Earplugs for an Airplane Flight

Many parents would like to travel by air with their children to further afield, but have many fears about flying. One of them is how a child, especially a small one, will cope with pressure changes and ear congestion?

We share proven tips to tame pressure fluctuations in your ears, big and small! Are earplugs really a lifesaver for airplane travel?

First of all, we want to reassure you that many families regularly fly with children, even the smallest dolls. Fluctuations in pressure are unfortunately a part of every flight, but just know a few facts about your ears and a few simple tricks and your family’s trip will be a lot easier! If you use our own travel-proven methods, the flight will definitely be more pleasant, and the upcoming trips will no longer cause so many fears. Airplane earplugs are one of them.

Facts about ears and pressure

• Ears not only help you hear, but also help you maintain balance.
• Ears are the smallest bones in the body!
• As the plane takes off, the air pressure in its sealed cabin changes and the pressure in the middle ear cavity, which was still on the ground, needs to be equalized with it. The same principle applies to quick release. Therefore, when we chew, swallow saliva, move the lower jaw, stick out the tongue, and drink water, we open the auditory tube.
• When sipping liquids, sucking lozenges, chewing gum, a small air bubble enters the middle ear from the end of the nose. This ensures that the air in the middle ear is constantly filled and that the pressure on both sides remains as even as possible.

TOP 10 ways to prevent children’s ears from getting clogged on the plane:

1. Preparation of the child

Even before the trip, tell the child about the entire course of the trip, how you will move, what you will do. Tell us what the flight will be like. Make sure to explain that during takeoff and landing (and sometimes just during the flight) the ears have a lot of work to do. Ears must quickly adapt to the air pressure and that can be a little uncomfortable. For that, you need to constantly swallow saliva to help the ears work easier. Tell the child that if he starts to feel discomfort in his ears during the flight, he should definitely tell you. It is important to explain to the child that this is normal so that the child does not get scared.

2. Liquids

Even before the flight, prepare drinks that the children can sip during take-off and landing. If the child is younger, you can take them from home, as the protection for smaller children allows you to take liquids with you. If your child is older, you will have to buy Duty free or take a drink with you, which you can fill with water after going through security.

Free water dispensers are available at Vilnius airport, as well as at other airports. Any drink that children like – water or juice – is suitable.

At airports, parents traveling with smaller children are usually allowed to have their own drinks, but for peace of mind you can call the airport and ask. We always have in our backpacks small children’s water bottles from the store with convenient nozzles for children. It’s best if the bottles are unopened, but nobody really checks that.

If you don’t have drinks, you can always buy them at the airport itself after going through security. It’s better to have them with you than to search and buy them on the plane – sales take place as soon as you take off, and besides, they cost much more.

3. Earplugs

Earplugs adapted for flights also help to equalize the pressure in the ears. With their help, the pressure in the ears changes more slowly, so the ear has time to adapt to the changes and does not cause unpleasant sensations. We have been using SANOHRA Fly for many years, and when the children were born, we started using them as well. So the earplugs for the plane flight really worked.

4. Lollipops/lollipops/lozenges

If your child is hard to talk to or doesn’t really like to sip water or other drinks, bring some pacifiers/lollipops/lozenges along for the ride. It will be fun for the child, and at the same time he will naturally produce and drool, thus unblocking his ears.

5. Chewing gum

You can also offer chewing gum to older children – it, like pacifiers, will help produce more saliva and encourage them to swallow it more often. In addition, constantly moving the jaw will automatically help “depressed” ears.

6. Breastfeeding

If you’re traveling with a nursing baby, great! Most of the time, it is precisely for such passengers that any flight is not scary, because it is enough to ask them to speak during take-off and landing and that is completely enough. The baby will cope well with the pressure by moving his jaw and swallowing milk and saliva. It is important that the baby remains at the breast for the entire time of the pressure change, so if you succeed, you can not give him the breast beforehand, so that he can breastfeed for a longer time during takeoff/landing. We started flying with our first child Motiejs when he was three months old. Since I nursed him for a long time, we didn’t have any problems during the flight. Later we started using ear plugs.

7. Mixture/bottle

If your baby eats formula, be sure to prepare him and the flight, especially during the most difficult time of takeoff and landing. Try to get your baby to be willing to sip the formula throughout the takeoff/landing, so try not to give him any or too much formula beforehand (if possible). By the way, prepare the mixture in advance, because you will not have much time and opportunities for it after boarding the plane.

8. Colds and medicines

It is important not to have a runny nose during the flight, and if you have a stuffy, runny nose, use child-friendly drops (decongestants) a day before the flight, during it and a couple of days after the flight to reduce the swelling of the nasal mucosa.

9. Games

The more you can divert children’s attention from unpleasant sensations, the better. Come up with fun games that will help children remember to drink water and have fun at the same time. For example, have each person have a bottle of water or use one bottle and take small sips one after the other using the “wave” principle. Remember – the game must be safe!

10. Blow up “balloons”

Try blowing up imaginary fake balloons with your children, try to make balloons out of your mouth and “explode” them wittily by letting the air out. It is important that children do not blow too hard, as blood may appear from the nose.

Earplugs for flying are the best way to prevent ear congestion

When we fly, we always throw a few non-obvious but life-saving gadgets in our backpacks – a nasal decongestant, a small disinfectant spray, lip balm and ear plugs.

We already wrote about stuffy noses above, so we have the nozzle, because often children get unexpected runny noses from all the air conditioners in airports or from temperature differences. If it’s really bad, nasal medicines will help you deal with pressure pains. However, this is for extra cases.

And here’s a thing that absolutely always saves – ear plugs. We have been using SANOHRA Fly for about a couple of years, so we confidently recommend them to you.

Why do We Recommend SANOHRA Fly?

• SANOHRA fly forms a small chamber in the eardrum in front of the eardrum. A patented pressure regulating filter integrated in the ear plug ensures that the air pressure increases much more slowly than in the airplane cabin.
• Thanks to these plugs, the ear trumpet has more time to equalize the pressure in the middle ear.
• Easy to use and comfortable to insert, as they are made of highly elastic foam mass that can be easily compressed and conforms to its shape in the ear without pressing.
• SANOHRA fly even has special plugs for children up to 12 years old!
• The standard size is for adults and believe me, it really makes flying easier even for experienced travelers.
• By the way, adults with narrow ear canals can use child-sized plugs. This will help prevent discomfort or pain caused by using larger tools.

Since these plugs are made of very soft foam and perfectly adapt to the shape of the ear, they will not interfere with games or comfortable lying on the side.

And most importantly, what we liked – these foam plugs are safe for children! They are very soft, like a little cloud or a marshmallow. So there is no risk that the children will somehow insert the plug deeper while playing. And taking it out is even easier than putting it in!

SANOHRA also has other products that we have tested in diving pools (SANOHRA Swim) and being at concerts with children (SANOHRA Max). All these plugs come in 2 sizes –for adults and for children!

IMPORTANT! Finally, remember that if the congestion, pain or extraneous sound in the ears persists after the flight, be sure to register for a consultation with an otorhinolaryngologist, during which detailed examinations and treatment will be performed.

Read more about preparing for traveling with children in the article Tips for preparing for a trip with children.

Read about body care products suitable for babies and children during trips and beyond in two of our articles. The best sun cosmetics for children and Lip care during travel.

This article is author’s work and was prepared by “Traveling with Children ®”. Copying and using without permission is strictly prohibited.

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