You’ll know if it worked when you hear a pop, and your ears feel less plugged.īabies and children are especially vulnerable to ear blockage because their eustachian tubes are narrower than in adults. You can also try pinching your nose, taking a mouthful of air, blowing gently (not forcefully) against your pinched nose, then swallowing. Yawning, chewing gum, or sucking on hard candy can help, especially just before take-off and during descent. The simplest way to help clear your ears-particularly when flying-is to swallow.

Also, any situation in which rapid altitude or pressure changes occur, such as air travel, riding in an elevator, diving to the bottom of a swimming pool, or scuba diving, can affect proper function of the eustachian tube. A stuffy nose leads to stuffy ears because the swollen membranes in the nose can extend into the eustachian tube and block it. The most common cause of eustachian tube blockage is the common cold, but sinus infections and nasal allergies are also usual suspects. The eustachian tube is a membrane-lined tube about the width of a pencil lead that connects the back of the nose with the middle ear and helps maintain balanced air pressure on both sides of the eardrum. The common cold, sinus infections, and nasal allergies can also interfere because swollen membranes in the nose can extend into the eustachian tube and block it (see “What Causes Barotrauma?” below). This stretches the eardrum and causes pain and occasionally fluid. When the eustachian tube in your middle ear is blocked due to altitude or pressure changes (sometimes called barotrauma), air cannot be equalized, and a vacuum occurs. While they are usually minor annoyances, sometimes they can cause significant symptoms. Ear problems are one of the most common medical complaints of airplane travelers and divers.

Barotrauma ear