When your ears pop, it may often be due to flying, scuba diving, hiking a mountain, or just riding in an elevator. When air pressure around you changes (it drops as you go higher and increases as you go lower), it creates an imbalance. It means the pressure inside your ear isn’t equal to the pressure outside, which puts pressure on your eardrum, and it can be painful. But the pain is temporary, and you can ease it. Below are some suggestions on how to do so.
What Happens When You Pop Your Ears?
The part of your ear that pops is in your eustachian tube. This tube is made to protect your middle ear and ventilate it. The eustachian tube works to keep air pressure equal on both sides of your eardrum.
When pressure builds up in your middle ear, your eustachian tubes open. This equalizes the pressure in your ear. This is what makes your ears pop, relieving pressure and potential pain.
How to Get Your Ears to Pop
When you feel ear pressure, you may want to pop your ears to relieve it. There are several ways to do that.
Pop your ears by holding your nose
One of the most recommended ways to pop your ears is by holding your nose and blowing out. First, take a breath. Then close your mouth and nostrils with your fingers. Lightly blow out against the pressure. This should make your ears pop.
The pressure from blowing helps open your eustachian tubes, which allows trapped air or fluid stuck in your ear to escape, relieving the pressure. It’s a common misconception that this method is dangerous. As long as you don’t blow too hard or sneeze like this, the risk of bursting your eardrum is minimal.
Pop your ears by blowing up a balloon
A unique way to pop your ears is by blowing up a balloon. The pressure you’re using to expand the balloon helps push air up to your eustachian tube. You can use this method any time you feel pressure buildup or fullness in your ear.
There are balloons that you can buy specifically to help pop your ears. If this is a common problem, you can try these out. These balloons work by having you blow through your nose while blocking one nostril at a time. These balloons are mainly for children who have repeated ear pressure buildup.
You shouldn’t try this method if you have a cold or a runny nose. This could cause infected mucus to go into your middle ear and cause an ear infection.
Pop your ears by flexing your jaw
In some cases, flexing the muscles behind the jaw can help your ears pop. This flexing can open the eustachian tube to release the pressure.
This method may be a little gentler on your ears than using your nose to pop them. If you’re flying or using an elevator and feel a pressure change, you can work your jaw to avoid a buildup of pressure.
Pop your ears by yawning
By opening your mouth to yawn, you’re swallowing air. The swallowing and movement of your mouth can help pop your ears, equalizing the pressure inside and outside of your ears.
Pop your ears by swallowing often
By swallowing water or another drink, your ears will pop, equalizing the pressure. A more intense method to pop your ears by swallowing is to pinch your nose closed. This creates a vacuum in your nose that helps your eustachian tubes open.
Chewing gum during pressure changes is also a common way to pop your ears. Chewing gum or sucking on a mint helps your mouth salivate more and causes frequent swallowing. The action of moving your jaw to chew can also equalize the pressure.
What if My Ears Won’t Pop?
Plugged ears as a result of air pressure usually resolve on their own over time. If they don't, you may need to see a doctor.
In rare cases, plugged ears may rupture your eardrum. A ruptured eardrum may cause fluid to leak from your ear.
A small rupture in your eardrum may heal on its own in a few weeks or months.
If you have other symptoms such as bleeding, pain or hearing loss, see a doctor.
When to See a Doctor
If your ears often feel like they need to be popped, you might have an underlying health condition called eustachian tube dysfunction. This happens because your tubes can’t equalize pressure well. It can make your ears feel full constantly.
If your doctor says you have the condition, they’ll recommend the right treatment plan for you. They may prescribe a decongestant, antihistamine, or allergy shots. Your ears may be bothered when flying or during allergy season. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to fix the problems in your eustachian tubes.
Takeaways
Plugged ears that result from a change in air pressure are common.
In most cases, simple things will relieve the issue.
In rare cases, plugged ears may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If your plugged ears do not resolve on their own, you may need to see a doctor.
How to Pop Your Ears FAQs
Why do my ears feel blocked or need to pop?
If the air pressure inside your ear differs from the air pressure outside, your ear may feel plugged or stuffed.
That happens when your eustachian tube is blocked or otherwise can’t equalize the pressure between your ear and the outside. This happens when you are flying in an airplane, diving in deep water, or in other similar circumstances.
Is it harmful to pop your ears too often?
In most cases, popping your ears to rebalance the air pressure in them is not harmful. But if you find that you have to do it frequently, you may have a medical condition that causes your ears to become blocked. If that is the case, you may need to see a doctor.
How to pop your ears when you’re sick
If your ears become plugged because you have a cold or allergies, try the methods described above to relieve the blockage.
If that doesn’t work, you may try taking a nasal decongestant temporarily or other medications for nasal allergies.
If the problem continues or causes other symptoms, such as pain or fluid from your ears, you may need to see a doctor.