{"id":3890,"date":"2023-08-18T12:46:56","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T16:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/?p=3890"},"modified":"2023-08-18T12:46:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T16:46:58","slug":"what-causes-the-popping-sensation-in-your-ears-on-a-plane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/what-causes-the-popping-sensation-in-your-ears-on-a-plane\/","title":{"rendered":"What Causes the Popping Sensation in Your Ears on a Plane?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The popping sensation in your ears when you\u2019re flying on a plane is the result of a condition called airplane ear. Airplane ear, so called because it is most common during take-off and landing, can be uncomfortable and range in severity. Let\u2019s look at the causes and symptoms of airplane ear and what you can do to mitigate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Causes Airplane Ear?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Young-girl-holding-her-ears-on-a-plane.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3894\" width=\"315\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Young-girl-holding-her-ears-on-a-plane.jpg 1254w, https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Young-girl-holding-her-ears-on-a-plane-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Airplane ear occurs when the air pressure in your environment is out of balance with the air pressure in your <a href=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/ear-hearing\/ent-overview\/#ear-overview\">middle ear<\/a>. The quick change in air pressure prevents the eardrum from vibrating normally and affects the Eustachian tube\u2019s ability to equalize pressure. When an airplane takes off or descends, it causes a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/airplane-ear\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20351701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disruption in the air pressure of your environment and can result in the popping sensation that often accompanies airplane ear<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms of Airplane Ear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Airplane ear can present in either one or both ears and range from mild to severe. Mild symptoms of airplane ear may include but are not limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Popping sensation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discomfort or pain in your ears<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Muffled hearing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Slight to moderate temporary hearing loss<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling of fullness or stuffiness in your ear<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Severe cases of airplane ear may include symptoms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Severe pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moderate to severe hearing loss&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intense pressure in the ear<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tinnitus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vertigo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bleeding from the ear<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treating Airplane Ear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You may feel immediate relief from airplane ear when you swallow or yawn because it opens the Eustachian tube and allows the middle ear to get air, resulting in equalized pressure. Other preventative measures may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Using the Valsalva maneuver<\/strong>. During ascent and descent, pinch your nostrils with your mouth closed and gently blow through your nose. Repeat this several times to help equalize the pressure in your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy<\/strong>. Hard candies and gum will help stimulate more frequent swallowing, allowing the pressure in the middle ear to equalize. Try picking up a couple of hard candies from Williams Candy for a tasty snack that also helps prevent airplane ear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fly at the right times<\/strong>. Flying when sick isn\u2019t recommended as it can spread or worsen illness. Certain illnesses such as <a href=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/ear-hearing\/ear\/ear-infection\/\">ear infections<\/a>, sinus infections and nasal congestion can worsen airplane ear. If you are able, consider postponing flights if you are experiencing any of these illnesses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact <span class=\"company-name \">Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy<\/span> today to make an appointment with one of our ear, nose and throat specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/how-do-earwax-blockages-affect-my-hearing\/\" class=\"related-post\">How Do Earwax Blockages Affect My Hearing?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/how-to-celebrate-audiology-awareness-month\/\" class=\"related-post\">How to Celebrate Audiology Awareness Month<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/overcoming-the-plugged-ear-feeling-from-hearing-aids\/\" class=\"related-post\">Overcoming the Plugged-Ear Feeling From Hearing Aids<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The popping sensation in your ears when you\u2019re flying on a plane is the result of a condition called airplane ear. Airplane ear, so called because it is most common during take-off and landing, can be uncomfortable and range in severity. Let\u2019s look at the causes and symptoms of airplane ear and what you can&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3890"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3896,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions\/3896"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hamptonroadsent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}