The key to relieving the pressure caused by airplane takeoffs and landings is chewing and swallowing. You should chew gum or suck on mints-whatever causes you to swallow more than usual. Stay awake as the plane ascends and descends so that you can consciously increase the amount of times you swallow. If you're sleepy, that's good. Hopefully, you'll start yawning, which is even better than swallowing because it activates the muscle that opens your eustachian tube. Then air can be forced in and out of your eustachian canal, and that's what relieves the pressure in your ears.

Get the Bugs Out
It happens! Not often, but once in a blue moon, an insect will get inside a person's ear. Since insects are attracted to light, if an insect gets in your ear, turn the ear toward the sun. Hopefully, the insect will fly out and away. If it occurs at night, shut off the lights in the room and shine a flashlight in your ear. If the insect in your ear doesn't respond to the light, pour 1 teaspoon of warm olive oil into your ear and hold it there a minute or two. Then tilt your head the other way so that the oil and the bug come floating out.

If that doesn't work, gently fill your ear with warm water. That should push out the insect and the oil. If none of this debugs you, get professional medical help to remove the insect.

Waxy Build-up Begone!
Sprinkle black pepper into 1 tablespoon of warm corn oil, then dip a cotton ball into it and gently put the cotton into your ear. Remove the cotton after five minutes.

Warm 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Put 10 drops in the ear and let it fizz there for three minutes. Then tilt your head so that the liquid runs out onto a tissue. The wax should be softened. Gently remove the wax with soft cotton. Repeat the procedure with the other ear.

Warm 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and put 1 teaspoon of oil in each ear. Be sure the oil is not not too hot. Gently plug the ear with a cotton ball, and allow the oil to float around for a while. Once the sesame oil softens the wax, you can wash out the ears completely. The results-no more oil, no more wax.