hearing care Archives - Meadows+Wood Hearing Care

Flying and Ear Pressure: How to Protect Your Ears When You Travel

Meadows+Wood Hearing Care — Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:47 +0000

Many people notice discomfort, pressure, or muffled hearing during flights especially during landing. This happens because the air pressure around you changes faster than your ears can adjust. For most people it’s mild, but for some it can be very painful.

This guide explains why it happens and what you can do to prevent it.

Why Your Ears Hurt on a Plane

Inside your ear is a small air‑filled space called the middle ear. It connects to the back of your nose via a tiny channel called the Eustachian tube. This tube’s job is to keep pressure equal on both sides of your eardrum.

During take‑off and landing, air pressure changes quickly. If the Eustachian tube can’t open easily, pressure builds and the eardrum is pulled inward, causing:

Ear pressure or pain
Muffled hearing
Crackling or popping
Temporary dizziness

This is sometimes referred to as airplane ear or barotrauma, and it is more common than many people realise.

Who Is More Likely to Experience It?

Some people are more prone to airplane ear than others. Those with hay fever, allergies, a cold, or sinus congestion often struggle because the Eustachian tube becomes inflamed or blocked. People with a history of ear infections, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or narrow Eustachian tubes may also find it harder to equalise pressure naturally. Even mild congestion can make a significant difference to how your ears cope in the air.

A Note for Travelling with Children

Children’s Eustachian tubes are smaller and more easily blocked, so they can be particularly prone to ear discomfort during flights. Encouraging a drink or using a dummy during take-off and landing promotes swallowing and helps equalise pressure naturally. Chewing or swallowing during descent works well for older children. An Otovent balloon device, designed specifically for children, can be helpful if recommended by a healthcare professional.

How to Prevent Ear Pain When Flying

These simple steps can make flying much more comfortable:

Start early, don’t wait for pain. Begin equalising your ears before the plane starts descending.
Swallow, yawn, or sip water regularly. These movements help the Eustachian tube open.
Try the Valsalva manoeuvre (gently). Pinch your nose, close your mouth, and blow gently until your ears pop. Repeat every few minutes during descent.
Consider a nasal decongestant spray. Using one 20–30 minutes before landing may help if you’re congested or prone to allergies. (Always follow the instructions on the product.)
Stay awake for landing. If you’re asleep, you won’t swallow and pressure can build quickly.
Keep well hydrated. Dry air on planes can make the Eustachian tubes less responsive.

When to Seek Help

Most cases of airplane ear resolve on their own within a day or so, but it is worth seeking advice if symptoms persist. Contact a hearing specialist or your GP if you experience:

Ear pain lasting more than 24–48 hours
Persistent muffled hearing
Fluid or discharge from the ear
Severe pain during every flight
Symptoms only on one side

A simple hearing test and tympanogram can check how well the ears are equalising and rule out any underlying issues with middle ear function.

How Meadows & Wood Can Help

At Meadows & Wood Hearing Care, our audiologists can assess Eustachian tube function, investigate any underlying conditions that may be making flying uncomfortable, and offer personalised advice to help you travel with confidence. If flying has been causing you problems, or if you have noticed any changes in your hearing, we would be happy to help.

Call us on 01934 248426 or book a consultation online now to find out more.

The post Flying and Ear Pressure: How to Protect Your Ears When You Travel appeared first on Meadows+Wood Hearing Care.

Understanding Earwax: When to Worry and When to Leave It Alone

Meadows+Wood Hearing Care — Fri, 01 May 2026 09:00:32 +0000

By Claire, Practice Manager & Hearing Care Assistant at Meadows & Wood Hearing Care

It might not be the most glamorous of topics, but earwax matters more than most people realise. It gets a bad reputation, but it is your ear’s own cleaning system. It traps dust and debris, protects the ear canal, and in most cases works its way out naturally. The ears are very good at looking after themselves.

By Claire, Practice Manager & Hearing Care Assistant at Meadows & Wood Hearing Care

It might not be the most glamorous of topics, but earwax matters more than most people realise. It gets a bad reputation, but it is your ear’s own cleaning system. It traps dust and debris, protects the ear canal, and in most cases works its way out naturally. The ears are very good at looking after themselves.

When should you leave it alone?

The rule of thumb is reassuringly simple: if your hearing is clear and your ears are comfortable, leave well alone. No itching, no sensation of blockage, no muffled sound? Your ears are doing exactly what they should. Earwax colour and texture vary considerably from person to person and have very little bearing on whether anything is wrong.

Signs you may need help

There are times when earwax needs a helping hand. If you experience any of the following, it is worth booking an appointment: muffled or reduced hearing that has come on gradually; a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear; tinnitus, whether ringing, buzzing or other sounds; itching or discomfort inside the ear canal; or a persistent sensation that something is blocking your ear. These are all common signs of a build-up that has compacted.

Why DIY removal is risky

Problems start when we interfere. Cotton buds, fingers, ear candles: all are notorious for pushing wax deeper into the ear canal, where it can compact and cause real difficulties. Blocked earwax is one of the most common causes of muffled hearing, tinnitus and that persistent feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.

Both Toby and I see patients who have been struggling for weeks, having tried all sorts at home and often made things worse without realising. A quick appointment is usually all it takes to sort it out completely.

Professional earwax removal at Meadows & Wood

At Meadows & Wood we use microsuction and irrigation: two safe, gentle and clinically approved techniques. Microsuction uses a fine suction probe to remove wax carefully without water, while irrigation uses a gentle flow of warm water to flush the ear canal clear. Your audiologist will advise which is most appropriate for you.

Qualifications matter as much as technique. Not every earwax removal provider has the same level of training, so it is always worth checking before you book. Our whole team is fully qualified, and we take that seriously.

We see patients from across North Somerset and Bristol, with clinics in Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Shirehampton, Clevedon and Worle.

Some of the things we find

Earwax removal can throw up some unexpected surprises. Over the years we have found everything from glitter left over from hen nights to an earring back that had been missing for a full decade, and even a small fungal growth that looked remarkably like tiny daisies growing inside the ear canal. That last one needed a swift referral to the patient’s GP. Earwax, it turns out, can hide all sorts of secrets.

Book an appointment

If you have noticed muffled hearing, a blocked feeling or any discomfort in your ears, do not ignore it. Our friendly, fully qualified team is here to help. Call us on 01934 248426 or make an appointment now online at your nearest clinic. Home visits are also available for ear wax removal, please ask our team for details.

The post Understanding Earwax: When to Worry and When to Leave It Alone appeared first on Meadows+Wood Hearing Care.