Medical Questions » Ears Questions » Question No. 289
| Question: | Why do your ears pop when you change altitude? Why do you get ear pain with sinusitis? |
| Answer: | Your ear consists of three parts. The outer ear is a dead-end 1 to 1.5 cm canal that leads from the outside to the eardrum. On the other side of the ear drum is the middle ear, which is an air-filled cavity containing the three tiny bones that transmit the sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. The inner ear is a closed system that converts vibrations into nerve impulses.
The cavity of the middle ear is connected to the back of the nose by a fine tube (the Eustachian tube). The purpose of the Eustachian tube is to equalise pressure between the middle ear and the outside air when you change altitude (or dive underwater). This tube has a relatively soft wall and is normally collapsed. When you go up a mountain or take off when flying, the air pressure in the middle ear rises above that in the air outside, and this higher pressure momentarily forces open the walls of the eustachian tube so that the air ' pops' out of the middle ear into the back of the nose, equalising the pressure. If you are unable to equalise the pressure, the ear drum will become very distorted and painful. In the same way, swallowing pulls open the tube slightly to allow air to pass when you descend.
Your ears can hurt when you get sinusitis for the same reason. The sinus infection pushes phlegm up the eustachian tube, increasing the pressure in the middle ear to cause discomfort. The infection can also spread up the tube and into the ear.
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