Why do my ears hurt when flying?
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- Source:Audien Hearing Aids
Why do my ears hurt when flying?
Most people will experience pain in their ears when flying. In fact, the main reason for this problem is that the pressure inside and outside the tympanic membrane is different between the outer ear and the middle ear. The first is the pain caused by the difference in internal and external pressure. The second is the pain caused by the inability to continuously maintain the balance of internal and external pressure. Finally, it will also have an impact during rhinitis attacks or colds.Earache is a common condition when flying. It is mostly caused by sudden changes in air pressure that lead to negative pressure changes in the tympanum. When suffering from upper respiratory tract diseases such as colds, , Symptoms may be aggravated during sinusitis and should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
1. Physiological factors: The air pressure at high altitude is lower than the ground. When the aircraft flies at high altitude, the air pressure in the Eustachian tube decreases, and when the aircraft lands, the air pressure slowly increases. The air outside the tympanic membrane pushes the tympanic membrane into the ear where the pressure is less, causing the tympanic membrane to retract, creating negative pressure inside the tympanic membrane, causing ear pain. The pain can usually be relieved by chewing gum, eating candy, yawning, swallowing, and exhaling through the mouth. You can also pinch your nose and blow air, such as inhaling first, then pinching your nose, closing your mouth, and exhaling slowly to discharge the negative pressure on the tympanic membrane, which can help relieve the symptoms of ear pain;
2. Pathological factors: If there is an increase in nasal secretions during a cold, congestion and swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, middle ear infection, and sinusitis, etc. Ear pain is not the only symptom caused by excessive pressure in the middle ear when flying. It is often accompanied by dizziness, tinnitus or deafness. In severe cases, it can also lead to tympanic membrane rupture. It is recommended to actively treat the original disease, perform anti-infective treatment, and then fly again after the condition is recovered.
Ear pain on airplanes is a very common thing. First of all, there is no need to cause panic. When the airplane enters a stable flight state, the pain will gradually disappear. An effective way to solve this kind of pain is to chew gum or open your mouth as wide as possible while flying. This can open the Eustachian tube.
The degree of ear pain when flying varies from person to person.When a person's Eustachian tube is narrow, or the Eustachian tube is blocked, and the outside air cannot reach the middle ear or reaches the middle ear quickly, ear pain is more likely to occur, or the pain is more severe. In addition, attention should be paid to the frail elderly, pregnant women over 32 weeks of gestation, infants, and patients with severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, digestive tract diseases, ear, nose and throat diseases, mental diseases, etc. In order to avoid dizziness, panic, shortness of breath, or more serious consequences caused by air pressure changes, turbulence and other factors at high altitudes, it is recommended that the above-mentioned people should not fly and choose carefully when necessary.