The most annoying and sometimes painful thing to feel on an airplane is ear popping! For most people, this can make air travel very uncomfortable and frustrating.

What causes this?

Whenever there is a sudden change in air pressure, the pressure in the cavity that is located behind your eardrum tries to change as well. However, sometimes the cavity has a little trouble and the change is delayed.

The difference in pressure between the cavity and the outside of the ear is what causes the uncomfortable feeling. According to doctors, (and Wikipedia) this is called barotrauma.

So, when you finally do something such as yawn, you will feel that pop in your ear meaning that the air in your cavity and the air outside have reached equilibrium.

Prevention Tips:

Yawn: one of the most common remedies, yawning helps gives an extra push. When yawning, try to open your mouth as widely and as openly as possible. Even though this might not be aesthetically pleasing to the public, it helps!

Treat congestion: having any congestion or any inflammatory conditions hinders the Eustachian tube from opening. (The Eustachian tube is connected to the cavity behind your eardrum)

So, if you suffer from allergies or are feeling "stuffy" from a cold, it is best to take some medicine before hand to clear your airways as much as possible.

Best suggestions would be to take a nasal decongestant or and antihistamine. If medicine or nasal decongestants freak you out, you can also gargle warm water with salt.

This can kill any germs that are causing any feeling of sickness. (mom's best recipe!)

Swallow: Chewing gum or sucking on a hard candy will help you keep swallowing. Swallowing is one way to help keep that Eustachian tube open. By keeping that tube open you are stopping the difference in pressure from building up.

Valsalva Maneuver: this method takes a lot of practice to perform correctly, but it is one way to help reach equilibrium in air pressure. All you do is pinch your nose and GENTLY blow.

If you blow too hard you will feel a pain when your ears a pop, and that is what we are trying to prevent!