Ways to Pop Your Ears

When pressure builds in your ears, it can be very uncomfortable, even painful. Popping them becomes a necessity. This is especially true for frequent travelers who employ the use of airplanes to get around (where changing cabin pressure often makes it imperative that one pop one's ears) as well as for divers (whose ears experience mounting pressure from the encircling water the deeper the diver goes). Popping your ears, though, can be a simple affair, and once learned, it can become second nature.

Block Your Nose

• Consider blocking your nose in order to unblock your ears. To do this, simply squeeze both sides of your nose--gently--with your thumb and pointing finger. Holding your fingers in place, blow your nose. Instead of the air coming out of your nostrils (which are currently being blocked by you), it will come out through your ears, thereby popping them.

Yawning Jaw-Wiggle

• Try the yawning jaw-wiggle, by far the simplest way to pop your ears. Simply open your mouth then wiggle around your jaw--all while yawning. As you wiggle your jaw around, you'll find that your ears pop. Using this method, you can actually pop your ears anytime, anywhere, without anybody really noticing.

Chew Gum

• One alternative form of the yawning jaw-wiggle is to simply chew gum. This mimics the jaw-wiggle part and is often enough to pop your ears. For added effectiveness, interrupt your gum-chewing action now and again with a yawn. Be careful not to choke on the gum while yawning.

Swallow

• Swallow, even with nothing in your mouth. The swallowing action works the same muscles that open up your Eustachian tubes, the very tubes that are blocked. Swallow over and over until your ears pop. Again, this is a method that can be used to pop your ears that will attract little or no attention to yourself.