Airplane Ear — What Is It and What Can You Do About It?

If you’ve ever felt pressure, muffled hearing, or pain in your ears during a flight — particularly during takeoff and landing — you’ve experienced what’s commonly known as airplane ear, or barotrauma.

It’s very common, usually temporary, and for most people more uncomfortable than serious. But understanding what’s happening can help you manage it better.

What’s Actually Going On

Your middle ear (the space behind the eardrum) is connected to the back of your nose and throat by the Eustachian tube. Its job is to equalise the pressure on both sides of the eardrum. When the pressure in the aircraft cabin changes rapidly during ascent and descent, the Eustachian tube needs to open and allow air to flow in or out to keep pace.

If it doesn’t open quickly enough, there’s a pressure difference across the eardrum — it gets pushed inward or outward — and that’s what causes the discomfort, muffled hearing, or pain. The familiar “pop” you feel when pressure equalises is the Eustachian tube opening.

Most people can equalise naturally by yawning, swallowing, or chewing. The problem is when the tube is slow to open, usually because of congestion from a cold, allergies, or a recent ear infection.

How to Manage It

Stay awake during ascent and descent. Swallowing happens naturally when you’re awake; during sleep it doesn’t, which means you miss the opportunity to equalise passively.

Chew, swallow, or yawn. All of these movements help open the Eustachian tube. Chewing gum or sucking on hard sweets during the critical phases of the flight is a well-established remedy.

Try the Valsalva manoeuvre. Pinch your nose closed, close your mouth, and gently breathe out as if you’re blowing your nose. The pressure pushes air up through the Eustachian tube and can equalise the middle ear. Don’t force it — a gentle, steady pressure is enough.

Take a decongestant before flying if you’re congested. If you have a heavy cold, sinusitis, or allergies, a nasal decongestant taken an hour before your flight can help the Eustachian tube stay open more easily. Speak to a pharmacist about which is appropriate.

Consider filtered earplugs. Specialist flight earplugs (available from pharmacies) slow down the rate of pressure change at the eardrum, giving the Eustachian tube more time to equalise. They’re particularly useful if you fly frequently or have known problems with pressure equalisation.

When to Seek Help

For most people, the discomfort resolves once the flight is over and pressure has equalised fully — often within a few hours. However, see your GP if:

• Hearing loss, pain, or pressure persists for more than a day after landing
• You experience dizziness or vertigo that doesn’t settle
• There’s any bleeding from the ear

Persistent muffled hearing after a flight can occasionally indicate fluid in the middle ear (which sometimes follows barotrauma) and is worth getting checked.

Flying with an active ear infection or a perforated eardrum is best avoided if possible, as pressure changes can be significantly more painful and potentially harmful. If you’re unsure, a quick ear check before you travel is a sensible precaution.