Why ears get blocked on a plane and how to deal with it

Sometimes travelers face an unpleasant problem during or after a flight — blocked ears. This phenomenon is quite common, so there's no need to worry prematurely — it's better to understand the causes and prevent congestion. 

Why ears get blocked on a plane

A bit of school biology: the middle ear — an air-filled cavity behind the eardrum — is connected to the pharynx by a thin tube (called the Eustachian or auditory tube), which regulates pressure in the ear. Normally, the air pressure in the tympanic cavity should be equal to atmospheric pressure. When the plane gains altitude, atmospheric pressure decreases — hence the pressure difference. The Eustachian tube doesn't have time to equalize the pressure in the inner and outer ear, and a feeling of blockage appears inside.

If everything is fine with your health, the pressure equalizes quite quickly after landing. But if the lumen of the Eustachian tube is narrower than usual — say, you have a cold or your ear is inflamed — it's not so simple. Mucus or swelling can narrow or even block the canal, preventing air from passing through the tube. For this reason, flying with a stuffy nose and a cold is undesirable.

How to prevent blockage and pain

We've figured out why ears get blocked on a plane — let's see how to avoid unpleasant sensations.

• The most common way is to try to yawn, swallow, or chew something. This is why some airlines offer their passengers candies. If you are flying with a child and their ears get blocked, give them a bottle during takeoff and landing.

• The second way to relieve ear blockage is to "clear" it. To do this, close your mouth, pinch your nose with your hands, and try to exhale air. When exhaling into a pinched nose, excess pressure is created in the larynx; the air needs to go somewhere, so it breaks through the blockage.

• If your ears regularly get blocked on a plane, it's better not to sleep during takeoff and landing — at these stages of the flight, the ears get blocked the most, so this is the time to "exercise" the auditory tube. If you have a long flight ahead, ask the flight attendant to wake you up before landing.

• Buy special earplugs that help regulate pressure in the ear — thanks to them, pressure changes are not so sharp.

How to get rid of ear blockage

You took measures to prevent ear pain, but your ears still got blocked on the plane again — what to do? To make the pressure in the middle ear equal to atmospheric pressure, you need to unblock the Eustachian tube. To do this, you should:

• chew gum or just any other food;

• swallow saliva;

• move your jaw, open and close your mouth several times — this movement opens the auditory tube and helps equalize pressure in the ears;

• do breathing exercises — this will relax the muscles that control the auditory tube and improve its patency.

Use these simple methods to increase the lumen of the auditory tube and unblock your ears. Or, from the very beginning of the flight, use special flight earplugs that help soften the pressure difference in the ears — so you don't cause confusion among your neighbors by awkwardly moving your jaw later.

How to reduce ear pain

Before your flight, find out what medications to take with you to relieve ear pain and unblock your ears yourself. If you are sick but have to fly, vasoconstrictor nasal drops will save you from blocked ears — use them an hour and half an hour before boarding. They will reduce swelling and help get rid of excess mucus, which will increase the lumen of the Eustachian tube. And if you experience a runny nose and swelling due to allergies, take antihistamines with you.

After landing, try self-massage: twisting the auricle or quick finger movements, as if inserting and removing earplugs. Alternatively, you can warm your ears or apply a compress.

When to see a doctor

If none of the methods — jaw movements, medications, clearing — helped, don't rush to panic. If you caught a cold before the flight, the auditory tube may remain blocked for some time after landing.

However, with prolonged pain and hearing loss, do not delay or try folk remedies on yourself, but consult an ENT doctor. If you don't pay attention to ear pain in time, you risk overlooking progressive otitis or even facing a ruptured eardrum — and this condition is not pleasant and will require immediate medical intervention.

Take care of yourself and travel healthy. 

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