How do people survive not equalising during airplane descent?

[ballastbelly]

Before I learned to dive, I would suffer a lot of muffled hearing after travelling by air. I would be better the next day.do you reckon this was from middle ear fluids or from streched/ (? ) ear drum.)

 

[supergaijin]

I remember having excruciating pain when I took a plane ride as a kid. Nobody told us about equalising It seems many people do not know about it. Many parents certainly don't as there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Give your baby a nipple for the love of god!... well maybe not if they're gnashing teeth. But something to chew on like a shoe or something.

 

[Damselfish]

While probably most people deal with the bit of pressure change well enough instinctively, or learn soon enough, I do think divers tend to be more aware of equalizing on planes, and possibly more sensitive to the feeling of pressure changes.

 

[boulderjohn]

As TSand M suggested, the ears can equalize on their own, given enough time to do it. An airplane descent is usually slow enough to make this happen. On the other hand, I had a situation in which I suddenly developed a full head cold during a flight, and I was fully congested during the descent. I could not equalize. It was not a pleasant experience.

 

[phoenix31tt]

Agreed with TSandM... my first long distance flight i had severe headaches and and had blood in my mouth for a couple of days...

i googled it and the recommendation was to chew something... gum etc... so we do equalize.. just not the same method as we do as divers

 

[drinksfromtap]

I have always had issues naturally equalizing in an airplane on the way down and would always end up with muffled hearing that wouldn't resolve itself until the next day, no matter how much I chewed, swallowed, yawned, wiggled my jaw, etc. When I was little, I remember being told that doing what essentially was a valsalva maneuver could permanently damage your ears so I always avoided doing it. After learning to dive a couple years ago I've been equalizing through the descent and wish I would have started sooner.

 

[gekodivebali]

For the maths addicts amongst you: do not forget that airplane cabins are pressurised at altitude to about 0.8bar, whatever that is in clumsy imperial...

---------- Post added August 21st, 2013 at 08:46 AM ----------

This is what i based my 2.5m depth estimate on, ie a 25% pressure increase!

 

[gypsyjim]

I always keep a pack of gum in my carry on, for myself or others. If I have any head cold/congestion I automatically pop a piece gum in my mouth before ascent or descent. If I hear someone else complaining I share. I have experienced pain when flying while congested, but the gum solves any issues very quickly.