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Blocked ears on Flights: Causes, Quick Fixes, and When to Get Help

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That muffled, blocked feeling when the plane starts to descend? There are simple ways to relieve it. Here's what causes it, how to fix it fast, and when it needs checking.

Few things make a flight more uncomfortable than the sudden sensation of blocked ears. One moment your hearing is normal. The next, sounds feel muffled, pressure builds inside your ears, and you may feel mild pain. It is most common during take-off and descent, when altitude and cabin pressure, changes quickly.

This is commonly known as aeroplane ear, and in most cases, it is harmless and temporary. But the discomfort is real and knowing how to relieve it (and when it signals something more) makes a genuine difference.

This guide explains why it happens, how to relieve the pressure during a flight, how to prevent it next time, and when blocked ears after flying need professional attention.

Why Your Ears Feel Blocked on a Plane

Plane cabins are highly pressurised. However, the air pressure maintained inside isn’t the same as that you experience when on the ground. As the plane ascends or descends, the cabin pressure adjusts automatically to match the altitude. Your ears become more sensitive to these shifts as the eardrum requires equal pressure to be maintained on both sides, i.e., between the middle and outer ear. 

As the pressure outside the ear’s changes more rapidly than the middle ear, the thin eardrum membrane gets pushed inward or outward. That’s when you start noticing symptoms like fullness, popping, muffled hearing, or subtle discomfort. The greater the pressure difference is, the more intense the sensation.

The Role of the Eustachian Tube

The Eustachian tube is a narrow passage connecting your middle ear to the back of your nose and throat. Its job is to keep the pressure balanced on both sides of the eardrum.

Normally, this tube opens automatically when you swallow, yawn, chew, or talk letting air move in and out of the middle ear to equalise pressure. During take-off and landing, it must work harder. If it cannot open properly, pressure builds up and your ears feel blocked.

Why Some People Suffer More Than Others

Not everyone experiences blocked ears the same way. Several factors affect how easily your ears adjust to altitude changes:

  • A cold, allergies, or sinus congestion can make it harder for the Eustachian tube to open
  • A naturally narrower Eustachian tube equalises pressure more slowly
  • Recent ear infections or inflammation can affect normal ear function
  • Excess earwax can make the blocked sensation feel more intense
  • Frequent flyers often manage symptoms better through practised techniques

What Blocked Ears During Air Travel Can Feel Like

For most travellers, symptoms are temporary and improve once the pressure equalises after landing. Common symptoms include:

  • A feeling of fullness or pressure in one or both ears
  • Muffled or reduced hearing, as if the sounds are coming from far away.
  • Popping or clicking sensations
  • Mild discomfort during take-off or descent.
  • The frequent need to swallow, yawn, or chew repeatedly to ease the discomfort.
  • A sensation that the ears need to “pop” but won’t.
  • Slight dizziness or imbalance in some cases.

Most people feel back to normal within minutes to a few hours of landing. Mild symptoms can occasionally last up to a day.

Read this detailed blog on suddenly blocked ears to learn what you should do immediately so that treatment doesn’t get delayed. 

What is Causing the Blocked Sensation?

1. Colds and Congestion

A stuffy nose affects more than your breathing. Congestion from a cold, flu, or respiratory infection causes swelling in the nasal passages and throat, restricting airflow and making it harder for trapped pressure to release during take-off or landing.

2. Seasonal Allergies and Sinus Issues

Flying during allergy season can trigger inflammation throughout the upper airways and sinuses, restricting normal airflow around the ears. Sudden allergy flare-ups are a common and often overlooked cause of in-flight ear pressure.

3. Earwax Build-Up

Earwax does not cause middle ear pressure directly, but it can make the blocked sensation feel worse by narrowing the ear canal. Temporary hearing changes at altitude can feel more intense as a result. If you are prone to wax build-up, having professional ear wax removal  before travelling can help.

Related reading: What Causes Earwax Build-Up and When Should You Get It Removed?

4. Existing Ear Conditions

Pre-existing ear problems make flying more challenging. Chronic ear infections, Eustachian tube dysfunction, fluid behind the eardrum, or a history of ear surgery can all affect how well your ears handle pressure changes.

How to Relieve Ear Pressure During a Flight

These simple techniques help open the Eustachian tube and equalise pressure. Start them early during ascent and before descent begins, rather than waiting for discomfort to build.

1. Swallowing Repeatedly

When you start swallowing, your Eustachian Tube will open naturally. This can help the trapped pressure to move between your middle ear and throat. With this simple action, you will see a noticeable difference during take-off and landing. Swallowing or sipping water regularly will help your ears adjust more comfortably to changing cabin pressure.

2. Yawning

Yawning is a natural way to encourage pressure equalisation by opening the Eustachian Tube temporarily. Here’s how:

  • Relaxing the muscles around the ears and the jaws
  • Helping trapped air move more freely
  • Triggering a popping sensation to relieve the trapped pressure
  • Working particularly during descent when the pressure changes are maximum

3. Chew Gum

Chewing gum increases how often you swallow, which helps keep the Eustachian tube open. This is why cabin crew often recommend it during take-off and landing.

4. ay Hydrated

Cabin air is usually dry, which can cause irritation or congestion in your nose and throat. Staying well hydrated helps keep these passages moist, thereby supporting the normal functioning of the Eustachian Tube. Drinking water regularly throughout the flight may improve your ears’ ability to adjust to the rapid pressure changes.

5. Try Valsalva Manoeuvre

The Valsalva Manoeuvre can help release the trapped pressure if your ears don’t pop. Here’s how to do it.
  • Pinch your nostrils closed
  • Close your mouth
  • Gently blow as though exhaling through your nose
  • Stop immediately if you experience pain and never blow forcefully

6. Gentle Jaw Movements

Slowly opening and closing your mouth, or moving your jaw gently from side to side, activates the muscles connected to the Eustachian tube and can encourage your ears to pop.

Still Blocked After Landing? What to Do

It is normal for ears to stay blocked for a short while after landing, particularly after a long descent or if you flew with a cold or allergies. If your hearing has not returned to normal after a couple of hours, try the following:
  • Continue swallowing, yawning, or chewing gums for several hours after landing.
  • Perform the Valsalva manoeuvre gently every few hours if pressure remains trapped.
  • Use a saline nasal spray to reduce nasal swelling that might be preventing the Eustachian tubes from functioning normally.
  • Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water or shower to loosen congestion.
If symptoms persist beyond 48 to 72 hours or get worse, arrange a professional ear assessment to identify the cause.

How to Prevent Blocked Ears Before Your Next Flight

The best time to manage flight-related ear problems is before boarding. Taking proactive steps can help manage the discomforting symptoms and keep the pressure balanced. Here’s what you can do.
  • Avoid flying if you are suffering from severe cold, sinus infection, or heavy nasal congestion.
  • If allergies are a trigger, ensure the symptoms are well controlled before you travel.
  • Start drinking water before boarding rather than waiting until symptoms develop.
  • Begin swallowing, chewing gum, or performing jaw movements during ascent and before descent starts.
  • Consider pressure-regulating earplugs designed specifically for air travel.
  • Have ear wax removal professionally before travelling if you have already experienced pressure-related blockage previously.

When Blocked Ears Need Medical Attention

Most cases of aeroplane ear resolve on their own. But sometimes the pressure difference causes a condition called ear barotrauma where the Eustachian tube cannot equalise the pressure, leading to stretching, inflammation, and in more severe cases, damage to the eardrum or middle ear.

Seek professional advice if you experience any of the following after a flight:

Severe ear pain, sudden hearing loss, or fluid or blood draining from the ear, seek medical attention promptly. These can indicate a more serious pressure injury.

  • Ear pressure or blockage lasting longer than 48 to 72 hours
  • Hearing that does not return to normal after a few days
  • Persistent ringing, buzzing, or other new sounds in the ear (tinnitus)
  • Significant or ongoing dizziness or vertigo
  • One ear feeling significantly worse than the other
  • Symptoms getting worse rather than gradually improving
A professional ear assessment can identify whether the problem is a pressure imbalance, fluid behind the eardrum, earwax, an infection, or another condition and ensure it is treated before it leads to longer-term complications.

Conclusion

Blocked ears are a common when travelling. In most cases, the discomfort resolves once pressure in the middle ear returns to normal. Simple tricks, like yawning, chewing gum, or jaw movements, can help relieve the pressure build-up by opening the Eustachian tube. However, if the symptoms persist for more than 2 days after landing, it’s better if you seek professional auditory assessment. This will help you know if there’s an underlying problem, like a blocked Eustachian tube, fluid build-up, or ear barotrauma.

Book Your Free Hearing Test At Direct Ear Care Manchester

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Written and medically reviewed by:

Ibrahim Musa
Audiologist

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my ears hurt more during landing than take-off?
Most ear discomfort occurs during descent because the surrounding air pressure changes more rapidly than during the ascent. The Eustachian tubes must work harder to equalise pressure, making blockage and pain more likely during landing.
Yes. Pressure imbalances can temporarily reduce how effectively sound travels through the middle ear, resulting in muffled hearing. The condition usually improves once the pressure stabilises and normal auditory function is restored.
They can help. Pressure-regulating earplugs are designed to slow the rate at which pressure changes reach the eardrum during take-off and landing. They are particularly worth trying if you regularly experience blocked ears or pressure-related pain when flying.
Sometimes, excessive earwax accumulation prevents the sound waves from reaching the eardrum. Although it doesn’t cause pressure to build up inside the middle ear, it can intensify the pressure-related problems during flight.
For most people, blocked ears clear within minutes to a few hours of landing. Mild symptoms can occasionally last up to a day. If the blockage, muffled hearing, or pressure lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours, or gets worse rather than better, it is worth arranging a professional ear assessment to rule out an underlying issue.

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