Most people have felt the “popping” sensation while flying or changing elevation quickly, like driving through the mountains. Occasionally, the airplane ear experience can cause intense pain, muffled hearing, or even ringing if the case is severe.
Beyond the dreaded airplane ear, flying is a notoriously loud experience, thanks to the plane’s engines. Planes typically fly with noise levels around 85dB, where continued exposure can cause hearing loss. So, learning how to protect your ears when flying is necessary to keep your hearing and protect yourself from pain.
Furthermore, when combined with handling a child or a baby, the experience is even more difficult. Nobody wants their child suffering during a flight or getting hearing loss so young. So, many parents ask how to protect their babies’ ears when flying or do babies need ear protection for flying.
No matter the individual, seat class, or age, airplane ear and hearing damage can affect anyone on an airplane.
In This Article:
How Airplane Ear Happens
Ear pain results from having a difference in pressure in the inner ear compared to the environment. For example, when the plane takes off, the air pressure inside the aircraft decreases quickly. Conversely, when the plane lands, the air pressure inside the plane cabin increases quickly. Because of this quick change in pressure, the ear may be unable to adjust to the pressure change during both events. When the adjustment doesn’t occur quickly enough, you may feel feelings of discomfort or pain.
As the plane takes off, the air pressure inside the ear becomes much higher than the cabin’s air pressure. This results in eardrum swelling. Until the Eustachian tube can equilibrate the pressure, the eardrum remains swollen and causes pain or discomfort. During landing, the cabin’s air pressure becomes more significant than the pressure inside the ear. When this happens, the Eustachian tube flattens, thus causing discomfort.
Individuals frequently experience mild discomfort or pain, a sense of stuffiness, and sometimes slight and temporary hearing loss if the case is moderate. Severe cases can cause individuals to experience vertigo, tinnitus, moderate hearing loss, and intense pain.
How Do You Protect Your Ears When Flying
To protect yourself from getting an airplane ear, the first thing is to monitor your health before flying. Individuals with a cold, hay fever, sinus infection, or ear infection have a greater risk of experiencing airplane ear than others. If you’re wondering how to protect your ears when flying with a cold, if you must, the following tips should help resist the onset of airplane ears.
1. Stay Aware During Take-off and Landing
Take-off and landing make up the two main periods of the flight where airplane ear can occur. This is because of the quick change in air pressure. Staying awake during these times gives you the ability to implement the following prevention techniques.
2. Yawn and Swallow During Take-off and Landing
One of the most effective ways to fight the onset of airplane ears is to swallow during the ascent and descent. Both activities help engage the muscles that open your Eustachian tube. In practice, these activities will help reduce the difference in air pressure between your ears and the airplane cabin.
3. Chew Gum or Suck on a Candy
Many people find chewing gum or sucking on a piece of candy to aid in ear pain. The practice essentially influences you to swallow more. By chewing on gum or sucking on candy, more saliva is made, making you swallow more often.
4. Practice the Valsalva Technique During Take-off and Landing
The Valsalva technique is when you gently blow out of your nose while pinching your nostrils shut. As you try to blow air out of your nose, you may feel your ears “pop.” That sensation is the pressure-equalizing. Repeat the action several times. Learn more ways to pop your ears while flying.
5. Use Filtered Ear Plugs
Filtered earplugs for flying help equalize the pressure difference by slowing the air pressure shift that enters and leaves your ear. These may also help block some of the sound coming into your ear, protecting against damage from constant exposure.
Protecting Against Hearing Damage
The best option for protecting against hearing damage is to limit the amount of sound coming into your ears. Choosing a seat near the front of the plane can reduce overall sound as it’s away from the engine. Wearing earplugs or earmuffs will also protect the amount of sound coming into your ears. Reducing the amount of time you’re exposed to the loudness of a plane can go a long way to protecting your hearing.
How to Protect Infant Ears When Flying
Protecting your baby’s ears when flying is more complicated than protecting your own. You can’t speak to your baby to tell them to yawn and swallow during landing and take-off continually. Instead, you can give your baby a bottle. When the plane is ready to take off and land, giving your baby a bottle forces them to swallow continually. This swallowing will help equalize their ear pressure.
Additionally, if your child’s pediatrician says it’s okay, giving your child a decongestant or nasal spray may help open their sinuses. This can assist in airflow into your child’s Eustachian tube, thereby reducing the pressure difference.
Do babies need ear protection when flying?
Babies don’t need to have ear protection for flying, but it can be beneficial. There are many products on the market specifically meant for infants and toddlers.
Consider using ear muffs to protect your baby from ear damage from loud noises. Earplugs for flying, or other small items, may fall out too quickly. Earmuffs, especially noise-canceling flying headphones for babies, work well to protect your baby’s ears.
How to Protect Dogs Ears When Flying
Protecting your dog’s ears while flying is just as important as protecting your ears, as dogs’ ears are structured the same. Find a pair of dog ear protection flying muffs to strap on your dog to block sounds and protect it from hearing loss.
To protect against ear pain or discomfort, give your dog a chew toy or dental bone to stimulate swallowing. This will help activate the Eustachian tube in your dog’s ears and reduce the chance of your dog getting ear pain.
Do dogs’ ears pop on an airplane?
Just like humans, dogs can also experience pressure changes that could cause their ears to pop when flying. However, their experience may not be as uncomfortable because the Eustachian tubes, which allow the equalization of pressure in the middle ear, are more open in dogs than in people.
However, it’s important to note that flying can still be a stressful experience for a dog, whether due to pressure changes, noise, or an unfamiliar environment. Suppose you plan to travel with your dog by airplane. In that case, it’s recommended to consult with your vet beforehand to ensure your pet is well-prepared and to discuss any potential issues or precautions to consider.
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