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By plane, it is a common means of transportation for travel or business trips. More and more people have the experience of flying. However, some people feel swell or pain in their ears when they are flying. In severe cases, they may have tinnitus and Hearing declines. Why is this?　

This condition occurs when flying or when diving, and is medically known as “air pressure traumatic otitis media or aeronautical otitis media.” Mainly because during the flight, when the Eustachian tube ventilation function fails to adapt to the abrupt change of environmental pressure, it causes damage to the middle ear.

The middle ear of the human body has a gas-filled cavity, and its physiological function can only be fully exerted when the air pressure inside and outside the cavity is balanced. The Eustachian tube is the part that connects the middle ear and the pharynx. When the tympanic membrane is intact, it is the only channel that regulates the pressure inside and outside the middle ear cavity.

The Eustachian tube has the function of a one-way piston: the air in the middle ear cavity easily escapes, but the outside air is not easy to enter. Under normal circumstances, the eustachian tube is often closed, only in: swallowing, yawning, shouting, jaw movement and head forward extension, etc., will open, let air enter the middle ear, so that internal and external pressure remains balance.

The atmospheric pressure at high altitude is lower than the ground; when the aircraft takes off and rises to a certain height, the air pressure in the middle ear is larger than the outside air pressure; the person sitting on the plane feels the ear swells, and the tympanic membrane is convex outward. When the plane flies to the height of 152M, the pressure in the middle ear exceeds the soft tissue tension of the eustachian tube, part of the air is flushed out of the tube, and the tympanic membrane is reset. At this time, people will hear the “click”. This change is repeated every time 152M is raised.

When the aircraft descends, the atmospheric pressure gradually increases, but the air cannot enter the middle ear through the eustachian tube, causing the relative negative pressure in the middle ear to increase continuously; if the eustachian tube functions normally, or the plane descends slowly, people can swallow, etc. Open the eustachian tube, open the eustachian tube, let the outside air enter the middle ear, and balance the internal and external air pressure.

This is why, when flying, when the plane takes off and land, it is recommended to do some swallowing or eating something; in addition to this method, the implementation of “Walsar’s blowing method” can also balance the pressure inside and outside the middle ear. To alleviate the symptoms of discomfort and reduce the incidence of aviation otitis media.

There are several reasons for the ear discomfort:

1. Eustachian tube function is abnormal, this is a common cause.

2. The height of the aircraft was changed without swallowing or Valsal blowing.

3. When the airplane descends too fast (more than 152m/min), the general ventilation is difficult to be effective.

Clinically, the middle ear trauma caused by the ascent of the aircraft is rare, and the middle ear trauma caused by negative pressure when the aircraft is descending is common. Traumatic otitis media has three main symptoms: earache, tinnitus, and hearing loss (usually conductive).

Generally, the lesions and hearing of acute otitis media with otitis can be recovered almost completely. The earlier the treatment, the better the effect; and if severe or multiple acute air pressure trauma, it can eventually lead to chronic lesions; the lesions of chronic otitis media with cerebral trauma are not easy to cure. If the trauma is severe, it can cause damage to the inner ear, causing severe sensorineural hearing loss and poor prognosis.

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