Safe travels: How to alleviate ear pressure on plane rides

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Mar 24th 2008 7:34PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements

I love flying but one aspect I don't like the effect it has on my ears. I'm really sensitive to pressure changes, you see, and sometimes the pressure in my ears caused by the altitude change is uncomfortable. If you have the same problems, consider these suggestions:

Chew gum. Yes, it's the most common suggestion, because it works. If you don't like gum, suck on a candy, sip some water or eat something.
Swallow and yawn, often.
Close your mouth, plug your nose and gently blow through your nose. Gently is the key here -- blow too hard and you can bust an ear drum. Also, don't do this one if you have a head cold.
If you do have a head cold, take a decongestant.
Place a warm, damp towel over your ears. You know, the kind the flight attendants give out to first class. Don't be afraid to ask for one.
Got a baby travelling with you? Try to have them suck on a pacifier during take off and landing.

Have any tips of your own? Please share.

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Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Judy 3-25-2008 @ 5:50PM

I always have trouble with this. Once, after I hadn't flown in several years, I felt disoriented the whole time I was away from the air pressure - I was just a little off kilter.

And when I traveled with my 2 month old baby, who had just come down with a cold, I tried to give her a bottle or paci, but she wouldn't take it, and EVERY TIME we took off or landed (flying from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Kansas City Missouri - 3 different flights) she puked ALL OVER ME!!! I had packed plenty of changes of clothes for her, but none for me, so I had to arrive in the airport covered in baby puke. NICE!

Sheila 3-29-2008 @ 12:08AM

I fly quite often and in just the last two years discovered that if I use a nasal decongestion spray before take-off and again before we start to descend, I don't suffer either the pain or the stuffy "airplane ears" after landing. I also have used the earplug-type things called Plane Ears successfully, but they are supposed to be inserted before take-off and remain in until landing--sometimes that is uncomfortable.

Jill 6-08-2008 @ 10:27AM

I fly frequently and can never decompress my ears, even had to have surgery on eardrums twice. I found a product called earplanes. They are ear plugs I put in before takeoff and don't remove until I land. This has worked everytime so far. If I didn't do something, I was going to need tubes put in my ears, so this has been a great solution for me. Earplanes can be found in any drugstore, or drug aisle in grocery store