I'm A Pilot – Here's How To Actually Stop Your Ears Popping On A Plane

Inside of planeTurns out that uncomfortable “popping” you feel in your ear when a plane takes off or lands has a ‘real’ name (or three) – its more technical terms include ear barotrauma, barotitis media and aerotitis media, The Mayo Clinic says. It happens because the air pressure in your middle ear is different to that in the plane’s atmosphere when it goes up and down.Pilot William Hosie, who partnered with eSIM travel company, Airalo, explains: “When you leave the ground, you go from breathing air at sea level to flying at 35,000 feet. When the plane is at 35,000 feet, you’re breathing air in the cabin as if you’re at 6,000 feet.“The air is thinner and the air pressure is lower, which is why some people have problems with toothache, and of course, [their] ears.” Worse; the higher up you go, the more at risk you are, pilot Hosie says. So it’s a good thing the expert shared his tips to prevent the issue. Hold your noseA surprising first step the pilot recommended was holding your nose, closing your mouth, and blowing gently.Medical News Today explain that this is called a Valsalva maneuver.This “will equalise the air pressure that is around you,” Hosie says. But he warns, “Passengers should be careful not to damage their eardrums when doing this. A burst eardrum can be very painful and take weeks to heal.” The pilot also endorsed a classic method; “When climbing or descending, swallowing repeatedly or chewing a sweet will help equalise the air pressure around you and for your ears to remain at a normal level,” he writes. Any other rules?Hosie says that if it’s at all possible, you should avoid flying with a sniffle. “It is always advisable to avoid flying if you have symptoms of a cold or a blocked nose,” he tells us. Not only does it make the nose-holding technique harder (or at least far messier), it can make your ear popping worse, increase the intensity of your symptoms, and (of course) infect your fellow passengers too.Dr Jeffrey Linder tells Conde Nast Traveller, “If you have a cold you can’t get under control by over-the-counter medications, I wouldn’t fly at all.”Related...Patrick Warburton is Right – 'Raw Dogging' Flights Is MasochisticI’m A Flight Attendant — This Is The Worst Part Of A Plane To Sit InI’m A Flight Attendant — Here’s The Secret Code We Use When We Fancy A Passenger

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