How to Unblock Infants' Ears on Flights

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Does your child suffer ear pain during a long flight? Do you feel guilt because you don't know how to help them? Here are some easy methods to unblock your child's ears and ease their suffering.

Steps

1. Talk to your infant. Calm them down by distracting them and assuring them that it's okay.
   
2. Ask the flight attendant for a beverage or lollipop ; swallowing anything will help ease your child's ears a little. Giving them a piece of gum to chew on is also a good idea if you know they are old enough to keep it in their mouth.
   
3. Get your child to yawn. The unlocking motion of the jaw opens the ear ways. Even a fake yawn can help.
   
4. Act as though you have water in your ears if nothing has worked so far - Use the palm of your hand as a suction and press against your ear. Slowly pull away and tip your head towards the side of the ear a little and repeat. Show your infant this and help them try it a few times.
   

Tips

• Flight attendants usually hand out lollies or have them handy, so asking for assistance is always the best method - they are trained to handle these situations.
  

Warnings

• Do not give your infant gum if they are not old enough. They can choke!
  
• Only use the hand suction method a few times, otherwise they can get a headache far worse than the earaches.
  

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