Why do my ears get that "airplane" feeling and then pop when I work out?
After some serious, rigorous exercise – the sweaty, heavy-breathing, accelerated heart rate kind – my ears get weird, as if I’ve been at a high altitude. They stay that way for a while, and they eventually pop.
Why does this happen? Am I doing something wrong when I breathe?
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4 Answers
That airplane ” pop ” feeling is pressure, air pressure, differentiation.
So, consult a workout expert to see if you are breathing correctly as that inner ear pressure build up is due to something along these lines I would think.
Still, I am not an expert here, so consult one.
Yes, it’s pressure. Are you holding your breath at any point?
I have it happen if someone near me is wearing a fragrance that triggers my allergies, and many deodorants do. Even cleaning products can have that effect on me. So if you have allergies or sensitivities, that may be a factor.
Sometimes blood pressure changes can also mimic that airplane feeling. Is there a way you can check your bp at the gym?
Interestingly, there is one lymph gland located just behind each ear lobe, and very close to the eustachian tube. As I understand it, if it swells, you can get that feeling of having your ears plugged. I suspect that as you exercise, it gets your lymph moving, and your ears pop when that lymph node shrinks.
Can you willingly pop your eustacian tubes? I can. Maybe you have the ability to, but don’t know it yet, and you’re subconsciously popping them while you’re lifting?
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