One of the worst parts of traveling for me is flying; not so much the flight itself, but the descent. I’ve got a jacked up inner ear, and because of that, every descent causes me intense pain, my eyes begin to water, and I can’t hear clearly for 2–3 days. I have tried everything to remedy this situation, from ear plugs to fingers in the ears to pinching the nose to gum to yawning. So far, the only thing that’s actually helped has been having tubes put in my ears (for a different reason). Nevertheless, I still bring gum.
Pro-Tip: If you have inner ear issues on planes like I do, try to fly with as few stops as possible. Flying direct is ideal.