How to Prevent Your Ears from "Uncorking": 4 Steps

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

For most people, air travel causes annoying and sometimes painful closing of the ears. The same can happen when climbing or descending a mountain, as well as when going underwater. This article explains why this happens and how to prevent it.

Steps

Step 1. Understand the causes

Whenever the pressure of the air around you changes (when you fly, when you get on or off a mountain or go underwater), the pressure inside the ear cavity (behind the eardrum) has to change as well to adjust.. However, sometimes this natural process does not happen and the external ear can be annoying (doctors call it barotrauma). Subsequently, when the Eustachian tubes return to their correct position (such as when yawning), a "pop" is heard as the pressure difference is balanced.

Step 2. Treat any congestion in advance

Sometimes the Eustachian tubes do not open properly because there is inflammation caused by an allergy (the tubes become inflamed and swollen) or by a cold. If you feel "muffled" before changing altitudes or diving, use a nasal decongestant or antihistamine.

• Gargle with warm water and salt.

  

• Take a decongestant every 6 hours and continue for another 24 hours after landing, to retract the membranes of the ear and nasal passages. Follow the instructions on the package.

  

• Use a strong pediatric nasal spray as prescribed for you. It often helps to open the Eustachian tubes without having to take other medications.

  

Step 3. Keep the Eustachian tubes open

To prevent the ears from "uncorking" in an annoying and painful way, you must avoid a pressure difference between the outside and inside of the ears. The best way to do this is, strange to say, to pop them multiple times on purpose. Opening the Eustachian tubes voluntarily will allow air to enter or exit the back of the nose and throat. If you do this regularly, the pressure difference will never be too great and you won't feel pain. For example, if you are in flight, during the landing or take-off phases, do not sleep and do the following:

• Swallow. Chewing on gum, sucking on candy, or sipping on a drink will force you to swallow.

  

• Smell.

  

• He yawns. If you want a firmer action, place your index finger inside the ear (no deeper than 1cm) and press firmly up and towards the back of the head while yawning as widely as possible..

  

• Pinch your nose and blow gently. This is known as the Valsalva maneuver and it takes some practice to perform it correctly. However, once you master it, you can clear your ears whenever you want.

  

• Shut your ears. In this way you decrease the pressure difference and the air will slowly come out.

  

• Inhale and hold your breath for three seconds, then exhale.

  

Step 4. See a doctor if the pain or discomfort is severe or if it lasts more than a couple of hours

You should see a doctor even if you get any kind of fluid from your ears or you have a fever.

Advice

• When you yawn, there is no need to make any noise, but open your mouth as much as possible and sway your jaw from right to left a couple of times. Repeat the action as many times as necessary.
• You can combine the yawn with the Valsalva maneuver. Keep your mouth closed but open your jaw, pinch your nose gently and blow. Doing so increases the chances of stretching the Eustachian tubes.
• Begin prevention techniques as soon as you begin to feel that the pressure changes inside the ear and continue as long as necessary.
• Some of these techniques are impractical underwater.

Warnings

• The use of a decongestant is considered risky by diving agencies because when you are underwater your body metabolizes the drug in a different way.
• Diving while on decongestant therapy puts you at serious risk.
• If you know you are particularly at risk of painful ear closures because you are cold, the best thing to do is don't fly until the symptoms disappear. The ears are not the only part of your body that is affected by pressure changes; a blocked nasal cavity is extremely painful when there is a significant change in pressure such as in the landing phases. This is particularly dangerous because during take off you will have no problems, but you will feel terrible going down.
• The use of the Valsalva maneuver should be the last resort when everything else has not worked. But blow gently and do it only once. If even this technique doesn't work, you could increase the pressure difference and make the situation worse.
• If you hear crackles and "pops", you may have a buildup of ear wax or hairs resting on the eardrum that needs to be removed by an otolaryngologist, or more serious illnesses that need treatment.
• Driving to / from high altitudes when you have respiratory infections or have an allergic crisis could be dangerous.