'Ear pop': Audiologist says there's a scientific reason behind the weird flight sensation

Are you someone who takes flights regularly? Then you must be aware of the strange "ear pop" that occurs as the plane travels through different altitudes. But what does our ear pop? Well, this is exactly what we're decoding in this article!

Patricia Gaffney, an audiologist, disclosed that the popping of the ear is a completely natural phenomenon, where our body tries to equalize the sudden change in pressure. Anatomically, the human ear is built of three parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer part consists of the earlobe and ear canal, the middle ear contains tiny bones and the Eustachian tube, which connects it to the upper throat (nasopharynx), and the core part has the cochlea (hearing organ) and the vestibular system. During a flight, when our ears pop, the sensation starts from the Eustachian tube, which is responsible for maintaining the pressure between the outer and middle ear. But why is it essential to equalize the air pressure?

According to Popular Science, for ears to function properly, the air pressure has to be constant, and any difference would create negative pressure. But what will happen if negative pressure is created? Well, it would pull the eardrum inward, hindering its movement, i.e, the vibration. Once the vibration is affected, it can lead to temporary muffled hearing — a hearing condition characterized by "a decrease in the clarity and sharpness of sounds." Once the pressure again comes back to equilibrium, basically when we hear our ears pop, everything goes back to normal. Sudden altitude change while on a flight or during a scuba dive creates a substantial difference in the air pressure. So, to keep the ear functioning, the Eustachian tube forcibly opens to maintain the pressure, and thus we hear the popping sound. Now, this popping of the ear could be a bit uncomfortable for passengers, but there are ways one can handle that easily.

As per the report, passengers, especially those who are travelling with infants, can use pacifiers during takeoff and landing. This can help relieve pressure and make their journey more comfortable. Adults and older kids can carry chewing gum or yawn deliberately to release the pressure. Notably, Gaffney shared that people can also try to force open their Eustachian tube by using the Valsalva maneuver. How? Well, passengers have to take a deep breath and close their mouths and noses, and try to gently blow out the air. "Sometimes, if [the Eustachian tube is] really tight, you’ll even hear a little squeak as a little bit of air rushes in," she said. Though rare, Gaffeny said the situation could be a little troublesome if someone flying is down with a cold or a severe respiratory infection.

Sometimes, the pressure difference becomes too overwhelming, and the tube can't open properly, which may lead to a ruptured eardrum. Scary, but it's something that isn't very common. However, slight changes to the eardrum can happen; in fact, according to the National Library of Medicine,  22% of kids and 10% of adults can experience changes to the eardrum after a flight. But mostly these symptoms fade away on their own, without medical intervention.