People of all ages can have ear barotrauma. This might cause bleeding or other damage to the outer, middle, or inner ear. The eardrum separates the outer and middle ear. Common symptoms of ear barotrauma include: Pain in your ears A feeling that your ears are stuffed Temporary hearing loss Dizziness Bleeding from the ear (rare) Medications such as decongestants can help with these symptoms. So, in most people, normal swallowing and chewing allow air to flow up or down the Eustachian tube to equalise the air pressure quickly on either side of the eardrum. When that happens, the difference in pressure can damage the eardrum. Book now The Eustachian tube is normally closed but opens from time to time when we swallow, yawn or chew. Sometimes the eustachian tube can’t open normally when there are changes in pressure. Most ear barotrauma cases are temporary they usually start to clear up on their own, without the need for any treatment, a few minutes or an hour after. This equalizes the pressure between the middle ear and the outside. If the external pressure is greater or less than the middle ear pressure, the eustachian tube should open. This tube stays closed most of the time.įor your hearing to work normally, the pressure inside the middle ear has to match the air pressure in your environment. Anything that causes inflammation or fluid buildup in the area around the tube may cause it to not open normally. This condition happens when there is also a problem with the eustachian tube. It also contains the opening of the eustachian tube, which connects to an area behind the nose. Air travel Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wound healing Exposure to an explosive blast But most people in these situations don’t develop ear barotrauma.

It contains 3 small bones that help transmit sound. Barotrauma refers to injuries caused by increased air or water pressure, such as during airplane flights or scuba diving. Font : A- A+ What is Airplane Ear Airplane ear is a ear condition that occurs in situations associated with sudden changes in environmental air pressure. Diagnosis sometimes requires audiometry and vestibular testing. It can affect the ear (causing ear pain, hearing loss, and/or vestibular symptoms) or the sinuses (causing pain and congestion). The middle ear is an air-filled space between the inner and outer parts of the ear. Barotrauma is tissue injury caused by a pressure-related change in body compartment gas volume. It can cause pain and sometimes lifelong (permanent) hearing loss. It is caused by pressure differences between the inside of the ear and the outside of the ear. Barotrauma is stress exerted on the eardrum when the air pressure in the middle ear and the air pressure in the environment are out of balance.

Symptoms of barotrauma ear