How do pilots deal with ear pressure?

Chewing is another practice that helps pilots to relieve ear popping. Just like yawning or swallowing liquids, chewing also stretches areas around the ears, equalizing the pressure inside the ear. Chewing gum, gummy bears, and other chewy candies can help alleviate tension in the ears caused by altitude changes.



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Choose the Quietest Part Of the Plane This suggests you should book ear-friendlier seats from the middle up to the top of the aircraft and along the aisle.

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If possible, don't fly when you have a cold, a sinus infection, nasal congestion or an ear infection. If you've recently had ear surgery, talk to your doctor about when it's safe to travel. Use an over-the-counter nasal spray.

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During sudden ascend or descend of an aeroplane, ear cavity pressure is often decreased complemented by an increase in the cabin compared to the outside air pressure. In such a scenario, the unusual stretching of the eardrum or tympanic membrane may precipitate pain in the ear.

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Again, FAA hearing standards allow the use of BOTH ears to pass, not just EACH ear. A pilot could be completely deaf in one ear and still meet FAA standards. This may present problems in the cockpit using an earpiece in one ear for radio communications and spoken voice for crew cockpit communications.

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Over time, this can lead to a chronic noise-related condition called tinnitus, which is commonly characterized by a constant ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is relatively common among pilots and can create problems with cockpit communications and sensitivity to noise.

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To protect their ears, many pilots opt to use earplugs while on the ramp and in the cockpit.

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Chewing. Chewing is another practice that helps pilots to relieve ear popping. Just like yawning or swallowing liquids, chewing also stretches areas around the ears, equalizing the pressure inside the ear.

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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.

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Earplugs, combined with active noise reduction headsets, provide the maximum level of individual hearing protection that can be achieved with current technology. Hearing is second only to vision as a sensory mechanism to obtain critical information during the operation of an aircraft.

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Two common recommendations: 12-hour or 24-hour Sudafed or Afrin nasal spray. If you opt for the nasal spray, give yourself a spray 30 minutes before takeoff and again about 30 minutes prior to descent.

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