How to Unblock Ears After Skydiving

Key Takeaways
Rapid altitude and pressure changes during skydiving can temporarily clog your ears. Simple techniques like yawning, jaw movement, or gentle pressure maneuvers can help unblock ears quickly. Persistent ear blockage may require time, over-the-counter remedies, or medical advice in rare cases. Preventive steps – such as avoiding jumps when congested and listening to your body – can reduce ear issues on future jumps.

If you’re new to skydiving, you may benefit from a few tips and tricks to make your jump extra awesome. Knowing how to unblock ears after skydiving is one of those things, and luckily it’s easy peasy. 

The most tried and true ways to unblock your ears after skydiving include yawning, swallowing, or gently performing the Valsalva maneuver (pinch nose, close mouth, blow gently) to open your Eustachian tubes.

In this article, we’ll help you get prepped for your jump by addressing how to unblock ears, why skydiving clogs your ears, and when you might want to consider contacting your doctor.

Why Ears Get Blocked After Skydiving

Your ears are naturally designed to adjust to fluctuating pressure, allowing your body to adapt to different environments. Where skydiving is a bit different from what your body is built for is in the speed at which those pressure changes occur. 

Skydiving entails jumping from a high altitude and falling back toward the Earth at 120 mph. This means that your body experiences an intense pressure change in a short period of time between when you exit the airplane and the parachute opens. Essentially, the Eustachian tubes in your ears are unable to keep up with the rate of pressure change and become clogged. 

As a result, you may feel discomfort or pain, which might lead you to wonder: is it normal for my ears to hurt after skydiving? Yes, most people experience ear pressure or discomfort during and after skydiving – it’s a normal physiological response and nothing to worry about as long as it doesn’t last for an extended period of time. 

Your next question is, naturally: how to unclog ears after skydiving? Don’t fret! There are a few simple strategies you can perform that should alleviate any blockage you might feel after your jump.

How to Unblock Ears After Skydiving

How do you fix clogged ears after diving through the sky? There’s no right way to do it – everybody is different. Try different remedies until you find the best way to unblock your ears.

Valsalva Method

This is the most well known technique, partially because people often offer it up as an answer to the more common question: How to pop a clogged ear after flying? The Valasalva Maneuver is done by plugging your nose, closing your mouth, and blowing out until you feel your ears clear. This maneuver should be completed gently and carefully to ensure you’re not forcing air through your Eustachian tubes so hard that you cause damage.

Tonybee Maneuver

The Tonybee Maneuver is similar to the Valsalva Method, but you must have access to a drink of water. For this version, you plug your nose and then sip the water until you feel relief in your ears. Because of the need for a drink, this technique can only be done after you land.

Wiggle Your Jaw

This is perhaps the most gentle way to clear your ears and is actually a sort of massage for your Eustachean tubes. If you relax your jaw and let it hang open, and then wiggle it around so that you can feel the crackling and popping in your ears, you should start to feel your ears unblocking.

Yawning

Nature’s ear clearing technique! This is your body’s way of recognizing something’s up in your head and ears and giving a big stretch to clear it out. Of course, a genuine yawn is your best bet for getting a good clear, but even faking it can help your Eustachian tubes purge all that pressure.

No matter which method you choose, it’s imperative that you approach delicately to protect the tiny inner workings of your ears.

What To Do If Your Ears Won’t Clear

Sometimes those in-the-moment techniques don’t quite do the trick, and we need additional remedies for blocked ears. Even if the age-old maneuvers don’t equalize your ears on the spot, sometimes it just takes a little bit of time for your ears to naturally return to normal. But if time goes by and you’re still feeling bricked in the head, you can purchase over-the-counter ear drops that may help loosen things up. Talk to a pharmacist about what might work best.

Of course, there comes a point where continuously clogged ears become a greater concern and you may have to seek medical attention. While rare, it is possible to burst an eardrum while skydiving, and you’ll want to make sure you don’t need to take any additional steps to help with healing.

If you’re ever in doubt, reach out to a medical professional and get a truly educated opinion!

Prevention Tips for Future Jumps

Experiencing blocked ears pretty much comes with the territory in skydiving. It’s the nature of soaring through the sky for miles at high rates of speed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t take steps to prevent serious issues with clogged ears. 

• Don’t jump with a cold or sinus congestion. Congestion in your head means your Eustachian tubes are already struggling with normal operation, so don’t add to it.
  
• Don’t wait until you land to attempt to clear your ears. As soon as the parachute opens and you’ve settled into your harness, you can reach up and take action to alleviate ear pressure.
  
• Listen to your body. If you’re dehydrated, feeling off, or the weather is impacting your head and sinuses, rethink your decision to jump that day. Skydiving is a physical sport, and your mind and body need to be in tip top shape to ensure a successful skydive.

Ready to see if everything you’ve heard about jumping out of airplanes is true? Book your jump and experience the life-changing adventure of skydiving for yourself! Blue skies!

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