Ears Popping in Children

The sensation of ear "popping" occurs when pressure is equalized between the middle ear and the air outside the body. It is a common experience for adults and children alike, especially when flying, but children may have more difficulty and pain when popping their ears.

Differences in Children

• Children have smaller, narrower eustachian tubes--the tubes that connect the throat to the middle ear--than adults, which often causes difficulty when trying to equalize pressure by popping.

Ear Infection Problems

• The mucous and inflamed tissue from ear infections, which are very common in children, make it even more difficult for children to pop their ears. Your doctor may recommend delaying a flight for your child if she has an ear infection.

Pain

• If pressure is not equalized by popping, pressure pushing against the eardrum can cause pain. The pain will only occur for a brief amount of time, however, and will not cause long-term problems in children.

Solutions

• To reduce or eliminate ear pain from pressure problems, your child can drink caffeine-free fluids, yawn often, and chew gum, all of which may help open the eustachian tubes. You can also have your child take over-the-counter pain relievers.

Warning

• If your children experiences ear pain due to pressure problems for more than a few hours, call your doctor for advice. In the meantime, continue to give your child pain relievers according to directions on the bottle.