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I've always had a very difficult time adjusting to the pressure after 12 feet or so. I can pop my ears by plugging my nose and blowing, but it doesn't seem to make a big difference. Does anyone know how to overcome this? I go to Lake Superior every year, and I really want to dive deeper.
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it used to happen every once in a while, but lately every time I fly I have MASSIVE pressure build up. I pop my ears, but that only goes so far before the pressure overwhelms me. First it mutes out all sound as my ears plug up. If I'm lucky, it stops there and normalizes after landing. If I am unlucky, it continues to build until I get massive stabbing pains that feel like somebody is smashing a fork into my face around my eyes. It is unbearable. Two NYC trips ago, I was overwhelmed with pain and was taken out of commission for 8 hours just lying in the hotel room clothing my face.
Not cool.
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blowing while holding nose closed just makes it worse. It never successfully pops for me. Chewing gum is the right idea, but also doesn't work. Basically, I make exaggerated yawning movements to pop my ears. I basically look like a freak for 20 minutes straight.
It's on the list of things to do at my next doctor's visit. I actually phoned him from NY the one time it was really really bad because I was scared to get back on the plane. He said it was ok, and probably just sinus blockage combined with pressure changes.
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I've had a lot of success with alavert. It is a non-drowsy antihistamine which works for me every time I fly. It helps keep my sinuses and ears clear. I don't have allergies per se, but when I'm around a bunch of other people at an international airport I usually get clogged up. I like alavert because its available in a dissolvable tablet just about anywhere.
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