# Travel >> Transportation >> Air Travel

How to Clear Your Ears After a Flight

While many aspects of traveling---such as visiting family, seeing exotic new places and getting away from everyday life for a while---may be enjoyable, the pressure and pain in your ears during and after a flight generally is not. This feeling of fullness, which can cause difficulty in hearing in addition to unpleasant sensations, often clears up quickly upon arrival, but in some cases may linger for a brief period. Fortunately, there are several techniques you can use to clear your ears after a flight.

Gum
Water or another drink

Instructions

- 1
  Put a piece of chewing gum in your mouth and chew it vigorously, swallowing the resulting saliva as often as possible. The act of swallowing frequently is often enough to clear your ears.
- 2
  Drink water or another drink in large gulps if the chewing gum did not help. This might help you swallow harder than the chewing gum alone, which could make the difference between almost clearing your ears and successfully relieving the pressure.
- 3
  Yawn as wide and hard as you can if drinking was unsuccessful. Do this several times in quick succession.
- 4
  Pinch your nose if nothing else has worked. Holding your nose shut completely and keeping your mouth tightly closed, try to exhale through your nose. Do not do this too hard, as you may end up hurting yourself.