Why does your ears are blocked when your in a plane?

Question

ok i came bck from my holidays yestarday and my ears still hurt wht the h**l is tht thing y do u have to wear ear plugs anyone?

Answer 1

there is lot of noise for that you are given earplugs recovering from that it take little time nothing to worry

Answer 2

Your ears pop in air planes because the air high above the surface of Earth is less dense than air near the surface. As you ascend in an airplane and the air pressure decreases, the air trapped in your inner ear will cause your eardrums to push outward. This expansion causes not only the discomfort you feel before your ears "pop," but also a decrease in hearing ability, because the pressure on your ears drums makes the sound harder to transmit. Your body can equalize the pressure between your inner ear and the atmosphere by allowing some air from your inner ear to escape through the Eustachian tubes, two small channels that connect the inner ears to the throat, one on each side. When they open, you feel the pressure release and you hear the change because it’s happening in your ear. This equalization of pressure is the "pop."

On the way down from an air plane flight, the air pressure increases, while your inner ear is still at the lower pressure it has adjusted to. Now, the extra pressure pushes the eardrums inward. Eventually, the pressure will equalize again, but many people don’t like to wait, they want to "pop" their ears.

For take-offs and landings (the WHOLE way up, and starting from the BEGINNING, or TOP of descent - about an hour before landing) the best ways to alleviate pressure are to:

*Chew gum

*Drink something

*Suck on a hard candy or mints

*Yawn

*Pinch the nostrils shut, take a deep breath in through the mouth, then force the air into the back of the nose as if trying to blow your nose

*Place hot damp towels (usually like the ones distributed to first and business class before take-off and landing to freshen up with - just ask a flight attendant for them) or paper towels that have been soaked in hot water and wrung out at the bottom of two paper or styrofoam cups, then hold the cups over the ears.

*Another trick that used mainly on babies and small children, but can be used on anyone, is to gently but with some pressure, rub your neck repeatedly from the chin to the base of the neck. This will cause a swallowing motion that will relieve pressure build-up in the ears.

For more in-depth information, plus security rules and I wrote a small about flying that goes more in-depth, gives security rules and regulations for the US, EU, UK, and Australia, offers tips and tricks for the travel, etc.

http://www.angelfire.com/jamiehassen79/t...

If I can be of any more help or assistance, please feel free to contact me.

Answer 3

Most long trips the plane flies at 30000 feet.  Air is extremely thin that high.  Planes compensate for that by pressurizing the cabin (forcing air into it).  But air pressure is much lower than if you were standing on the ground.

Less pressure outside than inside the ear causes the ear to have to adjust, it's why you hear your ears pop, and sometimes get sharp pains.  This can last for a few days after the flight (the pain), but it will go away eventually.

I've had sharp pain and no pain, maybe that lies in how the cabin gets pressurized and in how fast the plane ascends/descends.

Ear plugs would help.