Most of the time, the pressure should clear up a few hours after you're back on land, she says. If it lingers longer—into the following day, for example—you might have a buildup of fluid behind your ear that isn't ventilating properly. For that, you'll probably want to see a doctor.

Yes, in the vast majority of cases, your ears will return to normal within a few minutes to a few hours after landing. This sensation of "clogged" ears, known as ear barotrauma, occurs because of the pressure differential between the air in your middle ear and the cabin pressure during the plane's descent. If your Eustachian tubes—the tiny passages that connect your ears to your throat—become blocked due to a cold, allergies, or just anatomy, they can't equalize that pressure. To speed up the recovery in 2026, the best methods are swallowing, yawning, or performing the Valsalva maneuver (gently blowing through your nose while pinching your nostrils). If your ears remain "popped" or painful for more than 24 hours, it could indicate fluid buildup or a minor ear infection, and you should consult a pharmacist or doctor. A peer-to-peer tip for future flights: using filtered earplugs (like EarPlanes) or a decongestant spray 30 minutes before descent can prevent the issue entirely by keeping the Eustachian tubes open and allowing for a gradual pressure shift.