Ear pain while flying

**Big Dozer** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 6:31pm

I have been having some bad ear pain(prolly cause I am having an audio war with the next door neighbors) and I have to be on a flight in a week. I heard when you are up there with ear pain it gets really bad due to pressure. Is it really that bad? and if it is, what can I do to help it?

**joecos** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 7:37pm

Originally Posted by Big Dozer

I have been having some bad ear pain(prolly cause I am having an audio war with the next door neighbors) and I have to be on a flight in a week. I heard when you are up there with ear pain it gets really bad due to pressure. Is it really that bad? and if it is, what can I do to help it?

Ear pain from pressure happens when the plane is landing, and the pressure on the outside of your ear drums is higher than on the inside. Very little pain occurs, and the ears seem to auto equalize when the plane is climbing.

You can avoid it by 1) using a decongestant, which will help open the ear passage so air pressure can equalize on the inside and 2) equalize the pressure as many times as necessary while the plane is descending. Chewing gum and swallowing anything -- water, spit, etc. will relieve the pressure for most people. If that doesn't work, the best way to do it is to hold your nose closed with your fingers and try to blow air out your nose -- this will cause the air to push into your ear canals, equalizing the pressure and relieving the pain. The key here is to do it as soon as you feel pressure -- if you wait until it hurts the sides of your ear canals will be collapsing, and it will become very hard to get air to the inside of the ear drum. This is the technique used by scuba divers.

This from a guy who traveled for a living for 25 years.

**Big Dozer** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 7:53pm

Originally Posted by joecos

Ear pain from pressure happens when the plane is landing, and the pressure on the outside of your ear drums is higher than on the inside. Very little pain occurs, and the ears seem to auto equalize when the plane is climbing.

You can avoid it by 1) using a decongestant, which will help open the ear passage so air pressure can equalize on the inside and 2) equalize the pressure as many times as necessary while the plane is descending. Chewing gum and swallowing anything -- water, spit, etc. will relieve the pressure for most people. If that doesn't work, the best way to do it is to hold your nose closed with your fingers and try to blow air out your nose -- this will cause the air to push into your ear canals, equalizing the pressure and relieving the pain. The key here is to do it as soon as you feel pressure -- if you wait until it hurts the sides of your ear canals will be collapsing, and it will become very hard to get air to the inside of the ear drum. This is the technique used by scuba divers.

This from a guy who traveled for a living for 25 years.

Thanks a bunch. Do you think ear plugs will work instead of gum? My school gives them out for free. I travel a lot too, but I prefer driving. Its more expensive at times, but I really enjoy the drive. I am on a time constraint this time so I have to fly.

**joecos** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 8:04pm

Originally Posted by Big Dozer

Thanks a bunch. Do you think ear plugs will work instead of gum? My school gives them out for free. I travel a lot too, but I prefer driving. Its more expensive at times, but I really enjoy the drive. I am on a time constraint this time so I have to fly.

Ear plugs are worthless -- the pressure has to get equalized, ear plugs 10 can't keep a tight enough seal and 2) if they did, when you took them out you'd get all the pressure at once, possible rupturing the ear drum.

**benonmsn** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 8:06pm

No. ear plugs will do nothing. chew some gum and you will be fine, or equalise it yourself like he stated above, holding your nose and SLOWLY but powerfully trying to blow air out of your plugged nose, it will force the air out, just dont go crazy

**Marrt** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 10:29pm

For me, I find yawning really big will do it, i.e. even if you're faking the yawn, the action of the extreme jaw movement will work your ear canal and "pop the bubble" so to speak of the pressure build up. The decongestant is a good move too if it's (the ear pain) due to illness.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 11:13pm

I strongly recommend against earplugs while on a plane. Pretty sure they've got the potential to make things worse.

Also, call off the audio war. Hearing loss sucks ass.