menu_open Columnists
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

I'm A Pilot – Here's How To Actually Stop Your Ears Popping On A Plane

8 1
22.05.2025

Inside of plane

Turns out that uncomfortable “popping” you feel in your ear when a plane takes off or lands has a ‘real’ name (or three) – its more technical terms include ear barotrauma, barotitis media and aerotitis media, The Mayo Clinic says.

It happens because the air pressure in your middle ear is different to that in the plane’s atmosphere when it goes up and down.

Pilot William Hosie, who partnered with eSIM travel company, Airalo, explains: “When you leave the ground, you go from breathing air at sea level to flying at 35,000 feet. When the plane is at 35,000 feet, you’re breathing air in the cabin as if you’re at 6,000 feet.

“The air is thinner and the air pressure is lower, which is why some people have problems with toothache, and of........

© HuffPost