The Student Room Group

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Reply 1

I;ve heard that sucking sweets can help, so maybe try that
Reply 2
I've got incredible ear pain before on planes, that deafened me for a day afterwards... sucking sweets didn't work for me. However, holding my nose and blowing out made my ears pop once when it was really bad (after I'd landed). It was fairly painful as the pressure had built up loads but if you keep doing that at intervals as you're ascending/descending it might work.
Reply 3
Hurts me loads too; the holding nose thing works a charm though. And also seriously rubbing your ears, though do expect a torrent of wax on your shoulders.

Having said that, it could be that your sinuses are blocked; talk to a doc if you reckon so, and a CT scan will reveal the truth.
Reply 4
Anonymous, I think this will be quite helpful.

I get the same thing. Gum or candy helps me. Also yawning or the blowing with plugged nose thing.
Reply 5
Yawning is an immense help, and that's a top link from this guy ^^^
Reply 6
well...what really helps release the pressure is swallowing your saliva continuously...
Reply 7
D!zzy
well...what really helps release the pressure is swallowing your saliva continuously...

Swallowing someone else's would also work, for an exciting, multi-player alternative.
Reply 8
Juwel
Yawning is an immense help, and that's a top link from this guy ^^^


Of course it is. I only ever put quality stuff in my posts. Umm, I mean... welll... never mind.
Reply 9
Ronove
Swallowing someone else's would also work, for an exciting, multi-player alternative.


lolz...then you wont really have to worry bout landing and take off....:biggrin:
Reply 10
I_Surf_Hawaii
Of course it is. I only ever put quality stuff in my posts. Umm, I mean... welll... never mind.

lolz k
Reply 11
Back on topic for a moment. The problem is the pressure difference between your inner ear and the rest of your environment (the plane). Equalizing the pressure is the goal. For most people it happens naturally, although slowly. All the aforementioned methods should work. You just need to find which one works best for you.
Anonymous
Hi

I will be flying abroad in few days time. The problem is everytime the plane takes off or lands, I suffer from major earache which has a burning feeling to it. It wasnt as bad before but now its seem to be getting worse.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to minimize such pains or is there a device out there which I can put on my ears which will prevent the pain :confused: ?

:confused:


before you get your ears checked may need to wash out if nessuary drinking plenty before hand will help.
Reply 13
I dont get earache but always get really bad toothache in a tooth which I had a root canal in a few years back!! :confused:

You can get those Earplane things from chemists- never tried them so wouldnt know if they work though. I always take loads of sweets with me and that always seems to avoid the problem.
Reply 14
I get terrible ear popping too, my ears are really sensitive, sometimes they pop just going down a steep hill. Sleeping through it is the only solution, but that's difficult. I find just curling up in a ball and covering my ears is the only comforting thing I can do lol.
Or distract yourself?
Reply 15
I find I have this problem on planes too but I can live with that. My major problem is when snorkelling. I've often wanted to try scuba diving but every time I go snorkelling if I dive down, I get a few metres down and then my ears literally feel as if they are going to burst. I have tried to clear them many times but never succeeded and it just stops me going any deeper.
They always gove out sweets on the Russian airlines :biggrin:, and sweets always help me. The key is to swallow as often as possible, so having a bottle of water is an option but sweets allow saliva to be released constantly.

Also, try not to fly with a cold. My brother was in pain for a couple of days and couldn't fully hear with his left ear because his nose was blocked during the flight and apparently it increases the pressure :frown:
Reply 17
Yeah I get the same problem with SCUBA. It's quite random though, which is really annoying because I sometimes join dive trips only to realise that I can't equalize. And of course that means no diving :frown:.

You shouldn't have a major problem on airplanes, as the pressure change is small and gradual. But there's top advice in this thread, so if anything goes wrong you'll know what to do. For me, yawning is best followed closely by holding the nose and mouth and blowing gently.
Reply 18
How do you equalise your ears when you do it? I always try to hold my nose and blow through it but can never get it to work underwater, are there other ways?
Ok you will look like an absolute nut case but this is what I do (and look like a moron in doing) 2 plastic cups, one for each ear, cotton wool/tissue etc soaked in hot water in the bottom and hold them to your ears. I know it sounds mad but my ears used to bother me to the point of tears on flights and a flight attendant reccomended it.