2007-02-23 20:51:29 · 5 answers · asked by arup s 6 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
This pain is caused from the air pressure change in the cabin. There's a small pocket of air in your inner ear. When the pressure outside of your ear is no longer the same as the inner ear, you feel pain (this is the same principle that happens when scuba diving). In order to get rid of the pain, you need to "equalize" the pressure. This is often referred to as popping your ears because of the sound it makes when they finally equalize.
There are a few methods I know of.
1) Try chewing some gum or eating something. The movement of your jaw can often trigger equalization.
2) There are special ear plugs you can wear during take-off and landing. These help reduce drastic pressure changes by allowing the change to happen slowly and thus giving your ears time to adjust. The down side is that they're kind of pricey, don't always work, and you have to remember to put them in every time.
3) The last option is called a valsalva method. You close your mouth, pinch your nose, and then blow VERY VERY GENTLY. I can't stress enough that you must be gentle, as you can injure your ears if you blow hard or violently. This shouldn't hurt at all, just blow a little until you feel your ears "pop" and the pressure will equalize. Again be gentle. If it doesn't work at first, stop for 15 or 30 seconds and then try again.
Eventually, even without these methods, your ears will equalize eventually. Hopefully this will help spare you some pain or discomfort. Good luck!
2007-02-23 21:17:24 · answer #1 · answered by Ali 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Preventive = massage, swallowing (no food or gum needed) relieves pressure.
Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches).
Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles).
Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago.
Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain.
The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles).
For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.
2007-02-26 15:24:12 · answer #2 · answered by Keko 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Air pressure causes the pain mostly.
In order to relieve it, chew gum or sweets during take off and landing.
There are some types of earplug which help to equalise the balance.
2007-02-23 20:54:13 · answer #3 · answered by Tiffers 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a handful of toffees and peppermints when served to you during the travel and go on sucking them through out the journey; Also try to yawn as many times as possible. If yawning does not occur naturally, then try to induce it.
2007-02-25 04:11:26 · answer #4 · answered by spiritual healer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chew gum...the biting helps.
2007-02-24 13:48:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
plug the ears with cotton buds.
2007-03-01 22:36:51 · answer #6 · answered by NQS 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can use ear plugs, and chew gum.
2007-02-23 20:52:57 · answer #7 · answered by christina rose 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
u can use cotton. and don't keep sitting in the same posture.
2007-02-23 22:22:50 · answer #8 · answered by debu 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋