How do I get rid of ear congestion after flying?

Pinch Your Nose and Blow?Gently! To get your ears to "pop," you can try closing off your nose and mouth, then gently forcing the air into the middle ear.



Ear congestion after flying, often called "airplane ear" or barotrauma, occurs when air pressure in the middle ear doesn't equalize with the cabin pressure. The most effective immediate remedy is the Valsalva maneuver: pinch your nostrils shut, close your mouth, and gently try to blow air through your nose; this forces the Eustachian tubes open. Another reliable technique is the Toynbee maneuver, which involves pinching your nose and taking sips of water to trigger swallowing. Chewing gum, yawning, or sucking on hard candy during the plane's descent are excellent preventative measures. If the congestion persists after landing, using an over-the-counter nasal decongestant spray or taking an oral antihistamine can help reduce inflammation in the tubes. For persistent muffled hearing or pain that lasts more than 24 hours, it is vital to see a healthcare professional, as severe cases can lead to fluid buildup or eardrum injury. For infants, feeding them during takeoff and landing is the best way to encourage the swallowing reflex needed to clear their ears.

People Also Ask

Many symptoms ease as soon as your eustachian tubes can manage air or water pressure changes. In some cases, you may need medication to manage congestion or inflammation. In that case, it may be a few days before your ears feel normal.

MORE DETAILS

Chewing gum, sucking on candy, or swallowing liquid can help to encourage the tubes in your ears to open once more. Try steam: Just like when you're congested with a cold or flu, steam can help to unblock your ears. Boil some water and pour into a large bowl.

MORE DETAILS

You'll probably find that the ear symptoms simply settle soon after landing. But sometimes, they can take 24 hours to settle. The important thing is to keep swallowing – this can eventually open up the Eustachian tube and equalise the pressure and therefore lessen your symptoms.

MORE DETAILS

It's all due to pressure changes. As the plane starts to lose height, the pressure in the air around you changes. Until the pressure inside the tubes behind your eardrum adapts, the pressure inside and outside your ear is different.

MORE DETAILS

Even severe injuries, such as a ruptured eardrum or ruptured membranes of the inner ear, usually heal on their own. However, in rare cases, an office procedure or surgery might be needed. This might include a procedure in which an incision is made in your eardrum (myringotomy) to equalize air pressure and drain fluids.

MORE DETAILS

Yawn or open your mouth widely as if you were yawning. Eating and drinking may also mobilise the Eustachian tube to allow some air travel through the tube. Valsalva and Toynbee manoeuvres can be done to push some air into middle ear, take a deep breath, pinch your nose and close your mouth, and gently pop your ears.

MORE DETAILS

If your ears feel full and blocked or you keep getting the sensation that they aren't able to pop properly, then flying is probably going to make this worse. It is especially important for children to avoid flying with an ear infection as they are at higher risk due to having narrower Eustachian tubes.

MORE DETAILS

Fluid or mucus sometimes accumulates in the middle ear for a few days after the flight, which may make hearing rather dull for a while. This happens if the Eustachian tube is still blocked, and is more likely if you had a cold before flying.

MORE DETAILS

They reduce pressure buildup in your ears and can ease your pain as the pilot takes the plane in for a landing. If you plan on travelling off for a sunny vacation this summer and suffer from ear pain on long flights, your hearing solutions experts in Calgary recommend you use airplane earplugs.

MORE DETAILS