• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

How to Soothe Ear Pain in Toddlers on an Airplane

January 5, 2011 by ds_15631 Leave a Comment

When the plane takes off and the cabin pressure changes, you can chew gum or yawn to try to regulate your ear pressure. Your toddler probably doesn’t have the ability to perform these functions on demand. With a little education and some mom-trickery, you can avoid the painful popping — and the potential for a meltdown that it may bring with it.

Step 1

Delay flying if your toddler has an ear infection or cold, if at all possible. If not, help thin mucous that might line your toddler’s narrow eustachian tubes and respiratory system by offering plenty of fluids in the days prior to the flight, according to KidsHealth. Talk to your doctor about safe ways to help alleviate congestion before take-off, like nasal aspiration.

Step 2

Offer a toddler-appropriate dose of children’s pain reliever 30 minutes before the flight if you suspect your child will have ear pain or if he’s had it in the past, recommends the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Step 3

Use your own ears to indicate the change in cabin pressure. Offer snacks that your older toddler can chew on and encourage him to make exaggerated chewing motions to help regulate ear pressure.

Step 4

Offer your breast, a bottle or a sippy cup to younger toddlers or if offering snacks doesn’t ease your older toddler’s discomfort. Sometimes sucking and swallowing eases ear pressure better than a toddler’s irregular chewing.

Step 5

Save naps for the middle of the flight because toddlers swallow less when they’re sleeping. Since swallowing helps regulate ear pressure, an awake child might tolerate pressure changes better, according to KidsHealth. Use your judgment. If your child is a particularly heavy sleeper, he might sleep through pressure changes altogether.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About ds_15631

Lillian Downey began writing professionally in 2008. She served as editor-in-chief of "Nexus Journal of Literature and Art" and as an assistant fiction editor at the prestigious "Antioch Review." She attended Wright State University, where she studied creative writing, women's studies, and health care.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Killing Off Supermom

I'll be honest with you. In my house, the beds are rarely … [Read More...] about Killing Off Supermom

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

What Does It Mean When Your Partner Curses at You?

What Does It Mean When Your Partner Curses at You?

Upper Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy

Upper Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy

Does Pregnancy Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Does Pregnancy Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Cover a Pork Roast

Should You Cover a Pork Roast & Add Liquid When Baking?

Child Too Big for a Toddler Bed

When Is a Child Too Big for a Toddler Bed?

Cravings & the Sex of the Baby

Cravings & the Sex of the Baby

Freeze Cooked & Smoked Ham

How to Freeze Cooked & Smoked Ham

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2023 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.