Airplane Ear

Ear barotrauma refers to damage to your ears that can happen if there’s a sudden change in air pressure or water pressure that affects your middle ear.

Some people call ear barotrauma “airplane ear” because it often affects people when they fly in an airplane. But people can also develop ear barotrauma riding in an elevator, diving to the bottom of a swimming pool or scuba diving.

Ear barotrauma is the most common form of barotrauma. In general, ear barotrauma is a temporary issue that goes away with self-care or when air and water pressure changes stop.