Ears Feeling Blocked, Like on an Airplane: An Old Proverb Holds the Secret to Clear Ear Openings

Older generations often said: “If you don’t pick your ears, you won’t go deaf; if you don’t rub your eyes, they won’t go blind.” As a child, I thought it was just a warning against mischief. Only later did I come to savor the deeper meaning—this saying is not really about ear-picking at all, but about the value of "stillness." In Chinese medicine, the ear is never viewed as an isolated part, but rather as a small window into the body’s qi movement. When the window is clean, the room is bright; when the ear openings are unobstructed, clear qi can rise. Ear fullness, like the sensation experienced during a flight, may seem to be caused by changes in air pressure—but looked at more deeply, it is the body’s special way of telling you: this small window needs someone to wipe it clean.

1. Air Pressure Is Only a Trigger—Behind Ear Fullness Lies the Old Problem of “Clear Yang Not Rising”

When ears feel blocked during air travel, the most common explanation is an imbalance of pressure inside and outside the eustachian tube. Chinese medicine does not deny this physical factor, but it asks an additional question: why is it that on the same flight, some people recover as soon as they massage their ears after landing, while others remain stuffy for three to five days—or even keep hearing ringing after getting off the plane? The difference is not on the barometer, but in each person’s “underlying reserve.”

This “underlying reserve” refers to the clear yang qi in Chinese medicine theory. Chinese medicine holds that the seven orifices of the head are warmed and nourished by clear yang qi, and that the ear’s ability to hear clearly depends entirely on clear qi ascending to support it. Clear yang is like the morning mist—gentle yet able to rise. It is transformed from the spleen and stomach, travels upward along the meridians, and finally reaches the head and face. When this qi is insufficient, or when something goes wrong on its ascending path, the ear openings lose that gentle supporting force. It is like a room whose window is already slightly warped—when wind and rain rage outside, it naturally leaks more easily.

Clinically, ear fullness resembling the airplane sensation is seen mainly in two groups of people: one group has weak spleen and stomach with qi failing to ascend—these people tend to be easily fatigued and feel mentally unclear; the other group has excessive stress and stagnant liver qi, where the qi movement is blocked midway, clear yang cannot rise, and turbid yin cannot descend. The former is “insufficient power,” the latter is “unobstructed road.” The two require different treatment approaches.

Following this line of reasoning, the disease is located in the ear openings, but the root lies in the qi movement of the spleen, stomach, and liver. The ear is merely the first sentinel to sound the alarm. The feeling of fullness is less about an ear problem and more about the body’s entire qi rhythm falling out of beat.

2. Fullness vs. Ringing, Distension vs. Blockage—How to Read the Silent Language of the Ear Openings

Ear fullness is not a single sensation. Some people feel only stuffiness, as if a wad of cotton has been stuffed in; others feel stuffiness with distension, as if water has been trapped in the ear; still others experience stuffiness accompanied by low-pitched tinnitus, especially noticeable in quiet surroundings. These subtle differences are distinct signals in Chinese medicine.

Fullness with distension is mostly related to liver qi. The liver governs free flow and prefers to be relaxed rather than constrained. When emotions are tense or rumination is excessive, liver qi can become bound into a knot, like rush-hour traffic jammed at an intersection. The foot shaoyang gallbladder meridian happens to wind around the ear. The liver and gallbladder share an interior-exterior relationship. When qi constraint transforms into fire, fire tends to flare upward, rushing along the meridian to the ear openings, producing that feeling of fullness and distension that does not ease with rubbing. This type of ear fullness often worsens when one feels irritable.

Fullness with ringing—a sound like cicadas or tidal waves—has more to do with kidney qi. The kidney opens into the ear. Only when kidney essence is sufficient can the ear openings receive nourishment. At a certain age, or after prolonged sleep deprivation and excessive consumption, kidney essence becomes deficient, and the ear openings lose their nourishment—like an oil lamp running low, the flame flickering dim and bright. This type of ear fullness is often accompanied by hearing loss, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, and frequent urination at night. Clinically, this pattern is common in middle-aged people with irregular routines and excessive depletion of energy.

There is also a type of fullness that varies in severity—fine in the morning, but heavier as the afternoon progresses, with the whole body feeling as though wrapped in a damp towel. This is a typical manifestation of spleen deficiency with damp obstruction. The spleen governs transportation and transformation, delivering the essence of water and grain to the whole body. When the spleen’s transportation ability is insufficient, water-damp accumulates in the body and becomes turbid yin pathogenic qi. Turbid yin occupies the ascending pathway, so clear yang qi cannot reach the head and face smoothly. The ear openings become “soaked” in that turbid qi—feeling stuffy and unclear. This group of people often has a swollen tongue with teeth marks on the edges, and loose stools.

These subtle differences in the sensation of blockage correspond to different imbalances among the visceral organs. To explain them simply as “an ear problem” would be to waste the body’s thoughtful message.

3. Tracing the Disease Tendency Backward—The Key to Nourishing the Ear Openings Is to Get Qi Moving

Once we understand the different forms of ear fullness, we can appreciate the principle of “treating the same disease with different methods.” For the same airplane-like ear fullness, some people need to soothe the liver, others need to tonify the kidney, and still others need to strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness. There is no single universal formula, but there is one principle that never changes—restore the normal ascending, descending, exiting, and entering rhythm of qi movement.

In terms of disease tendency, ear fullness in its early stage is mostly at the qi level, a functional disturbance of qi movement. At this stage, treatment focuses on restoring the flow of qi. If it is allowed to drag on, qi stagnation may further affect blood circulation, or damp turbidity may condense into phlegm, leading to a more complex stage. Therefore, when ear fullness first appears, timely lifestyle adjustments often yield twice the result with half the effort.

In terms of diet, those with weak spleen and stomach may pay attention to ingredients that strengthen the spleen and aid transportation—mild grains such as Chinese yam (huai shan), lotus seeds, and coix seed (yi yi ren), which are suitable for cooking into porridge or soups. The dosage does not need to be rigid; the key is consistent, long-term use. For those with depressed liver qi, a light and soothing diet is appropriate, including vegetables and fruits that help promote qi movement, such as celery, radish, and finger citron (fo shou). In Chinese medicine, the approach of “aromatic herbs transforming dampness” is commonly used to address damp turbidity obstruction. Herbs like huoxiang (patchouli) and peilan (eupatorium) are medicinal and food homologous substances. Their light, fragrant, and aromatic qualities help awaken the spleen’s transportation and transformation power. It should be noted that these ingredients serve as auxiliary support for daily care, not as targeted treatment for specific syndromes.

In terms of daily rhythm, the zi hour (11 p.m.–1 a.m.) and the wu hour (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) are two important nodes of yin-yang transition. At zi time, yang begins to be born; at wu time, yin begins to stir. If one can take a short rest at these times, allowing qi movement to buffer at the critical juncture, it greatly benefits the ascent of clear yang. Emotional regulation should also not be underestimated. The relationship between liver qi and emotions is the closest of all: anger makes qi rise, worry binds qi. Prolonged tension and anxiety cause qi movement to become like a tangled rope. Taking walks, listening to soothing music, or talking with friends—these seemingly ordinary actions are actually ways to loosen the bonds on qi movement.

In terms of exercise and guidance, Chinese medicine recommends gentle, rhythmic practices such as tai chi (taijiquan), eight-section brocade (baduanjin), and stance standing (zhan zhuang). These exercises are characterized by the unity of body and mind, and leading qi with intention. They do not cause excessive depletion, and they promote the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body. The key lies in consistency and moderation. Specific plans should be determined by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner based on individual constitution—one should not blindly imitate others’ intensity.

Ear fullness, like the airplane sensation, is, in the final analysis, a minor “traffic jam” in the body’s qi movement. The wisdom of Chinese medicine is not to press the horn and urge speed, but to see clearly which section of the road has the problem—whether the car has run out of fuel, whether the road is blocked, or whether the rhythm of the entire traffic system needs re-adjustment. Rather than rushing to force the ear to “open up” with some method, it is better to quiet down and listen to what the body is actually saying. Clarity of the ear openings is never a local state, but an outward manifestation of the entire body’s qi movement in perfect order.

Have you ever considered that ear fullness might not be just an ear problem? It may be the body reminding you: have you been too tired lately, with qi not enough to go around? Is there something weighing on your mind, preventing clear qi from ascending? Or perhaps you have not taken good care of your spleen and stomach for a long time? The next time ear fullness comes, follow this clue and look deeper—what is hidden there may be far more important information than just a single ear.

References:

1. WHO Strategy on Traditional Medicine: https://www.who.int/health-topics/traditional-complementary-and-integrative-medicine

2. Official Website of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine: https://www.satcm.gov.cn/

3. Traditional Chinese Medicine Ancient Literature Database: https://tcmdata.cintcm.com/

ear openings, clear yang not rising, qi movement stagnation, spleen deficiency with damp obstruction, eustachian tube pressure imbalance

After a flight, persistent ear fullness can be understood through the lens of Chinese medicine, from the perspective of “clear yang not rising,” unraveling the qi dynamic code behind the ear openings. Fullness with distension, fullness with ringing, and fullness with heaviness—each sensation corresponds to a different constitutional imbalance. Spleen-stomach power, liver qi rhythm, and kidney essence reserve all leave their traces in this tiny space. No herbal formulas are taught, no acupuncture is urged—only a dialectical way of understanding the body, helping you read the true intent behind that muffled sensation.

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