Cross Country Flight -- Ear Damage?

[uw_madtown]

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What I do on aircraft is the valsalva maneuver. You basically pinch your nose and try to blow gently out of your nose. That'll cause your ears to "pop" and equilize easily. When the airplane starts to descend, make sure to do this early and often, and you shouldn't have any issues.

Trust me on this one...as a pilot, I can tell you that this works wonders.

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Chewing gum can also work. After years of SCUBA diving this comes naturally to me, I basically just move my jaw and equalize unconsciously. Sucks when I have a cold and do it by accident and those air passages get stuck open for hours though.

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I'm amazed that some people are unable to do this. I've never done scuba or anything, but I've always been able to relieve pressure in my ears by moving my jaw and... I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like you're blowing air out your ears. But apparently not that many people know how to do it?