Why do your ears pop when going up and down a mountain?

Question

I wanna know. ☺

Answer 1

Air is trapped in your middle ear. A pressure change ocurrs either by diving to the bottom of a pool or flying which is quickly applied to one side of the ear drum by the ear cannal.

The air pressure on both sides of the ear drum must be balanced with an equal amount of pressure otherwise a force will be generated. Any resultant force will cause the ear drum to distort either inward or outwards depending on the nature of teh pressure change.  Air pressure is equalized to the middle ear by the eustachain tube which is a passage that connects the middle ear with the back of the nose.

This equalization pathway is not as open as the one through the ear cannal. So when there is a sudden pressure change one side of the ear drum sees  a quick pressure change while the otherside sees a slower one.   When there is a pressure difference between the sides of teh ear drum a foce is created that causes the membrane of the ear drum to flex.

If pressure is not equalized and the pressure difference builds the ear drum continues to flex and utimately starts to cause pain.   This is common with diving under water as water pressure rapidly builds up against the ear drum. The remedey for this is to pinch the nose and attemp the lightly exhale through the nose. THis forces air through the eustachain tube into the middle ear to exualize the pressure and allow the ear durm to return to its normal un deflected position therby stopping the pain.

THe opposite ocurrs in a plane the air pressure is being reduced and air trapped in the middle ear can't leave the middle ear fast enough.  The pressure difference across the ear drum again causes deflection.   The cure in this cause it to vent trapped air from the middle ear. THis is done by swallowing, or chewing gum, rocking the head side to side and in extream cases by the reverse of the divers technique  but inhaling slightly.

All of these techniques try to such the trapped air from the middle ear through the eustachain tube OR cause the eusttachain tube to flex so as to allow air to vent.

SO the reason your ears POP in an air plane is because trapped air has suddenly found its way through the eustachain tube thereby allowing the air pressure to equalized and allow the ear drum to return to its un flexed position.    

Sound pressure travels through the ear cannal to the ear drum. When teh ear drum is distended due to pressure the sound can make the ear drum vibrate as easily so you will experience muffled hearing.  The pop you hear is the ear drum moving back into position (sometime a whistle as well as the air equalizes) . Once the ear drum returns to its normal position sound vibrations can once again make it vibrate easily so your hearing returns to normal.

Answer 2

Increase and decrease of air pressure,

Answer 3

As you go higher and higher from ground level, (altitude increase) the pressure also increases.  The pressure increase is what makes your ears pop.

Answer 4

change in air pressure

Answer 5

equalizing air pressure.