5 ways to 'unclog' your ears on a flight that actually work

pulse

November 7, 2018 11:37 PM

Airplane ear can be uncomfortable. These five methods can help you to unclog and pop your ears during your next flight.

Many people have experienced the uncomfortable sensation of having their ears plug up during a flight. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, it has to do with the eustachian tube, a channel in our ear that stabilizes pressure between our two ears.

altitude affects the eustachian tube's ability to regulate that pressure

Try chewing gum.

eustachian tube open

Suck on a hard candy.

Make yourself yawn.

stretches muscles in the back of our throat that are connected to the eustachian tube

Use the doctor-approved technique called the Valsalva maneuver.

can be an effective way to clear air-clogged ears

Doing this pushes air into the nose, and in effect, the eustachian tube

If the Valsalva maneuver is too difficult, try the Toynbee maneuver.

effective approach

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