That plugged-up feeling in your ears after a flight is caused by a pressure imbalance between your middle ear and the cabin air. In most cases, you can clear it yourself within minutes using a few simple techniques. The key is opening a small passage called the eustachian tube, which connects your middle ear to the back of your throat, so air can flow through and equalize the pressure on both sides of your eardrum.
Why Your Ears Feel Blocked After Flying
Your middle ear is a small, sealed space behind the eardrum. A narrow tube (the eustachian tube) runs from that space down to the back of your nose and throat, and its job is to keep the air pressure equal on both sides. When a plane descends, the cabin pressure rises quickly. If your eustachian tube can’t open fast enough, the higher pressure outside pushes your eardrum inward, which creates that full, muffled sensation.
This is more likely to happen if you were asleep during descent, since you swallow less often while sleeping. It’s also more common when you’re congested from a cold or allergies, because swollen tissues can physically block the eustachian tube from opening at all.
Techniques That Work Right Away
Start with the simplest options. Swallowing and yawning both pull the eustachian tube open briefly, which lets air pass through. Chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, or drinking water all trigger frequent swallowing and can resolve mild blockage within a few minutes.
If that isn’t enough, try the Valsalva maneuver: pinch your nostrils shut, close your mouth, and gently blow as if you’re trying to push air out through your nose. You should feel a soft pop or click as pressure equalizes. The important word here is “gently.” Don’t blow hard, and don’t hold the pressure for more than five seconds. Blowing too forcefully can raise fluid pressure in your inner ear and, in rare cases, rupture delicate membranes inside the ear.
An alternative is the Toynbee maneuver: pinch your nostrils shut and swallow at the same time. This creates a slight vacuum that pulls the eustachian tube open. Some people find this works better than the Valsalva, especially when the blockage is stubborn. You can safely repeat either technique several times.
When Congestion Is Making It Worse
If your ears stay blocked because your nose is stuffed up, a decongestant nasal spray can shrink the swollen tissue around your eustachian tubes and make it easier for them to open. Oral decongestants work too, though they take longer to kick in. These are available over the counter at any pharmacy. Use the nasal spray, wait 10 to 15 minutes, and then try the Valsalva or Toynbee maneuver again.
For future flights where you know you’ll be congested, using a decongestant nasal spray about 30 minutes before descent gives the medication time to open things up before the pressure changes begin.
Do Pressure-Regulating Earplugs Help?
You may have seen special earplugs marketed to prevent airplane ear. The research on these is not encouraging. A review from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine looked at studies of pressure-regulating earplugs (often called PREPs) and found they had no measurable effect on eustachian tube function. One study found they reduced subjective discomfort slightly, while another found they offered nothing beyond noise reduction. Based on the conflicting results, the review could not recommend them for preventing or relieving ear pressure.
A different device called the Otovent, which is essentially a small balloon you inflate through your nose, showed more promise. Among adults who used it, 76% reported relief. However, only a single small study has been conducted, so the evidence is still limited.
How Long Recovery Takes
Most cases of airplane ear resolve within minutes to a few hours once you successfully equalize the pressure. If congestion or inflammation is involved, it may take a few days of using decongestants before your ears feel completely normal. This is still within the range of typical recovery.
A ruptured eardrum from pressure changes is rare, but it does happen. When it does, it typically heals on its own within a few weeks. Signs that something more serious is going on include severe ear pain that doesn’t improve, noticeable hearing loss, dizziness, or nausea and vomiting. If your symptoms persist for more than a day or two, or if they’re getting worse rather than better, that’s worth a medical visit.
Helping Babies and Young Children
Kids are especially prone to airplane ear because their eustachian tubes are narrower. Babies and toddlers obviously can’t perform a Valsalva maneuver, so the goal is to get them swallowing frequently. Breastfeeding, bottle-feeding (with the baby sitting upright), or offering a pacifier during descent all work well. For older children, encourage small, frequent sips of water throughout the flight.
One practical tip: try to keep children awake during takeoff and landing. During sleep, we swallow far less often, which means the eustachian tubes stay closed and pressure builds up without relief. Timing a feeding to coincide with descent is one of the most reliable strategies for keeping a baby comfortable.