EarPlanes ear plugs. I have bad allergies and flying would cause terrible ear pain during flights and I would be clogged and uncomfortable for days after. You can buy them in Target, CVS, Wlagreens, etc. I use mine five or more times before I replace them.

Earplanes

I have significant sinus issues and I fly often. Yes take a decongestant. Yes use Earplanes. Stay hydrated.

The speed and angle of the approach and descent play a big role in how my sinuses handle it

Take a decongestant with the real pseudoephedrine in it. The kind they keep behind the counter. Drink a lot of water on the flight. You can't drink alcohol while on those meds.

Chewing gum or sucking on a hard candy can also help your ears pop (though I'd definitely address any underlying congestion as well).

Thanks for all the tips. I will start a decongestant today and get the ear plugs. And thanks for the reminder not to drink alcohol. That's usually how I beat the anxiety!

I second decongestant and Earplanes. I have problems with my ears when I fly and using both makes a real difference for me.

It looks stupid, but it really works. Ask the flight attendant for two styrofoam cups with a hot towel in each to hold over your ears during the descent. I have the same problem, and a stewardess told me about this. It really works. Better than decongestant, better than sucking on candy, better than earplugs.

Suero- you hold the cups over your ears? Or just the hot towels?

Legomom, I have always suffered from severe ear pain upon descent when flying and just barely got along with ear planes. They did not completely solve the problem, which is usually caused by small eustachion tubes in the ears. Just returned from a trip to Europe that involved several flights. I bit the bullet and consulted a pharmacist who recommended 12-hour Sudafed. I hated to take the stuff, but it worked like a charm and I will never fly without it again! I did have wine with dinner. I downloaded a couple of Netflix series on my iPad, which allowed me to watch what I prefer and I found that relaxing. Ironically, I'm in the middle of the book, Before the Fall (about the crash of a private jet.....and so much more!)

Try the Sudafed. I felt no adverse effects and was not filled with throbbing ear pain, coupled with deafness on landing. Happy travels!

When I worked for an airline and traveled often, my dr recommended Flonase-- but the key is to start a few days before your flight. It worked very well for me.. and I could drink with it :)

I went to the pharmacy and got some sudafed. The pharmacist did say it causes anxiety in some people so I'm hoping I'm not trading one problem for another!

I'm going to try it tomorrow morning to see how it goes. My Netflix is loaded and ready to go. We have a direct flight out so only one landing to worry about!

There aren't any warnings on the box about alcohol, but our flight leaves early in the morning so not sure I'll have any or not. Blah! I love to travel so I'm going to get over this whole flight anxiety thing. I've been letting it rule my plans for too long.

My eardrum burst the very first time I flew -- I was in college. (Late travel bloomer.) Here is what the ENT told me to do after that, every time I fly: Take decongestant starting a day or two before flying. Use nasal spray 15 min before takeoff and again before landing. And have a bottle of water and take regular sips during takeoff and landing. I did that for years. Then I eventually got lazy and stopped, and haven't had any issues. But if I ever fly when I have a cold, I do follow those instructions again.

legomom23

The hot towels are in the cups, the cups are over your ears. Think Princess Leia, but with cups instead of buns.

Gum is the traditional remedy, but I have dental work, so I just yawn. That usually relieves the pressure. Remember you're in a pressurized space - it's all about the air pressure. Sipping hot tea or similar might be helpful too.

Thank you all for the great advice. I made it! I used the original sudafed and the ear planes. I didn't have the hot towel/cup thing, but I did wear my big noise cancelling headphones the whole time and that might have helped too. I think DH might get a pair for the way home:)

That pain is awful. It feels like having someone stick needles into your ears.

Try yawning, very wide, and several times. I find this works every time. I'm very fortunate and have no issues with flying, and usually fall asleep as soon as the engines are turned on, and if flying alone, will sleep until I get to my destination. I stress about plenty of other things, just not flying. Go figure.