What to do if your ears get very blocked when landing a plane. Why your ears get blocked on an airplane and how to get rid of the pain. Do you need a doctor

Anyone who has traveled by air has wondered why they get stuffy ears on an airplane. The answer is simple: the difference between the pressure in the human body and in the atmosphere causes such a reaction. It is considered normal when the pressure is tympanic cavity ear and in the atmosphere are the same. When an airplane rapidly gains altitude or decreases during landing, a sharp change in pressure occurs, while in the ear it remains the same. As a result, a pressure difference arises: one of the sides presses on the membrane, as a result of which a plug forms in the ear and blocks it.

What to do if your ears hurt on a plane

To prevent congestion and pain from ruining your trip from the very beginning, you can try to reduce discomfort. There are several ways to do this. Use them, and the flight will be easier.

Try inducing a yawn by relaxing your muscles lower jaw and having produced deep breath.
Swallow or chewing movements. Take a pack with you on the plane chewing gum, caramel candies or a bottle of water. In almost all airlines, you can ask the flight attendant for candy during the flight. If you have a child flying with you, give them a bottle of water or juice to drink during takeoff and landing.
If the previous options could not help you cope and your ear is still blocked, try “blowing it out”. To do this, you need to pinch your nose with your fingers, close your mouth and try to exhale air through your nose. During such actions, a high blood pressure, the air has to escape somewhere, so it breaks the plug.
When your ears are blocked, cover them tightly with your palms and lightly press your hands to your head.
You can use special earplugs on the plane. They reduce the rate of change in atmospheric pressure by eardrum, which is very important during takeoff and landing. You can buy such a device at a pharmacy.

You should not fall asleep, at least while the plane is gaining altitude. If the journey ahead is not short, but you want to sleep, then ask the flight attendant to wake you up before the descent, when, as during takeoff, there will be a sharp change in pressure.

Flying when you have a cold

In case of illness (runny nose, inflammation in the ear or sore throat), everything is much more complicated. The Eustachian (auditory) tube, which is responsible for creating a balance between pressure in the atmosphere and in the tympanic cavity, suffers. In this situation, the pipe lumen is narrower than usual. Swelling or mucus can narrow the duct or completely block it, preventing air from flowing into the pipe. Doctors' point of view: it is not recommended to fly on an airplane when your nose is stuffy and you have a cold.

If you catch a cold on the eve of your flight, and you can’t postpone or reschedule it, then be prepared for unpleasant sensations to arise and your ears to become clogged more than usual. There may even be pain. The reason is that the swelling of the auditory tube increases with a change in altitude, so the ears hurt when landing a plane and during takeoff, they become blocked, noise, inflammation in the eardrum, and dizziness appear. IN special cases hearing loss will occur for some time.

When your ears get clogged on an airplane, use medications to combat it: vasoconstrictor drops or a nasal spray, for example, Nazivin, Galazolin, Xymelin. If a person with a cold does not take them before the flight, he will not only suffer from ear pain throughout the entire journey, but also risk getting otitis media. Be sure to take some of these products on the road, and the flight will be much easier.

Many airline passengers are faced with a situation where their ears become blocked when climbing or landing. A rather unpleasant and even painful feeling, which is not always possible to get rid of. The feeling of stuffiness can persist even after a flight.

What to do if your ears are blocked on an airplane?

Causes of ear congestion can be:

change in atmospheric pressure;

When pressure drops, the eardrum is affected, which sharply “blows” inward and begins to put pressure on the so-called Eustachian tube - the part of the ear responsible for the pressure inside the ear.

As a result, congestion, and more serious cases– unpleasant tingling and “aching” pain.

When various diseases hearing organs, for example, with eustachitis - complications after viral disease, runny nose or cold, “congestion” and discomfort in the ears are also observed. If a person notices that when he has a cold, he has similar problems when flying by air, then the only right decision is to contact an otolaryngologist for advice. Particular attention to their health should be paid to people with nasal polyps, sinusitis, in the presence of deformation of the sinus septum, as well as in the presence of adenoids.

A sad “bell” for those passengers who cannot tolerate organ disease or a cold during the flight will be severe congestion in the ears. This may be a consequence of hearing loss and damage to the nerve endings in the ear. U of this disease There are other features: a person may have blocked ears at a noisy concert or in a nightclub where loud music is playing, or simply when being in crowded places.

The cause of this peculiarity of the hearing organs can be heart problems, skull injuries and a stroke.

You can minimize negative sensations and temporary ear congestion using the following methods:

Imitating a yawn, open your mouth wide. Repeat 5-10 times until the ears “set aside”;
hold your breath for a few seconds;
actively swallow saliva;
suck a lollipop;
drink water in small sips or through a straw.

People who have special needs when flying use a popular life hack: they plug their ears with special earplugs, which can be purchased at any pharmacy before the trip.

The main thing is not to overdo it: if the problem simple methods cannot be resolved, then you need to wait until you arrive home and, if there is no improvement, contact an ENT specialist.

What to do if it doesn’t go away after landing?

If painful sensations continue to plague you even after the plane lands, then this is the first signal that an infection has entered the ear. It can be either simple otitis media or severe inflammation. You can't just give up this problem- urgent action needs to be taken.

If congestion does not go away after the plane long time, it is strongly recommended to consult your doctor to avoid complications and prompt detection possible diseases internal organs. To slightly reduce discomfort before visiting a doctor, you can do a light ear massage yourself.

Here is one of the safest options for this technique if your ears are blocked on the plane due to a cold:

Warm your palms by rubbing them together.
Place your hands on the auricle, squeezing it on both sides.
Warm up your ears by making smooth circular movements.
Pull the earlobe up a little, then down.
Gently pull the auricle in different directions.
Massage your earlobes.

Massage is contraindicated if you have:

purulent and bloody discharge;
strong pain syndrome.

Under no circumstances should you make sudden movements. You should not ignore the rules of hygiene: ears with various diseases very sensitive to bacteria.

As a result painful sensations become dull, but you need to keep your ears warm, avoiding hypothermia.

The child's body is very sensitive, especially during the first flights. To ensure that ear congestion does not become a “surprise” for your child, it is necessary to warn him before the trip that this may happen during takeoff and landing. If you have a cold, you need to start treatment antiviral drug as prescribed by a doctor.

To help the child get rid of painful sensations, you can give him before the flight:

lollipop or candy;
juice from a straw or a bottle of milk for an infant;
earplugs

You need to do your best to distract your child from unpleasant emotions: read him a fairy tale, give him his favorite toy.

The most important thing is to make swallowing movements as often as possible.

For children under 4 years of age, swallowing with pinched nostrils may help. But many mothers note that this method does not always work and can even worsen the situation. Therefore, it should be used only as a last resort and if you have experience and knowledge of how this method affects a particular baby.

Upon arrival at the destination, it is necessary to constantly monitor the baby’s condition: the presence of unpleasant symptoms for more than one day is unacceptable and requires immediate contact medical institution to avoid complications and other negative consequences.

What to do if several days have passed?

It is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible. It would be a good idea to make a warm compress and apply it to the sore ear.

To apply the compress you will need:

medical bandage or gauze bandage;
plastic bag;
cotton wool;
fabric material for fixing the compress;
medical alcohol and water or vodka.

If the child is under 4 years old, then under no circumstances should you make warm compresses with alcohol. You can replace it with regular sunflower oil.

For a child over 5 years old, a compress with vodka is also suitable, but only a 30-40 degree solution.

roll the bandage in 8-12 layers according to size auricle;
make a hole in the bandage for the ear;
moisten the resulting compress in vodka;
apply tightly to the auricle so that the compress adheres to the space behind the ear;
make the same cut in polyethylene and place it on top of the bandage;
apply cotton wool to your ear;
secure the “structure” with a scarf.

This method is only suitable for people who have mild serious symptoms: no bleeding, purulent discharge and severe pain symptoms.

If there is a suspicion of serious illness, then you should not self-medicate so as not to worsen the situation.

It is important to understand that each case is individual: some methods for combating ear congestion after and during an air flight are not suitable for all people, and sometimes bring only short-term relief. positive effect. Therefore, if a person constantly notices himself negative symptoms, it is necessary to find their root cause, and not try to deal with the consequences. And only a doctor can help with this. You should not try to cope with persistent ear congestion in a child on your own - you need to consult an ENT specialist.

When flying on an airplane, many people experience such an unpleasant phenomenon as stuffy ears. Since each person’s physiology is different, some people experience absolutely no discomfort while in the sky, while others feel bad at this moment. When the state of congestion is also accompanied by severe pain, the necessary measures should be taken immediately.

You should be especially careful when flying if you have a runny nose. In such cases, swelling of the nasal mucosa occurs, which can lead to poor ventilation. With such a phenomenon, ear congestion may occur, which can ultimately provoke the manifestation of acute otitis media. Experts advise that if you have a runny nose accompanied by stuffy ears, try to avoid air travel and give preference to other transport.

The most common factor that causes stuffy ears during flights is pressure drops. Under normal conditions, the pressure in the tympanic cavity corresponds to atmospheric pressure. During the flight, when the altitude gradually increases, Atmosphere pressure starts to fall.

This change provokes pressure drops in the tympanic cavity., due to which one of the sides begins to press in the membrane. A similar phenomenon manifests itself in the form of stuffy ears or severe pain in the tympanic cavity and head.

Ear congestion is one of the most popular problems that almost everyone who has flown on an airplane has encountered.

There are also cases when the ear got blocked on an airplane due to a runny nose. An inflammatory process that occurs in this moment in the nasal cavity, and accumulated mucus affects the auditory canal. The resulting swelling begins to narrow the ear canal or block it.

Air does not pass through normally eustachian tube , which manifests itself in the form of congestion of the eardrums. In this case, it will not be possible to restore normal pressure in the ears and get rid of congestion.

Important! Experts advise that if you have a cold or a severe cold, do not fly by plane, but use other transport. Since these two phenomena can cause damage to health, namely, provoke hemorrhage into the eardrum or even lead to its rupture.

Provoking diseases

Doctors identify several pathologies of the hearing organs that cause congestion in the ears during a flight:

Otitis It is considered the most common cause of ear congestion during flights. Even if he was cured, the adhesions formed during the illness still remained on the eardrums. They are the ones who reduce the mobility of the membrane and prevent it from returning to its correct position.
Eustachite. Polyps in the nasopharynx or can provoke the disease. With eustachitis, inflammation in the area of the auditory tube is diagnosed, the cause of which is late treatment colds.
Hearing loss may develop as a result of vascular hypertension, head injury or cerebral ischemia. With neurosensory pathology, the hearing organs may be affected auditory nerve. In this case, the likelihood that your ears will become blocked during the flight is high.

What to do to avoid stuffy ears

Experts recommend avoiding the flight with a heavy runny nose or ear disease.

If it was not possible to reschedule the flight, then you should take some actions to eliminate the discomfort.

If necessary, use vasoconstrictor nasal drops.

The medicine will help get rid of mucus in the nasal cavity and also reduce swelling. The patency of the auditory tube will improve when using drops, which will help stabilize blood pressure.

Reference. Statistical data confirms the fact that ear congestion most often occurs during takeoff and landing of an airplane.

Use gum or candy. Swallowing and chewing movements help normalize the pressure in the eardrum.
Yawn or open your mouth. While on an airplane, you should try to yawn several times or open your mouth well.
Massage your ears. Rolling your ears until they turn red helps relieve congestion.
Use earplugs to smooth out pressure drops.

If, while on a plane, a passenger does not know what to do if his ear is blocked (after the plane you also need to carefully monitor your condition), then he is recommended to pay attention to several manipulations. Proper breathing will help you get rid of congestion during a flight..

The patient should take as much oxygen into the lungs as possible and exhale sharply. The mouth and nose must be carefully closed. During the exhalation process, a person should hear a characteristic click, which will indicate that the eardrum has returned to the correct position.

What to do if your ear is blocked after a flight

Most often, ear congestion disappears after the passenger leaves the plane. However, there are cases in which such discomfort does not go away. In this case, it makes sense to go to an otolaryngologist.

The specialist will determine the patency of the auditory tube, as well as the oral cavity, and find out the cause of the disease. Timely treatment will help quickly bring your hearing organs back to normal.

An appointment with an otolaryngologist is recommended for all those who have problems with the ENT organs

It will also help relieve ear congestion after an airplane. self-massage. The procedure is performed by twisting the ears or using your fingers. In the second case, a forefinger and move them quickly (as if inserting and removing plugs).

Attention! Discomfort that does not go away may indicate a middle ear problem. In this case, the patient is diagnosed inflammatory process auditory canal, accompanied by pain.

If a patient’s ear is blocked after an airplane and the blockage does not go away, then it is important to resort to folk recipes which will fix the problem. The most effective methods are:

beet compresses, which were previously boiled in honey;
warming up the nose warm eggs (on both sides);
ear drops, made on the basis of propolis, alcohol and melted butter.

If the problem does not go away a day after the flight, you should definitely consult a doctor. Treatment by a specialist is especially necessary if congestion is accompanied by fever and high temperature. Timely elimination of the problem will allow you to avoid disastrous consequences in the future.

Conclusion

What to do to prevent your ears from getting stuffy after an airplane? The answer is quite simple. Special earplugs, which you can purchase at any pharmacy, will help prevent the problem of ear canal congestion. It is not recommended to buy at the airport, since their quality will be much worse than medical ones.

Anyone who has ever flown on an airplane is familiar with the feeling of stuffy ears that occurs during takeoff and landing. For some people, the unpleasant symptom is mild and goes away immediately, while others may suffer from discomfort for several hours or even days after the flight.

Why do my ears get clogged on an airplane? How to avoid occurrence unpleasant symptom during the flight?

There are actually several reasons that cause ear congestion. In addition to the most understandable and common - pressure drops - the intensity and duration of the uncomfortable sensation can be affected by several pathological processes in the organs of hearing and ear plug.

Pressure drops

The most common reason why the ear gets clogged during a flight or after an airplane - the reaction of the ENT system to pressure changes. In the normal state, the Eustachian tube manages to level it out, but during takeoff and especially during landing, the atmospheric pressure changes so quickly that the organs simply cannot cope with the task.

As a result, the eardrum bends inside the middle ear due to the difference in pressure, which causes a feeling of stuffiness, discomfort, and sometimes even pain.

Plug in the ear

The presence of wax in the ear can significantly increase discomfort during takeoff or landing. The accumulated masses, under the influence of movements of the eardrum, can move slightly deeper, which will lead to long-term and painful discomfort.

Pathological processes in the hearing organs

A number of diseases localized in the hearing organs or ENT system can significantly aggravate the unpleasant symptoms that occur during a flight:

Eustachite. This is an inflammation of the auditory tube connecting the middle ear and nasopharynx. The main function of this section of the ENT system is to equalize pressure. During the inflammatory process, the Eustachian tube swells and cannot fulfill its role. Therefore, even the slightest changes in pressure during a flight cause painful symptoms in patients.
Otitis. This disease is very often the culprit behind stuffy ears on an airplane. If you have an inflammatory process in the active phase, swelling of the tissues of the organ of hearing and the eardrum itself prevents the membrane from properly responding to external environment and pressure changes. The same effect occurs in patients who often suffered from otitis media, and their eardrum is completely covered with scars. These adhesions prevent the membrane from responding adequately to changes, which leads to congestion.
An ear congestion on an airplane can also occur against the background of actively developing hearing loss. If you not only regularly experience discomfort when flying, but also noticeably decrease in the quality of your hearing, contact an otolaryngologist.

Preventive measures

What to do if your ears get blocked on airplanes? To slightly reduce or even prevent unpleasant sensations during takeoff and landing, you can use effective and proven methods:

To prevent stuffy ears, take the offered lollipops from the flight attendant and suck them during takeoff and landing;
when climbing or landing, simply open your mouth slightly - this will allow the auditory tube to perform its function through the nasopharynx;
If you suffer from a runny nose, before the flight, drop vasoconstrictor drops into your clogged nasal passages. allergic rhinitis use antihistamines;
It is better to offer infants a pacifier in advance, and older children - lollipops;
Earplugs, which can be purchased in advance at a pharmacy or at the airport, are effective in preventing congestion.

If your ears are blocked on an airplane during a flight, the following methods will help you:

Make a series of swallowing movements;
try opening and closing your mouth;
try to induce a yawn;
chew gum or drink water;
draw air into your lungs and, closing your nose and mouth, exhale smoothly “into your ears” - this method will straighten the position of the eardrum;
to help the membrane fall into place after completing the flight, help by pressing with your fingers on ear canals both ears.

If the above methods do not help, and the feeling of congestion in the ears is accompanied by pain and severe discomfort, - do not delay and urgently contact an otolaryngologist for advice.

Most people who travel by airline often experience discomfort in the form of stuffy ears during takeoff or landing of the aircraft. This is usually explained by the difference between normal pressure at ground level and lower - in the aircraft cabin. However, there are several more reasons why ears become blocked on an airplane, and for a certain category of air passengers suffering from certain diseases, pressure changes can pose a health hazard.

Causes of stuffy ears on airliners

Usually the ears become blocked during takeoff and landing of an airplane. During a sharp takeoff, with a rapid climb to altitude, the air pressure in the cavity inner ear behind the eardrum higher than in the cabin of an airliner. Moreover, the degree of increase in pain increases during a sharp takeoff, when the aircraft's ascent time is limited and the body does not have time to adapt to pressure fluctuations. After gaining altitude, for many people with a normally functioning vestibular system, the discomfort during the flight disappears, and the discomfort reappears when the airliner lands. Some people experience similar sensations when going up and down high-speed elevators in skyscrapers.

Except purely physiological reasons, ears can become blocked in the presence of any disease, for example, swelling of the ear or nasopharynx. In this case, hemorrhage may occur in the eardrum, which in severe cases leads to its rupture.

Even accumulated nasopharyngeal mucus increases the degree of ear congestion. In all these cases, the auditory canal decreases in its cross-section, and the restoration of the pressure balance between environment and the body occurs at a slow pace.

Some individuals who have physiological defects in the structure of the auricle have a very difficult time undergoing takeoff and landing adaptation.

Row especially emotional people who are afraid of flying begin to worry, and their arterial pressure, which makes the unpleasant sensation of ear congestion more acute.

Passengers encountered the problem of ear congestion during takeoff and landing at the dawn of the advent of civil aviation. And the distribution of mints by flight attendants before takeoff is not a tribute to fashion, but a means of reducing the severity of unpleasant sensations.

Enough in an effective way To reduce takeoff and landing discomfort is to imitate yawns or perform chewing and swallowing movements. In this case (as when sucking mints), a hole in the Eustachian tube opens slightly, and the pressure in the body (the cavity of the ear apparatus) is equalized with the pressure in the airplane cabin. If you are flying with a small child, you should give him a pacifier or a bottle of juice or water during takeoff.

At severe runny nose or availability inflammatory disease In the ear device, it is better to refuse flight. If this is not possible, you must take with you vasodilators and remedies for the common cold, which will allow you to more painlessly adapt to changes in pressure. Therefore, you should not be afraid of ear congestion and torment yourself with the question of why your ears are clogged on an airplane. There are many ways and means to avoid this unpleasant phenomenon, and you should use one of them.