An excellent strategy to combat or avoid ear pain on the plane is to plug the nose and press a little on the head, forcing breathing, which helps balance pressure inside and outside the body, combining the wrong feeling.
Ear pain when flying an airplane is caused by the sudden change in pressure that occurs when the plane takes off or lands, which can also cause other discomfort such as headaches, nose, teeth and stomach, and intestinal discomfort. See Home Remedies to relieve ear pain.
So here are 5 tips for avoiding ear pain
This is the main maneuver to be performed to relieve pain, as it allows to rebalance the internal pressure of the ear according to the pressure of the external environment.
To use this method, you should inhale, close your mouth and pinch your nose with your fingers and expel air feeling pressure at the bottom of your throat, however, be careful not to apply too much pressure when coming out of the air with congestion. nose, as this can make the pain worse.
Nasal spray helps release air passage between the sinuses and the ear, making it easier to rebalance internal pressure and prevent pain.
To benefit from this benefit, you should use the spray half an hour before takeoff or landing, depending on when it causes you the most discomfort.
Chewing gum or chewing food also helps balance pressure in the ear and prevent pain, as in addition to forcing the movement of facial muscles, they also stimulate swallowing, which helps free the ear from the feeling of being covered.
Yawning helps move the bones and muscles of the face, releasing the Eustachian tube and promoting pressure regulation.
In children, this technique should be performed by encouraging the little ones to wince and imitate animals such as lions and bears, which open their mouths well during roar.
Putting a hot compress or wet wipes in your ear for about 10 minutes helps relieve pain, and this procedure can be performed on the plane by asking the crew on board for a cup of hot water and disposable handkerchiefs. you will not be surprised by the demand and will help alleviate the discomfort of passengers.
In addition, avoiding sleep during flight takeoff or landing is important to avoid ear pain because, while sleeping, the process of adapting to pressure changes is slower and out of control, so the passenger usually wakes up with earache.
Infants and young children are unable to collaborate to use maneuvers that combine earache, so it’s common to hear them cry at the beginning and end of flights.
To help, parents should use strategies such as not letting babies fall asleep during takeoff or landing and give the child a bottle or other food right now, remembering to avoid going to bed to prevent them from choking and swaying their ears more. See more tips for helping your baby here.
These strategies should be used several times, until the ear regains the balance of pressures and passes the pain, however, in some people the pain persists, especially in cases of nasal problems that prevent proper air circulation in the body, such as colds, flu and sinusitis.
In these cases, your doctor should be consulted before you travel so that you can prescribe medicines that clear your nose and relieve any discomfort you feel during the flight.
To be more relaxed, also see how to relieve nausea while traveling.