Reason you want your ears to pop on a plane

An airline pilot has revealed the painful truth as to why you should never try to stop your ears from popping on a plane.

An airline pilot has revealed one of the most common questions she gets asked and it has to do with ear popping.

There is nothing more annoying than having to deal with painful ears on a flight.

Blocked ears occurs when the plane takes off or starts to descend as the air pressure changes rapidly.

It may not be as bad for some but others will find their Eustachian tube – a narrow passage connected to the middle ear – often can’t react fast enough, which causes the symptoms of aeroplane ear.

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Co-pilot Morgan has taken to TikTok to explain why you want your ears to pop on a plane. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

US-based Boeing 737 co-pilot Morgan, who is known for her flight-related content on TikTok, shared a clip explaining why you want your ears to pop on a plane.

“Trust me when I say you want your ears to pop,” she began the clip.

“Your ears popping is your body’s way of relieving any pressure that is built up so that you don’t have something like a burst eardrum.”

She said your ears popping is your body’s way of relieving pressure. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

To help pop your ears try yawning, talking, eating, chewing gum or swallowing. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

The aviation TikTok star who has more than 12 million ‘likes’ on her videos, said if the pressures is building up and you’re getting one big painful pop, there are a couple of things you can do to pop your ears a little bit sooner.

She also suggested to do something called Valsalva manoeuvre, where you pinch your nose and blow. Picture: TikTok/almostcaptainmorgan

“Yawning, talking, eating, chewing gum, swallowing, really anything that’s going to move your jaw is going to help activate your Eustachian tube and pop your ears,” she said.

“If none of those work, you can do something called a Valsalva manoeuvre, which is where you pinch your nose and blow.”

She said don’t blow harder if your ears don’t clear as “this can lead to bigger issues”.

Morgan said if you’re ever in a situation where the pressure is really building up

and your ears just aren’t popping, “always travel with some Afrin nasal spray”. The alternative in Australia is Drixine.

“That will help open up your sinuses and make it a little bit easier for you to pop your ears.”

However, she advised to use it sparingly and only to get you down to the ground when needed.

“Don’t plan on having to use it!”