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How I sympathize whenever I hear the cries of an infant when my plane starts to take off. It's clear that the baby is in terrible pain because her tiny Eustachian tubes are being blocked while air pressure in the cabin changes. Travel-smart parents usually anticipate these difficult moments by scheduling a nursing or bottle-feeding, thereby encouraging continuous swallowing. Once the plane achieves its cruising speed, the child's eardrums will usually have adjusted.

Adults too suffer severe pain in their ears from cabin pressure changes, but crying like a baby is not a solution! As a frequent—and mostly cheerful—flyer, I always dreaded the debilitating blockage associated with take-off (and landing). One or another of the usual causes of ear discomfort, sensitive ears, allergies, colds or sinusitis, plagued me, like they do millions of other flying passengers.

I tried all the recommended remedies—sucking hard candies, sipping a drink, chewing gum or simply swallowing rapidly. All without noticeable relief.

Things seemed to go from bad to worse until an observant steward saw my facial contortions and gave me my first pair of Earplanes.

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.

According to Earplanes' literature, the device consists of two elements: "a hypoallergenic silicone ear plug and a ceramic pressure regulator. When cabin air pressure changes, a pressure differential is created across the ceramic filter, which causes air to flow through the filter. The filter acts as an impedance to the flow of air into and out of the ear canal. Discomfort is reduced because the air pressure on the interior and exterior of the middle ear is lessened allowing Eustachian tubes to function more normally."

Earplanes can be worn during the trip as noise suppression earplugs, filtering out the high frequency noises of the aircraft engine. They still allow one to hear the passenger service announcements. One drawback is that it is not recommended that you re-use them. Also, the product is not recommended for someone with severe sinus congestion.

A version of Pediatric Earplanes for children ages one to eleven has recently been developed. As for that little infant in the seat next to you, all you can do is give a sympathetic hand to the parents. Their travel will ease once the baby has her first birthday. Relief is on the way.

Earplanes can be purchased over the counter at airports, drugstores and markets. Call 1-800-327-6151 for a store near you, or visit the Earplanes website for additional information.

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