While most ear discomfort during air travel is nothing more than an annoyance, what happens when it becomes more serious? Unfortunately, the ear pain and pressure can lead to severe pain and hearing loss.

So what really happens to ears when we fly? Normally the air pressure inside the middle ear (a small cavity of air behind the eardrum) and the air pressure outside are essentially the same. The problem occurs when the change in altitude is so rapid that the pressure inside the middle ear and the air pressure outside don’t have time to equalize.

When your flight takes off and the plane begins its ascent, the air pressure inside the middle ear quickly surpasses that of the pressure outside. The tympanic membrane or eardrum swells outward. Conversely, if air pressure inside the middle ear rapidly becomes less than the air pressure outside, such as what occurs during descent, the tympanic membrane will be sucked inward.

Whether ascending or descending, the stretching of the eardrum can cause pain. During this time, the eardrum does not as readily vibrate, so you also experience decreased hearing and muffled sounds.

If you tend to experience ear pain during flights, Healthy Hearing suggests the following:

  • Swallowing– When you swallow, that clicking or popping sound you may hear is a tiny bubble of air that has moved from the back of the nose into the middle ear, via the Eustachian tube.
  • Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy– Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy will stimulate frequent swallowing which helps equalize air pressure.
  • Try EarPlanes – Specially designed ear plugs that have a filter to equalize pressure.
  • Toynbee maneuver – Close your mouth and nose and swallow several times until pressure equalizes.

Content provided by Healthy Hearing