Why Do Ears Pop In Planes & High-Rise Elevators? Do Babies Feel The Same? Tip & Remedies Here

Last Updated:July 24, 2025, 20:00 IST

Ever wondered why your ears pop on flights or elevators? Learn what causes it, tips for relief, and how babies experience it too.

Have you ever felt your ears go “pop” or feel blocked while flying or riding a lift to a high floor? This is something most people experience, and it can be quite uncomfortable, especially when you have a cold. But why does it happen?

How Do Our Ears Work?

Our ears have three main parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear. The middle ear is a small, air-filled space. It connects to the back of your nose through a narrow passage called the eustachian tube. This tube helps keep the air pressure inside your ear the same as the air pressure outside your body.

Why Do Ears Feel Blocked During Flights or Elevator Rides?

When you go up in an aeroplane or a tall lift, the air pressure around you changes quickly. If your eustachian tube doesn’t open properly, air can’t move in or out of your middle ear. This creates a pressure difference, making your eardrum stretch inward or outward. That’s what causes the popping sound or blocked feeling.

If you have a cold, allergy, or sinus infection, the eustachian tube can become swollen and blocked. This makes it harder for pressure to balance, which is why your ears may hurt or feel more blocked during those times.

Do Babies Feel the Same?

Yes, babies also feel pressure in their ears. In fact, they may feel it even more than adults because their eustachian tubes are smaller and get blocked more easily. Babies often cry during take-off or landing on a flight because they feel pain or discomfort in their ears.

Tips and Remedies to Prevent Ear Popping

Swallow, yawn, or chew gum: These actions help open the eustachian tube.

Try the Valsalva method: Close your mouth, pinch your nose, and gently blow.

Use a nasal spray: It can reduce swelling in the nose and help air pass through.

For babies: Give them a bottle, dummy, or let them breastfeed during take-off and landing.

If your ears feel blocked for a long time or it happens very often, it’s a good idea to see an ENT specialist.

Buzz Staff

A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.

A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.

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