How do yawning and swallowing equalize pressure in your ears?

Swallowing triggers contraction of the tensor veli palatini muscle. This muscle is primarily responsible for evelvation and postior displacement of the palate, but a small portion is attached to, and therefore, opens the eustachian tube. read more

When you yawn and swallow you are actually equalizing the pressure between your middle ear the the outside air pressure. There is a tube that connects your middle ear with the back of your throat called the Eustachian Tube. This is short and straight in kids and curved like and S in adults. read more

Ear clearing or clearing the ears or equalization is any of various maneuvers to equalize the pressure in the middle ear with the outside pressure, by letting air enter along the Eustachian tubes, as this does not always happen automatically when the pressure in the middle ear is lower than the outside pressure. read more

Here are five approaches to opening blocked, plugged, stopped-up ears. l. Yawn. Opening wide moves the cheek and throat muscles in such a way that opens the Eustachian tube."Place your index finger a half inch into your ear and press firmly towards the top and back of your head, yawning as deeply as possible," advises Christopher Chang, MD, of Fauquier ENT Consultants in Warranton, Virginia. 2. Swallow more. read more