hearing and head functions back, maybe thats just me.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Suck on sweets, job done..

Oh, i almost forgot... Mustard!

 

[manbearpig]

I just keep yawning and that does the trick.

 

[whitecrook]

I've seen ear plugs for use on planes - does anyone use these and do they work well ?

 

[2StepSteve]

If you have a cold and your eustachian tube is blocked nothing will work.

Embrace the pain.

 

[Rameses]

Instantly recall when I flew to stockholm for a stag doo, yeah I know...strange place to head for a stag do we all thought.

It has to have been the most dreadful pain I've ever had, it shot around my ear, neck and head and all because of a blocked ear, probably down to the eustachian tube.

Doctor had sympathy as he explained it happened to him and he held his nose and blew and completely burst his ear drum, so it was good that nobody at the time recommended holding doing this.

Plenty of alcohol and lack of sleep on the way back I didn't experience it again, and haven't since.

 

[Amp34]

This is one of the reasons I really see flying as a last resort.

Never got the whole swallowing/sucking thing, never worked for me. Yawning or holding your nose and blowing works every time though. Best to do it incrimentally as you go down and the pressure increases rather than in one big go.

 

[Rameses]

Nasal decongestants + netti pot (which I have) to clear your sinuses, and inner ear / Eustachian tube.

Very tricky and very messy tho.