airplane ears

This is what I do...(found this explanation on bbc site.). The most forceful way to unblock your ears is to pinch your nostrils, take in a mouthful of air and use your cheek and throat muscles to force the air into the back of your nose, as if you were trying to blow your thumb and fingers off your nostrils. You may have to repeat this several times before your ears pop. ( When I do this I try to think of blowing air out my ears !..it works !! and do it several times while flying)

Decongestants shrink internal membranes and make your ears pop more easily. Ask your pharmacist for advice. However, you should avoid making a habit of using nasal sprays, because after a few days they may cause more congestion than they relieve.

Yep, I do that too - hold my nose and blow! That works up to a point, but not always for me. I can't take decongestants - that is if I want to sleep.

Donna in (SW) Idaho

I use earplane ear plugs. I can't clear my ears - no matter how much I pinch my nose and blow. I used to have serious trouble (semi-deaf for

2-3 days after each flight) before discovering these earplugs. Works for me, by the time we're at the gate my ears are pretty much normal. Never happened in the old days :-)

Some people will say that the mechanics of the special ear plugs is all wrong (basically, they slow down the pressure changes in the ear), but it makes sense to me: most times, the descent is not smooth, rather the plane goes down a bit, the levels out, then go down a bit more. Only the final approach is (usually) a bit more regular in descent. But then I'm a computer scientist, so what do I know? :-) Except it works for me.

So, if you have problems with this and the "usual" methods for clearing (or keeping clear) your ears don't work, try the special ear plugs.

Hanne > Yep, I do that too - hold my nose and blow! That works up to a point, but

Thanks, Hanne.

Sounds like you and I have the same ear problems.

More questions - do you leave them in for the entire trip? How many times do you use them before getting new ones?

Donna in (SW) Idaho

Donna,

Mostly I keep them in for the whole trip, certainly for short trips (many of my trips are within Northern Europe > pinch my nose and blow. I used to have serious trouble (semi-deaf for 2-3

Hanne,

I really appreciate your info. I will definitely being buying EarPlanes before my next trip. :-)

Donna in (SW) Idaho