re: What to do when your ears pop on an airplane?

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Not everyone's sinuses work the same.

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INB4 Ackchyually...

Everyone's physics work the same.

When gaining altitude, there is less pressure so any air's volume increases. If your Eustachian tubes are clogged then this can be quite painful, but holding your nose and 'blowing' to increase pressure will only make it worse. Hold your nose and 'suck' to try to pull expanded air from behind your ear drum through your Eustachian tube.

When the plane is descending, pressure increases so the volume of air decreases. If you equalized on the way up and your Eustachian tubes are now clogged, holding your nose to 'blow' will equilibrate if you can get your tubes to cooperate.

I've had a clogged Eustachian tube after a flight where I could not equalize pressure until I used a hair dryer to heat my ear/Eustachian tube gunk so it would clear. Rare, but it happens.