The real reason you want your ears to pop on a plane
An airline pilot has revealed one of the most common questions she gets asked and it has to do with ear popping.
It is a commonly known fact that there is nothing more annoying than having to deal with painful ears on a flight. Blocked ears occur when the plane takes off or starts to descend as the air pressure changes rapidly.
It may not be as bad for some but others will find their Eustachian tube – the narrow passage connected to the middle ear - often can’t react fast enough, which causes the symptoms of aeroplane ear.
US-based Boeing 737 co-pilot Morgan, who is known for her flight-related content on TikTok, shared a clip explaining why you want your ears to pop on a plane. *embed tweet
“Trust me when I say you want your ears to pop,” she began the clip.
The aviation TikTok star who has over 12 million likes on her videos, said if the pressure is building up and you’re getting one big painful pop, there are a couple of things you can do to pop your ears a little bit sooner.
@almostcaptainmorgan Reply to @ladyhawkuk Tips and tricks from an airline pilot if your ears pop when you fly! #airlinepilot #traveltiktok #flyingtips #traveltips ♬ original sound - Morgan
“Yawning, talking, eating, chewing gum, swallowing, really anything that’s going to move your jaw is going to help activate your Eustachian tube and pop your ears,” she said.
“If none of those work, you can do something called a Valsalva manoeuvre, which is where you pinch your nose and blow.”
She said don’t blow harder if your ears don’t clear as “this can lead to bigger issues”.
Morgan shares if you’re ever in a situation where the pressure is really building up and your ears just aren’t popping, “always travel with some Afrin nasal spray”. The alternative in Australia is Drixine, although she wants passengers to use it sparingly and only as a last resort.
Images: TikTok