: Placing a warm cloth over the ear can help thin mucus and relax the area.
For ears blocked by mucus (colds or allergies), pressure changes won’t help. Heat will.
That “clogged” sensation is formally known as , and it happens when the Eustachian tube (the tiny passage connecting your middle ear to the back of your throat) gets blocked.
Do not blow hard or forcefully. Use gentle, increasing pressure. Blowing too hard can damage your eardrum.
Most people get clogged ears during , not takeoff. Here’s why: as the plane descends, outside air pressure increases, pushing your eardrum inward.