# Is it bad to 'pop' your ears regularly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 23, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563 "2017-02-23T15:42:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563/1 "2017-02-23T15:42:28Z")

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I recently got a new pair of earbuds and they fit a little more snugly than I am accustomed to. This is great for sound isolation, but every time I take them off, they _pop_ out of my ears.

Doesn’t seem to be causing any adverse effects, certainly no pain, but is this something I should make an effort to avoid?

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563/2 "2017-02-23T16:44:49Z")

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No.

“Popping” you’re ears is opening the Eustachian tube to allow air pressure to equalize. There’s nothing harmful about it.

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**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563/3 "2017-02-23T18:26:08Z")

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Are your ears popping, or are you experiencing the breaking of the seal when the earbuds are pulled from your ears.

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**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563/4 "2017-02-23T18:39:27Z")

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> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#):
>
> Are your ears popping, or are you experiencing the breaking of the seal when the earbuds are pulled from your ears.

The latter-- it’s creating a little vacuum in my ear and popping when I pull out the earbuds.

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**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-bad-to-pop-your-ears-regularly/780563/5 "2017-02-23T18:52:53Z")

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FWIW, it’s called a [Valsalva maneuver.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver)