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Clearing your ears during climbs and descents

Clay Hammond

Clay Hammond

Registered User
Rhinebeck NY (NY94)
At a very early age I learned to clear my ears voluntarily without having to yawn, chew gum, pop them by holding my nose and blowing, or any other method. I simply open the ears by activating those muscles. Its one of my earliest memories as a child, learning that I could do this.

Does anyone else have this capability? I have asked around the airport before during bullshit sessions, and usually got called out on it as certified bullshit. But I'm serious. I can sit here, with my arms at my side, mouth and nose opened or closed, whatever makes no difference, and open my ears and equalize the pressure simply by working the muscle internally. And its not a Valsalva based maneuver either, I'm not using any air in my lungs to do it.

I was just curious who else is able to do this?
 
Clay,

You have good n straight n large Eustachian tubes. They seek to equalize pressure behind the eardrum. Pretty cool design if you ask me. Another one for intelligent design since evolution probably never thought ahead to prepare us for 2,500 fpm descents from 12,000ft. That said, some people have to do the Valsalva and at times even that doesn't work. Some people have to tilt their head back and to the side to straighten the tubes so the Valsalva works. It also works for squba/snorkel diving.

I'm like you. I don't often have a problem with my ears. The Valsalva - hold your nose and push helps when I the ears don't clear on their own.

I also know a few people with not much between the ears.

Lastly, I usually don't do 2,500 fpm descents...but you could. We do 5-6000 fpm descents at work - but then that's not cabin altitude.
 
What I remember from high altitude physiology class.

Pain on the way up can be tooth pain from trapped air expanding from a cavity or recent dental work.

Pain on the way down will be a sinus block or ear block.

This may all be wrong.
 
Iflylower said:
Clay,

You have good n straight n large Eustachian tubes. They seek to equalize pressure behind the eardrum. Pretty cool design if you ask me. Another one for intelligent design since evolution probably never thought ahead to prepare us for 2,500 fpm descents from 12,000ft. That said, some people have to do the Valsalva and at times even that doesn't work. Some people have to tilt their head back and to the side to straighten the tubes so the Valsalva works. It also works for squba/snorkel diving.

I'm like you. I don't often have a problem with my ears. The Valsalva - hold your nose and push helps when I the ears don't clear on their own.

I also know a few people with not much between the ears.

Lastly, I usually don't do 2,500 fpm descents...but you could. We do 5-6000 fpm descents at work - but then that's not cabin altitude.
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying, but I don't have to wait for the ears to purge. I can willfully and on command work the muscles that command and control the ear clearing function. Anybody else out there?
 
Ears

Clay,

I can do the same, clear my ears just by doing it not sure how it really works, just open them up when I want to .

Tray
 
I had an interesting condition about a month ago, what we called a "reverse block" in SCUBA diving. I noticed it when driving over mountain passes initially, and it was rather sensitive, I laughed thinking it must be what a VSI feels like. I could sense even the smallest increases in elevation as pain in the eardrum, and the pain would subside as soon as I started to descend. A few days later I went flying and noticed it again, but it wasn't as bad, thankfully. Strange, as I had no sinus or congestive issues at the time.

I've always had to plug the nose and blow to equalize, I wish I could do that maneuver without.
 
Clay Hammond said:
I can willfully and on command work the muscles that command and control the ear clearing function. Anybody else out there?
Click to expand...

Yep, learned to do that when learnin scuba diving. It USUALLY works, but if not, it helps to reverse the (whichever) pressure & "keep up with it". I'm sitting here doing it now & listening to the wax crackling. Dellightful post 'eh?
 
I can do it too, it is almost like you are about to yawn... same when you swallow
 
Me too, most of the time I can just get them to clear especially on an ascent. On a normal descent (up to about 1000 FPM) it also works well. If I am a little stuffy from a cold or whatever I usually have to plug my nose and blow on descent. I can feel the little muscles moving when I do it.

I don't know if it's related or not but I have always been able to wiggle my ears easily.

Trent
 
I usually don't have a problem with my ears plugging but recently I have bought a set of ZULUs and now I have the problem every time I descend out of--say 4 or 5 thousand ft. (great headset though) is it because they just seal so good? :bad-words:

DW
 
I have to stick my jaw out a bit, not much, don't even have to open my mouth. That is if I don't have a cold...........
 
Me too. Never had a problem clearing my ears flying or scuba diving. I just chocked it off to having a flow-through head after years of killing off braincells.
 
Clay Hammond said:
At a very early age I learned to clear my ears voluntarily without having to yawn, chew gum, pop them by holding my nose and blowing, or any other method. I simply open the ears by activating those muscles. Its one of my earliest memories as a child, learning that I could do this. Does anyone else have this capability?
Click to expand...

How well you can perform this skill has been scientifically proven to be the inverse of the size of your willy :p. As for me, I have zero ability in this area :-? .
 
Clay, same thing here, since very young. Also can wiggle my ears...???... :-?
 
Joe, Will you quit reminding us younger guys what we have to look forward to?


SteveP'
Coach Tatum told us in the eighth grade that
we could wear it out in the shower....
WHO KNEW!!!!!!!
 
Steve Pierce said:
I'm doomed for sure. :lol:
Click to expand...

but I bet Lee will pick it up. For me I think it was a development of flying in non-pressurized aircraft frequently from a very young age.
 
I can do it, just never told anyone because I thought it was another of the many genetic defects that I happen to be blessed with!
 
Cajun Joe said:
Joe, Will you quit reminding us younger guys what we have to look forward to?


SteveP'
Coach Tatum told us in the eighth grade that
we could wear it out in the shower....
WHO KNEW!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Joe-

TMI

(too much information)
 
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