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Flight Attendant Poll on Alleviating Ear Pressure

We've all experienced the feeling -- pain, pressure and popping in your ears while you fly.   In fact, ear problems are one of the most common medical complaints of airline travelers.  So, how do you do away with ear pains? Who would know better about relieving ear pressure than flight attendants? According to an August 2004 survey of 2,620 American Airlines flight attendants, there are ways to help lessen ear pain.  When asked for the best way to alleviate ear pressure in flight, flight attendants gave the following expert advice:

Yawn, Chew or Swallow  - 53%

Perform Valsalva maneuver* - 36%

Over the counter decongestant - 10%

Ear plugs - 1%

* The Valsalva maneuver is performed by attempting to forcibly exhale while keeping the mouth and nose closed. 

I STILL DO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

I am happiest with earplugs. They don’t just alleviate ear pressure, they also block out noise.

Earplanes are a favorite.  Worn in pairs, these simple soft plastic devices, shaped like tiny corkscrew pasta, fit into the outer ear canal, and regulate the pressure you feel on take-off and landing.

Developed by Cirrus Healthcare Products LLC in conjunction with the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, the product was tested on US Navy aviators in San Diego.