When you are on a plane, you might feel your ears clogged. Sometimes, it just isn’t very pleasant, but in other cases, it can cause a real earache.
Why does it happen, and how to avoid it?
What Is Earache?
Earache – or barotrauma – is a condition that can affect one ear or both and that, when you are on a plane, can manifest through the feeling of having a plug in the ear, especially towards the landing phase.
Earache in an airplane is caused by an imbalance between the level of air pressure in the middle ear and the one in the space where you are.
Why Does Earache Happen on Landing?
During landing, especially if the airplane cabin is not well pressurized, the air pressure in the plane may rise rapidly, and the Eustachian tube – the duct connecting the middle ear to the nasopharynx (the pressure regulator in the eardrum cavity) – does not react promptly to this pressure surge. In this situation, negative pressure builds up in the eardrum cavity, which generates ear pain. The pain and muffling sensation results from a retraction of the tympanic membrane.
What to Do Against Earache on an Airplane?
If you suffer from earache on an airplane, the first thing to do to relieve ear pain is chew gums. This habit stimulates the opening and closing of the Eustachian tube and allows air to pass into the middle ear, thus compensating for the increased external pressure.
If you have a cold, you can take a pain reliever, such as acetaminophen, to reduce discomfort and wait as long as it takes to disappear due to the normalization of ambient pressure.
