Why do I get tinnitus and ear pain when flying?

Many people experience tinnitus and ear pain when they take a plane for the first time, but they don’t know what’s going on. In fact, this is because when the plane rises or falls rapidly, the surrounding air pressure changes suddenly, and the inner ear tissue cannot respond quickly. The air pressure in the Eustachian tube is different from the air pressure in the outer ear, causing temporary blockage and hearing loss.

There is a thin membrane (the tympanic membrane) between the outer ear and the middle ear of the human body, which vibrates when hit by sound waves. The vibrations are transmitted to the brain through the ossicles, cochlea and auditory nerve inside the eardrum and converted into information that people can understand. The middle ear cavity and the nasal cavity are connected by a tube, which we call the Eustachian tube. Under normal circumstances, air enters the Eustachian tube, keeping the pressure inside the ear cavity balanced with the pressure of the outer ear and the outside world across the eardrum. When this channel is blocked, the pressure in the middle ear is not equal to the external air pressure, and there is a feeling of blockage in the ear, hearing loss, and even pain.

There are some ways to help people relieve this discomfort early, such as swallowing, yawning, chewing candy, etc., which help local muscle movement so that the pressure in the Eustachian tube can be adjusted early. However, people with ear diseases or rhinitis may experience some inconvenience, such as patients with chronic otitis media, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and severe colds.

Suggestion: If you feel uncomfortable, pinch your nose and blow air to inflate your eardrum! Or open your mouth or swallow.

It is recommended that if you experience tinnitus or ear pain while flying, you should move your body appropriately. Be careful not to move too much. Just move appropriately.