Why Do Your Ears Pop During a Flight?

The pop inside your ear is the sound and sensation of pressure becoming equal on opposite sides of your eardrum.

Behind each eardrum is an air filled chamber called the middle ear. A narrow passage called the Eustachian tube connects it to the back of the nose and throat.

As an airplane climbs, cabin pressure decreases and air inside the middle ear expands. During descent, cabin pressure rises again, but air may not enter the middle ear quickly enough. The pressure difference bends the eardrum inward, causing muffled hearing, discomfort, or pain.

Swallowing, yawning, or chewing activates muscles that briefly open the Eustachian tube. Air passes through, the eardrum returns toward its normal position, and you feel a pop. Babies often experience more difficulty because their tubes are narrower and positioned differently, which is why feeding during descent can help encourage swallowing.

Descent is often more uncomfortable because increasing outside pressure can press the tube closed. Colds and allergies may worsen the problem by swelling the passage. In severe cases, the pressure difference can cause fluid accumulation or damage known as ear barotrauma.

Your ear is not popping because of the altitude itself. It is opening a tiny pressure valve inside your head.