Professional speakers spend a lot of time on airplanes. Shoved into the pocket of every briefcase, backpack, and roller bag, I have a couple small uninflated birthday party balloons.
Why? I have four kids. They’re now ages 12-21, but when my then-three-year-old was howling in pain at 30,000 feet with plugged ears, I got a great tip from a calm flight attendant – “Get a balloon.”
To equalize the pressure in your ears, every traveler knows the “Valsalva Maneuver,” i.e. “moderately forceful attempted exhalation against a closed airway, usually done by closing one’s mouth and pinching one’s nose shut. (That is, pinch your nose, close your mouth, and blow.)
The problem is that most little kids can’t do it, and yawning only works occasionally. Speaking as someone who had childhood ear problems — it’s excruciating. Parents can only watch helplessly as their kids scream in agony.
But even kids who are too young to clear their ears can blow up a balloon, which has the same pressure-equalizing effect. So, considering that most parents will not have heard this tip, you can save the day at 30,000 feet by offering them your handy balloon. I’ve done this on a number of occasions over the years.
And if you don’t have ready access to an uninflated balloon, shoot me an email with your address and I’ll drop a few in the mail to you.
The problem is that most little kids can’t do it, and yawning only works occasionally. Speaking as someone who had childhood ear problems — it’s excruciating. Parents can only watch helplessly as their kids scream in agony.
But even kids who are too young to clear their ears can blow up a balloon, which has the same pressure-equalizing effect. So, considering that most parents will not have heard this tip, you can save the day at 30,000 feet by offering them your handy balloon. I’ve done this on a number of occasions over the years.
And if you don’t have ready access to an uninflated balloon, shoot me an email with your address and I’ll drop a few in the mail to you.
Of course, every parent knows that you have to be VERY careful letting children play with uninflated balloons, but I don’t think that’s entirely relevant in this situation.
Image copyright © 2011 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
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