Airplane Ear Causes And Remedy
October 15, 2009
Changes in the air pressure might exert stress on the middle ear, causing ear pain and partial loss of hearing. This condition is commonly known as airplane ear. Airplane ear is also known as barotitis media, barotrauma or aerotitis media.
Airplane ear causes
Airplane ear usually occurs at the beginning or at the end of the flight, when the airplane is ascending or landing. In normal circumstances, the air pressure in the middle ear is same as the atmospheric air pressure.
The Eustachian tube, connected to the middle ear at one end and to the nasopharynx at the other end, helps to balance the air pressure in the middle ear. When the airplane is ascending or landing the environmental pressure suddenly changes. While the airplane is ascending, environmental air pressure inside the flight suddenly declines.
However, the Eustachian tube could not rapidly remove the excess air present in it. The air pressure in the middle ear becomes greater than the air pressure outside the eardrum. The opposite happens while descending. During landing, the air pressure in the middle ear becomes less than the air pressure at the ground level.
Differences in air pressure on either sides of the ear drum causes hearing difficulties. Similar problems might also occur during scuba diving. You can experience barotrauma while riding an elevator or while driving on hilly tracks. Airplane ear like symptoms can also occur from congestion of Eustachian tubes due to sinus infection, cold, throat infection and nasal allergy.
Symptoms of airplane ear
Depending on the severity of the problem, one might experience mild to severe symptoms of this condition. The common symptoms of airplane ear include, discomfort in the ear, feeling of stuffiness in the ear, ringing in the year, vertigo, mild loss of hearing. In severe case, you might experience ear pain and bleeding in the ear.
Airplane ear home remedies
Airplane ear could be healed naturally by swallowing or yawning. Sucking a candy or chewing gum could help to balance the air pressure. Sometimes nasal congestion could aggravate the condition while the airplane is ascending or landing.
Try to spray a decongestant in your nostrils to prevent nose blockage. To enable your Eustachian tube to work properly, prevent dehydration. Drink plenty of water and juices. Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
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