The Valsalva maneuver was the classic solution. Gently. Gently . He pinched his nose, closed his mouth, and tried to exhale softly, like blowing up a stubborn balloon. A tiny squeak. Then nothing. He tried again, a little more force. A sharp, needle-like pain stabbed his right eardrum. He stopped immediately. Never force it , he remembered. You can rupture an eardrum that way.
He’d tried the basics. A loud, exaggerated yawn that cracked his jaw but did nothing for his ears. A few desperate chews of stale pretzels. Even a theatrical, open-mouthed swallow that earned him a concerned glance from the woman in 14B. how to unpop ears after plane
A faint, distant crinkle sound in his left ear. Like the first crack of thin ice. Hope. The Valsalva maneuver was the classic solution
This wasn't his first flight. But it was the first time he'd felt truly stuck . He pinched his nose, closed his mouth, and