Object: Ear Pressure Equaliser

Hundreds of flyers fear that dreaded 'pop' you get in your ear as your aeroplane takes off or comes back down to earth. We've tried chewing gum, yawning and sucking sweets, but it's often impossible to stop that irritating blocked ear feeling that comes with landing and which can stay with travellers for hours after they leave the aircraft. The Ear Pressure Equaliser is a nifty flying essential that promises to keep your ears and your head firmly on the ground.

The Ear Pressure Equaliser is a small pump, just a few centimetres wide, that is attached to a thin tube. It is an ideal size to slip into your handbag or backpack, even if it does look unnervingly like a mini air bed pump. The facts: as a plane ascends, an increase in cabin pressure pushes passengers' eardrums inwards, giving an uncomfortable feeling of being blocked. This can be prevented by inserting the tube of the Ear Pressure Equaliser gently into your ear canal and pressing on the pump. As strange as this might look, the action ingenuously sucks air from the outer ear canal. This in turn creates a slight vacuum and lightly pushes the eardrum back into its correct position. What's more, not only can holidaymakers wave goodbye to pesky airplane ear, they are also minimising the long-term dangers that cabin pressure poses to the middle or inner ear structures.

Holiday-goers can be reassured by the fact the gadget is scientifically proven and was designed by the Australian Professor of Tinnitus research. Furthermore, it has an inbuilt safety vent that prevents the build-up of too much pressure should the pump be pressed too hard. So sit back, and enjoy a safe and pleasant flight!

Price : £38.95