flight crew

[david21]

Are there any tips flight crew can give to someone who suffers terrible ear pain with the cabin pressure when flying.?(only seems to be on decent for some reason)

[Octavius]

I found that my ears were agony when I sat close to a door/exit.  I don't get it much these days thankfully, but swallowing/yawning alot helps a bit.  Popping your ears (holding your nose whilst blowing through it) also helps.

[Clanad]

Some passengers have gained relief from chewing gum, in fact packets of gum used to be handed out years ago during the era of largely unpressurized flight.  A manuever I use and I notice other airmen use consists of jutting the jaw forward to cause a noticeable pop in the ears.  I do it so unconciously my wife says I look somewhat frog like.  The technique Octavius describes is called the Valsalva manuever. However,  if you have any blockage due to a cold or such, don't hold the nose and blow...rather swallow.  One is attempting to drain the Eustachian tubes... small tubes running from the ears to the back of the throat.  If you blow, you are attempting to force the mucous back up the tube rather than pull it down into the throat.

There is a device for sale that looks like a set of ear plugs that is supposed to help by slowly equalizing the pressure changes..  I don't know the brand name or its effectivenenss.

Unless the door or emergency exit had any kind of air leak, sitting next to one would probably not affect the discomfort one way or another.

[Ewood27]

Spot on, Clanad - and I'm a retired pilot.  I'd just like to add that you won't have trouble with ear pressure on the climb because the higher air pressure inside your inner ear can leak out even if you have a cold.  On descent, however, you have lower pressure in the ear and outside air has to be induced to come in to equalise the pressure.  That's a bit more difficult, and that's why you have the problem.

[RevShirls]

I was given what I thought was chewing gum on a flight a number of years ago. When I felt the pressure building and my ears beginning to hurt I popped one in my mouth and started to chew like mad - and then suddenly stopped. It tasted so disgusting. My pal, John, nearly wet himself laughing. It wasn't chewing gum at all. The crew had given us wax ear plugs!

Chewing gum/chewy sweets or putting ear plugs in your ears can help - but beware! Don't get them mixed up!

[thepheebster]

Yawning makes mine go away.

[david21]

Thanks everyone,I'll try the gum and maybe invest in wax ear plugs(for my ears)other than that I'll take up gurning!!!

[Jamie Lewis]

Feel for you david21 - I get the same thing and am usually deaf for at least the half of the first day of every holiday I've been on.