When you feel the difference in pressure hold you nose and raise your chin up as high as it will go then blow and suck with your mouth and your nose still held closed this helps equalise the pressure. With the chin up the airways to your ears are at the most open. Its the same techinique thats used when scuba diving.
Ear's popping on take off and landing :(
- Thread starter Dinerty
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 8,307
- Location
- Aranyaprathet, Thailand
Dandle said:
Just tried this and it worked even though I'm in London which is hardly at altitude! Wonder how long my ears haven't been equalized...
Anyways, I have tried most of the methods already listed and although they work for my right ear, my left is really hard to do. Probably that crayon my brother stuffed in there when I was three.
If you're worried about the pressure thingy, get your ears cleaned out before you go. It will make life much easier.
Deleted member 651465
Deleted member 651465
Chew gum whilst frequently swallowing to release the pressure build up 
How does sucking on a boiled sweet or chewing gum actually release pressure? Always wondered that. Also is this just like your ears popping while going over a bridge on a bus or something? (as this has happened to me before), if so then I dont see what the big fuss is about, its not like your ear drums are going to explode in your skull is it. 
Deleted member 651465
Deleted member 651465
Its more a build up of pressure that causes a pain, and yes, if you pop your ears intentionally you're going to do yourself damage.
FYI: Swallowing induces contractions of the tiny muscles in the middle ear, which results in movements of the eardrum and middle ear bones. Middle ear pressure changes may also occur as the Eustachian tube is opened, permitting pressure in the middle ear to equilibrate with pressure in the pharynx
FYI: Swallowing induces contractions of the tiny muscles in the middle ear, which results in movements of the eardrum and middle ear bones. Middle ear pressure changes may also occur as the Eustachian tube is opened, permitting pressure in the middle ear to equilibrate with pressure in the pharynx
In my experience, putting a sweet in your mouth doesn't make the slightest bit of difference - why should it?
In the same way as you can accelerate pressure equalisation when you drive downhill suddenly (by swallowing and getting an ear pop) - do the same on the plane. You should start swallowing when you start to feel the pressure, as if you ignore it your head will explode. This is because unlike the car you're decellerating that many more feet but at a quicker speed.
In the same way as you can accelerate pressure equalisation when you drive downhill suddenly (by swallowing and getting an ear pop) - do the same on the plane. You should start swallowing when you start to feel the pressure, as if you ignore it your head will explode. This is because unlike the car you're decellerating that many more feet but at a quicker speed.
Sparky__H
Sparky__H
I find wiggling my jaw bone back and forth the best cure.
I just returned from crete and it hurt more going than it did going back.. it affects people differently i believe... however...
There was a woman on the flight next to me and she had jammed her finger in a door before flying. So her nail was totally black with a blood blister underneath it...
when we were descending in crete the pressure change was affecting her finger and she was crying her eyes out. She had to get it drilled out when she got therem
OUCH!
There was a woman on the flight next to me and she had jammed her finger in a door before flying. So her nail was totally black with a blood blister underneath it...
when we were descending in crete the pressure change was affecting her finger and she was crying her eyes out. She had to get it drilled out when she got therem
OUCH!
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 4,001
- Location
- Rhone-Alpes, France
OMG ive gone half-deaf
i wasn't expecting that LOL
Johnny Girth said:
Ive only had that happen once. Normally I'm fine, just swallow and its equalizes. That one time though, i mustve had a cold or something because for two hours it just got worse and worse. It literally did feel like my head was going to explode and it went on for so long it was getting me down.
That landing was the best i'd ever experienced, so happy to be back on the ground. Took about 6 hours before I could hear properly again.
I found out this technique which I use religiously whenever I fly (and it works!)...
After take off when you start to feel the pressure buildup in your ears begin, stick your fingers in them and start to wiggle em until cruising altitude has been reached. Its hard to explain the level of wiggling but make sure the fingers are in far enough so that they effectively block out external sounds (so all you hear is yourself breathing - internal sound) and when you move them wiggling the internal sound you hear goes for a split second until you wiggle your fingers back again. If you still feel pressure when you have reached cruising altitude just keep wiggling away for another 5 mins or so until its gone. Remember to repeat the process when you start to descend as well tho!!!
I know that it may sound rather fruity but I can hand on heart say it works (for me at least) and that if it can help anyone else then thats cool. I remember my first flight abroad and had terrible earache for 5 days out of the weeks holiday of which I was nearly deaf in one ear n could not hear! I tried all different techniques to try and overcome this and have to say that the finger wiggling technique is by far the best altho you may get some odd looks from your neighbours
After take off when you start to feel the pressure buildup in your ears begin, stick your fingers in them and start to wiggle em until cruising altitude has been reached. Its hard to explain the level of wiggling but make sure the fingers are in far enough so that they effectively block out external sounds (so all you hear is yourself breathing - internal sound) and when you move them wiggling the internal sound you hear goes for a split second until you wiggle your fingers back again. If you still feel pressure when you have reached cruising altitude just keep wiggling away for another 5 mins or so until its gone. Remember to repeat the process when you start to descend as well tho!!!
I know that it may sound rather fruity but I can hand on heart say it works (for me at least) and that if it can help anyone else then thats cool. I remember my first flight abroad and had terrible earache for 5 days out of the weeks holiday of which I was nearly deaf in one ear n could not hear! I tried all different techniques to try and overcome this and have to say that the finger wiggling technique is by far the best altho you may get some odd looks from your neighbours
Few years back i was flying 4 times a month for 12 months and My right ear is complete messed up now.
I used to dread landings, it felt like a knitting needle was being rammed all the way into my ear.
couldnt equalise it, just had to grit my teeth and look out the window.
I used to dread landings, it felt like a knitting needle was being rammed all the way into my ear.
couldnt equalise it, just had to grit my teeth and look out the window.
Alty said:I found out this technique which I use religiously whenever I fly (and it works!)...
After take off when you start to feel the pressure buildup in your ears begin, stick your fingers in them and start to wiggle em until cruising altitude has been reached. Its hard to explain the level of wiggling but make sure the fingers are in far enough so that they effectively block out external sounds (so all you hear is yourself breathing - internal sound) and when you move them wiggling the internal sound you hear goes for a split second until you wiggle your fingers back again. If you still feel pressure when you have reached cruising altitude just keep wiggling away for another 5 mins or so until its gone. Remember to repeat the process when you start to descend as well tho!!!
I know that it may sound rather fruity but I can hand on heart say it works (for me at least) and that if it can help anyone else then thats cool. I remember my first flight abroad and had terrible earache for 5 days out of the weeks holiday of which I was nearly deaf in one ear n could not hear! I tried all different techniques to try and overcome this and have to say that the finger wiggling technique is by far the best altho you may get some odd looks from your neighbours
Or just get some of these:
http://magellans.co.uk/store/In_Flight_Comfort___EarplugsIF379?Args=
Work absolutely perfectly and i've used them since I was a toddler because I had terrible problems with my ears on flights. Im surprised nobody has heard of them on here or reccomended them?
With regards to the equalising by holding your nose and blowing, I dont see how this can work.
When you descend on a dive, your ear drums are pushed inwards due to the increasing pressure on your body.
When you ascend on a flight, surely your ears are being exerted to the pressure caused by the expanding air inside your cavities and therefore blowing out is only going to increase this effect. I just yawn and wiggle my jaw, that works 100% of the time.
Also be aware that air conditioning in your hotel rooms causes congestion (another diving tip) so it's wise to sleep with it right down prior to a flight.
