What causes barotrauma of the ear?
The small space in the middle ear behind the eardrum should normally be filled with air. This air space is connected to the back of the nose by a tiny channel called the Eustachian tube. The air on either side of the eardrum should be at the same pressure for the eardrum to vibrate and function normally. If the air pressure outside the ear quickly increases then this pushes the eardrum inwards which can be painful. The tensed eardrum also cannot vibrate as well as it should and so you may also have dulled hearing. To relieve the tensed eardrum, the pressure inside the middle ear has to rise quickly too. Air needs to travel up the Eustachian tube into the middle ear to equalise the pressure. The most common example of barotrauma affects some air travellers. As a plane descends to land, the air pressure becomes higher nearer the ground. This pushes the eardrum inwards. If the pressure inside the middle ear is not equalised quickly, then you can get ear pain. Other situations where air pr
