What Is Airplane Ear?

Airplane ear, also known as ear barotrauma, barotitis media, or aerotitis media, occurs when the air pressure inside an airplane affects your ears. Air pressure inside and outside the ears is normally equal. Some people may have an unpleasant pressure or blockage in your ears as a result of this. Others may hear a pop or have brief pain in their ears. Airplane ear fades after the ears have adjusted to the new environment. The pain or blocked feeling may persist in a small percentage of situations. If this occurs, you should seek medical attention. Self-care techniques like yawning, swallowing, and chewing gum can help lessen air pressure variations and alleviate airplane ear discomfort.

Ear Barotrauma in Infants

Ear barotrauma is particularly dangerous to infants and young children. This is due to the fact that their Eustachian tubes are smaller and straighter, making equalization more difficult for them. When your baby shows signs of discomfort, distress, agitation, or pain as a result of a shift in altitude, it’s likely that they’re suffering from ear barotrauma. Feeding or giving infants water during altitude shifts can help reduce ear barotrauma. Your doctor may be able to give eardrops to assist ease pain in children who are experiencing ear discomfort.

Symptoms of Airplane Ear

Airplane ear is a condition that affects one or both ear(s). These are some of the most common symptoms of airplane ear:

• moderate discomfort or pain in the ear
• a feeling of fullness or stuffiness in the ear
• hearing loss or muffled hearing

Symptoms may worsen if left untreated for a long time or if the condition is extremely severe. Additional symptoms may appear:

• severe pain
• an increase in ear pressure
• hearing loss that ranges from mild to severe
• your ear is ringing (tinnitus)
• the sensation of spinning (vertigo)
• bleeding from the ear

Causes of Aiplane Ear

The Eustachian tubes, which connect the ear to the nose and throat, are thin tubes. When you swallow or yawn, they open and close to maintain the air pressure between your ears and nose/throat balanced. There may be too little or too much air behind the eardrum if air pressure changes too quickly for the Eustachian tube to adjust. This pressure difference is noticeable.

The air pressure varies when a plane takes off (ascends) and lands (descends), and the ears must adjust. The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the Eustachian tubes presses on the eardrum until the Eustachian tubes equalize the pressure. It hurts and doesn’t work correctly because of the pressure difference. It’s also possible that sounds will get muffled. When flying with a cold, nasal congestion, or allergies, the discomfort of airplane ear increases.

Risk Factors of Airplane Ear

The risk of airplane ear is increased by any condition that blocks or limits the Eustachian tube’s function. Here are some common risk factors:

• presence of a tiny Eustachian tube especially in newborns and toddlers
• sinus infection
• hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
• infection in the middle ear (otitis media)
• because you can’t yawn or swallow to equalize the pressure, sleeping on an airplane during climb and descent is a bad idea

Complications of Airplane Ear

Airplane ear is usually not serious and can be treated with self-care. When the complication is severe or prolonged, or if there is damage to the middle or inner ear structures, long-term problems are unlikely. Rare complications may include:

• ongoing chronic tinnitus
• hearing loss
• infections in the ear
• ruptured eardrum

How to Prevent Airplane Ear

If you take antihistamines or decongestants before scuba diving or flying, you can reduce your risk of obtaining barotrauma, however, before starting any new drug, always see your doctor and be aware of any potential side effects. You can also take following efforts to prevent or decrease barotrauma.

During Ascent and Descent, Yawn and Swallow

The muscles that open your Eustachian tubes are activated by them. You can aid your swallowing by sucking on candies or chewing gum.

Use the Valsalva Maneuver During Ascent and Descent

Blow gently as if you were blowing your nose, squeezing your nostrils, and closing your lips. To equalize the pressure between your ears and the airplane cabin, repeat numerous times, especially during descent.

Don’t Sleep During Flight Ascents and Descents

You can perform health-promoting practices anytime you feel discomfort in your ears if you are awake during the moment of sudden pressure change.

Reschedule Travel Plans

If a person has a common cold, sinusitis, nasal congestion, recent ear surgery, or an ear infection, it is best to avoid flying if at all possible.

How to Diagnose Airplane Ear

• While ear barotrauma may resolve on its own, if you experience significant pain or bleeding from the ear, you should see a doctor.
• Physical examinations are frequently used to detect ear barotrauma. An otoscope used to check inside the ear can often identify abnormalities in the eardrum. The eardrum may be moved slightly outward or inward from its typical position due to pressure changes.
• Your doctor may also insufflate the ear with air to examine if there is any fluid or blood behind the eardrum.
• If a physical exam reveals no significant findings, the conditions you describe that surround your symptoms may provide clues to the correct diagnosis.

How to Treat Airplane Ear

The majority of people’s airplane ear heals over time. If the symptoms persist, procedures to equalize pressure and ease symptoms may be required. There are medications for airplane ear. Your doctor may advise you to take nasal decongestant sprays or oral decongestant You may also take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) to reduce pain, or an analgesic pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

Surgery may be the best option for treating severe or chronic cases of barotrauma. Ear tubes may be used to help people with chronic ear barotrauma. These tiny cylinders are inserted into the eardrum to increase airflow into the middle ear. The most frequent usage of ear tubes, also known as tympanostomy tubes or grommets, is in children, and they can help avoid infections caused by ear barotrauma. These are also routinely used in those who have chronic barotrauma and need to change altitudes regularly, such as individuals who fly or travel frequently. The ear tube is usually left in for six to twelve months.
The second surgical approach involves making a small slit in the eardrum to allow for better pressure equalization. Any fluid in the middle ear can also be removed with this procedure. The slit will heal rapidly, but it might not be a long-term solution.

Now that you Know…

There are a variety of severities and forms of ear barotrauma that determine how someone recovers and how long it takes them to recover. The vast majority of people who suffer from ear barotrauma will recover completely, with no permanent hearing loss.
Patients should avoid major pressure changes during healing (like those experienced while diving or on an airplane). Many cases of barotrauma will heal on their own, without the need for therapy. If allergies or respiratory infections are the cause of barotrauma, it would usually go away once the underlying cause is treated. Mild to moderate instances can take up to two weeks to recover completely. After surgery, severe cases can take six to twelve months to fully recover.Make an appointment to visit your doctor if barotrauma causes an infection, or if the pain is severe and the symptoms are not reducing or are worsening