Prevent Ear Popping in Children During Air Travel: A Parent's Guide

Ear-popping on airplanes mostly occurs during take-offs and landings because of changes in air pressure. Air pressure decreases during take-off and increases again during landing. These changes in air pressure can cause your child's ears to pop as air pressure equalizes between your child's outer ear and middle ear. When the trip from the runway to the skies and back again leaves your child grabbing his ears in pain, you might be reaching for some quick relief to ease the ear-popping pressure.

Things You'll Need

• Bottle or pacifier
• Juice box or bottled water
• Chewing gum

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Instructions

• 1

  Nurse your baby or give him a bottle during take-off and landing. The swallowing motion created while nursing or sucking on a bottle will help equalize pressure in the ears.

• 2

  Suck on a pacifier. If your baby or infant won't nurse or take a bottle, have him suck on a pacifier as an alternative.

• 3

  Sip on a juice box or some bottled water. An older child will benefit from the swallowing action during take-offs and lands, too. The act of swallowing opens Eustachian tubes in the ears, relieving built-up pressure.

• 4

  Chew gum or suck on hard candies. The simulated swallowing action helps equalize the pressure between your outer ear and inner ear. The faster your child can chew, the better in this case.

• 5

  Yawn. If you have nothing to drink or chew, have your child yawn to open the Eustachian tubes.