How is Congestion of Ears or Airplane ears caused?
• In order for your eardrum to vibrate as it should, the air pressure in the middle ear has to be the same as the air pressure of the environment. Air pressure regulation is the work of a narrow passage called the Eustachian tube. One end is connected to the middle ear. The other end has a tiny opening where the back of the nasal cavity and the top of the throat meet (nasopharynx). • Normally, tissues in your middle ear slowly absorb air. This results in less air pressure on the inside of your eardrum than on the outside. When you swallow or yawn, you activate muscles that open the Eustachian tube and allow the middle ear to replenish its air supply. This is why swallowing or yawning can often eliminate airplane ear symptoms. When an airplane climbs or descends, the air pressure in the environment changes rapidly, and normal function of the Eustachian tube doesn’t occur quickly enough. • Even though the cabins of airplanes are pressurized, the air pressure at a cruising altitude is sti
