Airplane Ear: What It Is, How to Prevent It, and What Medications Help

When you feel that painful popping or fullness in your ears during takeoff or landing, you’re dealing with airplane ear, a type of ear pressure imbalance caused by rapid changes in altitude. Also known as barotrauma, it’s not just annoying—it can be sharp, dizzying, and even temporarily affect your hearing. This isn’t just about your ears being "sensitive." It’s about your Eustachian tube, a small passage that connects your middle ear to the back of your throat struggling to keep up with the air pressure outside. When that tube can’t open properly, pressure builds up, and your eardrum gets pushed inward or outward—hence the pain, muffled hearing, or ringing.

Some people get it every time they fly. Others never do. Why? It often comes down to congestion. If you have a cold, allergies, or sinus issues, your Eustachian tube is already swollen or blocked. That’s why flying with a stuffy nose is a bad idea. Decongestants, like pseudoephedrine or oxymetazoline nasal spray, can help by shrinking the swelling so the tube opens more easily. But they’re not magic—they need to be taken at the right time, usually 30 to 60 minutes before descent. And they’re not safe for everyone. High blood pressure? Glaucoma? Talk to your doctor first. Same goes for antihistamines. They help if allergies are the issue, but they can dry you out and make things worse if you’re already dehydrated from the dry cabin air.

There are simple, free tricks that work better than pills for most people. Yawning, chewing gum, or sucking on hard candy forces your jaw to move—and that helps open the Eustachian tube. The Valsalva maneuver (gently blowing your nose while pinching it shut) works too, but don’t force it. Too much pressure can damage your eardrum. If you’re traveling with a baby, nursing or giving them a bottle during descent helps them swallow and equalize pressure. For frequent flyers, special earplugs designed to slow pressure changes can make a real difference. And if you’ve had this problem before, try sleeping through takeoff and landing—you won’t be fighting the pressure awake.

Most cases of airplane ear clear up on their own within hours. But if your ear stays blocked, you have severe pain, or you notice fluid draining from your ear, that’s not normal. That could mean your eardrum is ruptured or an infection has set in. Don’t ignore it. The posts below cover what you need to know—from how certain medications affect ear pressure, to why some people are more prone to this, and how to avoid long-term damage. Whether you’re flying once a year or once a month, you don’t have to suffer through it.