Have you ever wondered why your ears pop when an aeroplane takes off? This common experience is directly related to the concept of pressure. Today, let’s delve into the science behind this phenomenon and understand how it affects our ears during a flight.
What’s the Deal with Pressure?
Simply put, pressure measures the force applied over a unit area. Imagine pressing a finger onto a balloon—the balloon feels that force concentrated in a small area.
The same concept applies to air pressure, which is the weight of air pushing down on us. We can express it mathematically as: 
Pressure can be increased by either:
- Increasing the force on the object, or
- Decreasing the surface area over which the force is applied.
For example, pressing down harder on the balloon (increased force), or pressing the balloon with the tip of a pen instead of a finger (less surface area), will both increase the pressure on the balloon.
Flying High
Think of air as being full of invisible particles that we can’t see. At ground level, there are more of these particles because the weight of the air above pushes them down, squeezing them into a smaller space and making the air very dense. At ground level, we experience a dense but comfortable atmospheric pressure of about 101,325 Pascals (Pa).
However, as we go higher up into the atmosphere, the air pressure drops because there are fewer air particles above us to push down. To put it simply, the higher in the sky we go, the lower it gets.
And while aeroplane cabins try to acclimatise us to these changes by pressuring the cabin, it’s still a huge change in terms of the atmospheric pressure between air and sea level.
So, Why Do Our Ears Pop?
Behind our eardrum, there is a small tube called the Eustachian tube, which has air trapped inside it all the time. One end of the Eustachian tube opens into the inner ear, while the other end connects to the rear part of the throat. Normally, this part of the tube is closed, but each time you swallow or yawn, it opens just enough to allow air into the inner ear. This process equalises the pressure with the outside environment, making your eardrum feel comfortable.
When an airplane takes off and climbs rapidly, the air pressure outside your body drops quickly, becoming less dense. Meanwhile, the pressure inside your middle ear initially stays the same, creating an imbalance between the inside of your ears and the cabin. The air from the lower altitude gets “trapped” in your inner ear, and if it doesn’t escape quickly, you might feel an earache as the higher-pressure air in the Eustachian tube pushes your eardrum outward.
Since air naturally moves from high to low pressure, you’ll feel that odd and uncomfortable sensation until the trapped air is released. That’s when you hear the “pop!” as your eardrum settles back, and the discomfort fades away.
Comparatively, when the plane is descending, the opposite happens. The rising pressure outside our bodies pushes the eardrum inward towards the relatively lower pressure of the inner ear.
How to Help Your Ears Resolve the Difference?
To alleviate the uncomfortable feeling of “muffled ears” on your next flight, try sipping water, sucking on candy, chewing gum, or yawning. These actions can help open the Eustachian tube and relieve the discomfort.
Wrapping Up the Pressure Mystery
So, the next time your ears pop on a plane, you’ll know it’s all due to pressure. Flying high means more than just taking off—it involves managing the pressures that come with altitude changes. As the external pressure drops, your ears work overtime to balance things out.
