Do you have a or a cold right now? I can look up specific over-the-counter remedies or pressure-regulating earplugs that might help you prepare for your return trip.
In the rental car, he tried the Valsalva maneuver: pinch your nose, close your mouth, blow gently. His eardrums bulged outward, a tiny, painful ballooning, then snapped back with a wet, sticky pop that wasn't a relief but a betrayal. He winced. His right ear felt like it had been slapped from the inside. ears popping after flight
He turned on the radio. Music was a crime scene: smashed cymbals, a bass line like a heart attack, and vocals that swam in and out of a murky tunnel. He turned it off. The silence was worse. Do you have a or a cold right now