The Essential Guide to Ear Pressure Relief on Your Next Flight

[@NoraDunn]

✨ Tools I demonstrated in this video ✨ 👉🏻 My reusable (collapsible!) water bottle - amzn.to/3MhUfuH 👉🏻 Earplanes - amzn.to/3VnyU7A 👉🏻 Eustachian Tube exerciser - amzn.to/45lj0zc 📺 RELATED VIDEOS 📺 ✈ Survival Guide for Long-Haul Flights - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYfLgmyAmdWfnpYsi=jGg_AGpyze60AYWo 🧳 Unlock Flight Comfort With These Genius Carry-on Hacks - kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZXaf2t9fJd2r80si=Twcp9wih1lrDHIgZ

[@rosanneleoni7815]

During a flight a few months ago, my ear pain was incredible and I wound up with bilateral retracted eardrums. I have chronic sinusitis, so my ENT had me increase my flonase to 2 times a day and told me to use Afrin when the plane is on the tarmac. Also, he recommended earplanes which really helped on the next flight I took. As I am a smaller adult, I bought the child size earplanes. In addition, he had me buy Otovent, a balloon device which helps to pop the ears. I use this during and after the flight. Oh yes, and I keep yawning! What many people don't realize is that the same thing that happens to our ears can happen to our intestines which is why I don't eat for at least 6 hours before a flight and don't eat again until after I land and NEVER drink carbonated beverages on a flight! This has made my digestive issues disappear!

[@NoraDunn]

Wow - this is really good to know about intestines and your dietary coping mechanisms! I'm taking notes. ;-)

[@cherylw445]

I conquer on the "ear planes". I used to cry the pain was so so bad, the flights attendants were always so kind and put hot towels at the bottom of a cup (one for each ear) and I would hold those cups on my ears for dear life, and it worked, but what a literal pain. Since discovering "ear planes" iv never had a problem since. Magic!!

[@NoraDunn]

I've never tried the hot towel in a cup trick - good to know it works, in a pinch!

[@cherylw445]

@NoraDunn it sure does, the flight attendants who first helped me in this way where brilliant.

[@pi-sx3mb]

I literally feel your pain. I was a professional pilot for over 40 years, 7 of those in unpressurized Air Force trainers going up and down as high as 25,000'. Maybe a poor career choice - I've had hundreds if not thousands of painful ear blocks and in the AF I'd sometimes have to clean the blood out of my ears once on the ground. My ears drums are like wax paper by now. Like you, I also had to finally quit scuba diving because the pain was even worse doing that activity. Obviously you can't valsalva wearing a mask (unless you flood it) and I could only clear by swallowing. Drinking a quart of ocean water is too high a price to pay for each dive. So on a typical long distance flight, at cruise altitude the cabin pressure is equal to roughly 8,000". As you said, the climb phase is rarely a problem because the (higher pressure) air inside your ear can easily leak out making that slightly uncomfortable squealing noise with no effort on your part. If you have to use it in the climb, valsalva is easy to perform. It's the descent when the cabin pressure outside your ear pushes in on your eardrum that things get ugly. The worst thing you can do is get caught napping at the top of descent. If you stay ahead of the clearing process and start doing it right away as soon as the cabin pressure starts increasing, once you get that first pop over with the rest usually follow with little difficulty. If you don't, the pressure builds up and then it's a vicious circle of more pressure, harder and harder to relieve it. As a passenger now, I will note the flight time, and once we lift off I'll set a timer for 1.5 hours before the anticipated landing time and pop a Benadryl an hour and a half out. One thing not mentioned regarding the valsalva maneuver - at 4:45 it shows a man squeezing his nose and blowing, but a crucial step (at least for me and anyone with stubbornly narrow Eustachian tubes) that's hidden from view is that his other (right) hand is going up to his ear. What he's doing is using a finger to close off his right ear canal by pushing on the bulbous part (the "Tragus"), and only attempting to force air into the left ear cavity, He would then switch hands, clearing one ear at a time. Personally, on occasion I REALLY have to bear down and sometimes I get dizzy from the effort and blood pressure spike and have to just back off, so yes, if there is a potential underlying medical issue, caution is advised. In all the years I've flown I can't believe I never tried the earplanes product. I guess I just assumed it was a gimmick and I never saw or heard of other crew members using them. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks because I will give them a try!

[@NoraDunn]

I really appreciate you sharing your experience and wisdom, especially about the Valsalva maneuver, which I was unaware of! I hope Earplanes work for you.

[@pi-sx3mb]

@@NoraDunn Thanks! I am still learning nuances of travel tips due to your channel. Keep up the great work!

[@NoraDunn]

@@pi-sx3mb Aw, thank you!

[@CineMiamParis]

What works for me every time: energically move your lower jaw from left to right and back, as far sideways as you can, several times. Swallow with intent. Repeat if necessary. I was taught that as the Valsalva maneuver when I started diving. Eons ago, scuba diving masks didn’t have a soft rubber nose. Meaning you couldn’t pinch your nose. The jaw sliding motion was the alternative.

[@NoraDunn]

Good to know!

[@proehm]

I had a chemistry teacher in High School who was crew on a B-29 during the war. He "yawned" subconciously all the time 30 years after because that is the only option available if you are wearing an oxygen mask in an unpressurized cabin.

[@NoraDunn]

Yawning works a charm.....it's just tedious over a long period.

[@terryschima4964]

One thing you may want to pay attention to is what you are eating/drinking prior to flight. If I eat dairy before I fly, it’s more difficult for me to clear my ears.

[@NoraDunn]

Ooh, good to know!

[@cherylw445]

Yes, I agree. Alcohol also has that same effect on my ears

[@davidpeterzell789]

great point

[@DavidGTravels]

Another frequent traveler with sensitive ears here. 👂I’ve also found that Earplanes really are useful, though they can only work with so much pressure on descent. I use them in every single one of my flight review videos, though, and the vast majority of the time they do the trick!

[@NoraDunn]

True, even with Earplanes some descents still require me to actively yawn and clear my ears. But they clear much more easily.

[@SharonRepici]

I used to have a reusable warm pad for my ears. You would bend to initiate and later boil it to reset. It was so nice while flying or if I had an earache while on the ground.

[@NoraDunn]

I've never heard of reusable warm pads - thanks for the tip!

[@sew_So_beautiful]

I always do that maneuver but didn't know that was what I was doing. I learned it accidentally because im bad for plugging my nose when I sneeze. It happened once when I was decending and my ears popped open. Nothing else ever helped, including yawning and blowing my nose. So I just replicated what happened with the sneeze, exactly as you described it, and it has worked every time except once. I also use the nasal spray and it is amazing. Sometimes, I don't have to do anything but swallow to pop my ears when I use it, but its only the mentholated one that works on me.

[@NoraDunn]

Funny - I also found that the mentholated nasal spray is more effective on clearing ears!

[@utubejeff1]

Great video. I've found that while yawning or blowing nose I put my finger in my ear and vigorously jiggle the outer ear. That wiggles the ear canal and and helps the tubes to clear. An alternate is to tug on the outer ear.

[@NoraDunn]

I haven't tried the finger trick! Thanks for sharing.

[@evelyngrammar]

An older version of the Eustachian Tube Exercise-Pop Blocked Ears was a life-saver for my husband who often tasted blood from his ears popping while flying.

[@NoraDunn]

Good to know!

[@jadeheart911]

I have a little hack that seems to work for me.. I ALWAYS bring Jolly Rancher sour candies and eat them during the flight. They make your mouth water so much that you keep swallowing and clearing your ears.. Seems to work...

[@NoraDunn]

Glad that works for you!

[@ffcwatercolors5552]

I use those, too!

[@lisaphares2286]

I have horrible allergies and my ears get very congested because of this. I have found that putting a couple drops of allergy eye drops in each ear helps reduce the inflammation (and itch) and taking an NSAID (naproxen, ibuprofen) clears my ears. This is in addition to oral antihistamines because when the hay fever season is in full swing I have to employ everything to get relief. Guaifenesin tablets also are wonderful decongestants that thin the mucus and prevent congestion this way.

[@NoraDunn]

Allergy eye drops in the ear - I've never heard of this!

[@ChynnaBlue1]

HUGE yes for Earplanes. I have allergies and I've had times when my ears would get blocked on a plane trip and take a week to get back to normal. I don't fly without Earplanes now and it makes an enormous difference. I do put mine in for takeoff and descent, but I agree, descent is when they're most useful.

[@NoraDunn]

Glad you find them useful!

[@gerriharris8252]

I have used Earplanes successfully for a number of years after suffering a ruptured eardrum on descent. I also tried another brand when I couldn’t replace my Earplanes and they were okay but not wonderful and I still had some pain. I’ll be tracking some down again before my next flight so I can feel confident in their effectiveness once again.

[@NoraDunn]

Awesome! Earplanes for the win :)

[@paulwhittle6728]

Hello Nora, great video and this is still a very pertinent issue for me too, a quick tale though about "Grommets" yes Grommets... little tiny plastic holes in your ear drum "Tympanic membrane", that have to be fitted by a qualified ENT surgeon, I had some many years ago and they are an absolute game changer when it comes to evening out differing pressures between the outer and middle ear as they allow both sides to pressurise / de-pressurise evenly, thus absolutely zero pain, they're not permanent, the best you could probably hope for are the semi-permanent T-Tube variety. Indeed I personally know lots of Flight and Cabin Crew that elect to have these fitted to alleviate pain. Just for the record they are mainly fitted to young people to help with "Glue Ear" they certainly work, Yup Grommets. Happy travels Nora.

[@NoraDunn]

I have heard of surgical implants to help with this, and I'm not surprised that some flight crew use them. I often wonder how they manage; they usually look unaffected.

[@thegeneral123]

I had my first ever issue with ear pressure issues being beyond minor inconvenience in January this year. The plane was coming in to the UK from NYC and as it started to descend I began to feel a lot of pressure in my left ear. As it went on it got worse and worse to the point where it was very painful and I lost all hearing in that ear. I was chewing gum, blowing my nose while pinching it and exaggerated yawning and it made no difference. The right ear was absolutely fine. This continued right up to the point where the plane had been at the gate for some 10 mins and then the door was opened and passengers started to disembark and it suddenly popped. I felt discomfort for a following few days and eventually it resulted in me having hearing issues as I noticed a gradual reduction in my hearing from my left ear. I thought it was probably ear wax so I began using ear wax drops but it made no difference. After another few days of things not improving, I made a doctors appointment to have things looked at and potentially an ear syringing and I was told it was an inflammation of the Eustachian tube. I was given a nasal spray and over several days the issue resolved itself.

[@NoraDunn]

Wow, that must have been scary. Glad you got it resolved!

[@thegeneral123]

@@NoraDunn Thanks, it was not especially scary as much just painful. I understood it would be as a result of the changing air pressure in one way or another.

[@tonicone6019]

An ENT recommended Flonase for 2 weeks before and Afrin nasal spray the day of flying. I also use Earplanes and they have helped me.

[@NoraDunn]

Great tip!

[@marysunflower2185]

Thanks so much! The last couple of times I flew, during the descent it felt like someone was stabbing me in the ear with an ice pick! I'm going to try those Earplanes.

[@NoraDunn]

I hope they work as well for you as they do for me!

[@Mr.DJones]

Thank you for your time and posting. :)

[@ffcwatercolors5552]

Yes, EarPlanes work! I've been wearing them for many years. My ears were so painful after a flight, they squeaked and hurt for days. I use more than those -- also the decongestant spray, a Listerine strip to warm up the roof of my mouth, chewing gum, yawning, nose blowing -- EVERYTHING! The pain can be unbearable without giving it everything I've got. The upside to wearing a mask for the descent -- I can make faces, yawn as big as possible, etc. without offending anyone around me! LOL

[@NoraDunn]

I know right? The yawns look odd after a solid 45 minutes of YAWN - ha ha!

[@Njkk66-user93]

It’s like you knew I was looking for this. Thank you so much for so many relief methods.

[@NoraDunn]

Glad it was helpful! Yay!

[@1066MC]

Thank you for posting this video. It is most helpful.

[@NoraDunn]

You're welcome!

[@debsouther2981]

Warplanes work well for me. I have been using them for several years now. Previously, I would suffer from earaches for about two days after a flight

[@NoraDunn]

Glad they work for you!

[@lizcademy4809]

I have never had a problem with ear pressure - good thing, because my office is on the 41st floor and I can feel pressure on the elevator ride! If I feel pressure building, I just "breathe through my ears" and that fixes things. I did a lot of traveling with my kids, starting at 6 weeks old. Like you said, they don't know how to pop their ears. Breastfeeding is recommended, but doesn't always work. I did find a solution, and it's worked for many kids - I recommended it to other parents on the plane. Get a sugar packet from the flight attendant. Put a little sugar on the baby's tongue (or ask a toddler to stick out their tongue and sprinkle a bit on). The baby will suck and swallow the sugar, clearing their ears. You don't need much, a pinch is plenty. Lots of sugar is not good for babies or kids, but this tiny amount isn't a problem.

[@NoraDunn]

Great tip for using sugar! Thanks!

[@neresq]

I tried Earplanes on our recent roundtrip FLL-LAX-FLL -- and, sadly, they weren't my "Magic Bullet" as they didn't work at all for me. Used them on descent only outbound, and on both ascent and descent for return. I so much wanted them to work as I get bone crushing pain on descents in smaller planes (737's, 319/320/321's) and usually can't hear well for at least half a day.

[@NoraDunn]

Oh no! Do you have something else that works?

[@neresq]

@@NoraDunn Not really. But I always take a decongestant and antihistamine before flying, spray some Flonase, do the yawn and blow nose tricks, swallow hard a lot, chew gum - and just hope for the best.

[@jacquiet6040]

​@neresq I have been taking Sudafed for years. I take it 45 minutes to an hour before descending to make sure the pill has kicked in. Plus, yawning, etc.

[@Hootymae]

Loving your hair😊

[@NoraDunn]

Thank you so much 😀

[@well-blazeredman6187]

Very interesting video, Nora. P.S. Stylish top.

[@NoraDunn]

Thanks! :-)

[@peggyj7243]

I have not tried the ear planes yet...but will soon. My latest tool is hot tea (I take on with me) and sour candy. I was one the busted an ear drum once...talk about pain; however, I healed and still fly. Thx for all the imfo

[@NoraDunn]

Glad it healed for you! I met somebody on a long distance train ride who said they could never fly again because of whatever happened to them.

[@Zoe-wl3uw]

Great tips! Thank you!

[@NoraDunn]

Glad it was helpful!

[@leslie-annepepin8927]

Jist ordered the ear planes! Thanks, Nora!

[@NoraDunn]

Awesome! Welcome.

[@user-og9mp9pp2d]

I could not determine when flights are 1 hour from landing and I just decided to wear Earplanes for the entire flight. However, that reduced my hearing a bit and I worried that I might miss a mid-flight announcement. So, I got an AirFly and paired it with my headphones. Now, I hear in-flight entertainment and announcements in my headphones - plus - my ears don't hurt.

[@NoraDunn]

Nice one!

[@tokyojon4344]

My ears are often filled with wax. Go to the doctor and have the wax removed. A nice clean ear canal will do wonders.

[@NoraDunn]

Great tip!

[@lorenzoarodriguez6048]

Thank you for these hacks!

[@NoraDunn]

My pleasure!

[@kovie9162]

I wish I had some advice but I just do the usual things, suck on candy or chew on gum, blow out gently after pinching my nose shut, etc., and it usually works for me. I still have pain now and then but not usually nearly as bad as when I was a kid, when it was pretty bad. I do make sure to stay well-hydrated during the flight so maybe that helps. My reasoning is that the better hydrated you are the more likely that fluids in the nasal passages will be thinner and thus less likely to block them. Can't hurt and it's good practice for other reasons of course. I do pack some decongestants and antihistamines, just in case, and various kinds of painkillers including the kind with codeine, in case nothing works. Sorry, that's all I've got.

[@NoraDunn]

Staying hydrated on flights is half the battle, so I think it's great advice!

[@MiaHessMusic]

Thanks, Nora! I'm so sorry you have this terrible ear pressure issue.

[@NoraDunn]

It's a bit crazy, but hopefully my pain can be somebody else's gain! :-)

[@lizzie1897]

My ENT tells me to take Claritin 24 hours before flying. Also Earplanes ear plugs and Flonase.

[@NoraDunn]

Nice!

[@jacquiet6040]

I would also recommend making sure your ears are clear of wax before flying. I am going to make an appt to get my ears flushed out before my next trip. Plus, sudafed, 45-1 hr before descending has worked for me.

[@NoraDunn]

Good call!

[@heatherkembel1190]

Check that Sudafed is permitted in the country you are traveling to. It is illegal to take it into Mexico, according to the US embassy website. “It is illegal to bring into Mexico some over-the-counter medicines commonly used in the United States, including inhalers and some allergy and sinus medications. Specifically, products that contain stimulants (medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, such as Actifed, Sudafed, and Vicks inhalers) or codeine are prohibited.”

[@jacquiet6040]

@@heatherkembel1190 Thx! I've been bring Sudafed to SEA for years now. I only take what I need and if I remember they are individually packed. I will check to make sure. Perhaps I was lucky all these times.

[@NoraDunn]

@@heatherkembel1190 Great point - thanks Heather!

[@barbaralazier8352]

The blow your nose sometimes works but I will pick up some of the special airplane plugs tomorrow at the airport

[@NoraDunn]

Nice!

[@MiaHessMusic]

Thanks!

[@NoraDunn]

Thank you so much again, Mia! 🤩

[@MiaHessMusic]

@@NoraDunn my pleasure! One of my favorite channels!

[@vtcs1963]

I just flew home this morning (overnight) and I realized when my ears were hurting on landing that my dog (who was with me) started to cry - his ears hurt too. I have no idea what to do for that. I just cuddled him and he was okay.

[@NoraDunn]

Aw....

[@KBe2]

Many dogs will yawn if you yawn at them, just like it can be contagious between people. I would try that! We even had one dog that would sneeze back at us. The bigger we sneezed, the bigger he sneezed... 🤷‍♀️

[@vtcs1963]

@@KBe2 Thanks! I’ll try it next time - he definitely does yawn when he sees someone yawn!!

[@NoraDunn]

@@KBe2 Ha ha! That's awesome!

[@cavgrey8]

Does this trigger your migraines?

[@NoraDunn]

Thankfully, no.

[@recurse]

My partner had most of his thyroid removed before his first experience flying, and we discovered that his ears don't pop easily, to the point that he was in severe pain for more than a day after taking his second ever flight. We were desperate enough to pay more than a hundred bucks for an ear popping device that blows air in your nose, and it was money well spent, instant relief. His magic bullet now is a combination of bringing the ear popper and using Earplanes. We did a trip to Australia last year that was literally ten separate flights, and no problems.

[@pamelagoodson9034]

Does he keep the warplanes in while using the device?

[@NoraDunn]

Glad the Eustacian tube exerciser works for your partner, alongside earplanes!

[@NoraDunn]

Good question! I'm curious about this too.

[@recurse]

@@pamelagoodson9034 no, it's a two-stage process. He uses the Earplanes as directed with the app, and then when safely on the ground with the Earplanes out, he'll use the device to relieve the remaining pressure. Basically the Earplanes reduce the severity of the problem to the point where the ear popper can comfortably deal with whatever remains, even if we have to wait a bit to fish it out. One key thing we found out with the Earplanes, though, is don't push your luck trying to reuse them. We didn't have enough for all the flights to Perth for them to work optimally so we were hunting around in Australia a bit for a much more adequate supply for the return trip, and the local equivalents were quite a bit more expensive than in Canada, at least where we looked.

[@recurse]

@@NoraDunn he uses the Earplanes as directed on the app then uses the ear popper when safely on the ground with the Earplanes out. The Earplanes reduce the distress enough that we can wait for a convenient time to fish out the device if needed, and the ear popper can handle the rest of discomfort more effectively than without the Earplanes having been used. The one watch out with the Earplanes is don't push your luck trying to get too many flights out of a pair, as we discovered on the way to Australia. We got them as an experiment and so we didn't really have an adequate supply, so we wound up looking around Australia, where the local equivalents were quite a bit more expensive than in Canada in most places we looked. For future we will stock up generously.

[@dixter1652]

some people use flonase... and others use sudafed the little red pill...

[@NoraDunn]

Yep....it works for me, but not always or completely.

[@jodyturner5633]

I use Flonase…recommended by my ENT.