With the improvement of living standards, it is not uncommon for ordinary people to travel by airplane for a long time. Many people can feel the stuffiness and congestion in their ears when they first get off the plane, most of which can be relieved within an hour or two. Most of them can be relieved within a couple of hours. A few of the more serious ones may feel that they can’t hear the sound in their ears, why? Who is prone to this condition? What should be done when it happens? Today Dr. Zhao will talk about what happened between the ears and the plane? The ear is not just a small fan on either side of the head, there is a complex middle ear and inner ear inside. The inner ear is the deepest hidden part of the ear, and is completely enclosed by bone, so it is not easily revealed. The middle ear is half hidden, with the eardrum separating it from the outer ear canal, but there is a secret passage (eustachian tube) through which the middle ear communicates with the nasopharynx (at the junction of the nose and throat), and there is an opening in the nasopharynx for ventilation to the outside world. This canal is not left open 24 hours a day. When we eat and drink, the muscles of the pharynx open to allow the middle ear to breathe, but it is usually closed most of the time. Civil aircraft fly at different altitudes depending on the distance they fly, and most can reach 10,000 meters. The middle ear, which is usually airtight, occasionally opens up to the eccentric temperament of the airplane, and the sudden high and low rhythm of the plane collide together, like adolescence bumping into menopause. After the plane lands, the air pressure in the middle ear is lower than that outside the body, and the tympanic membrane bears the brunt of the impact of the high air pressure outside and sinks in, making the ear feel stuffy and painful. If the air pressure is not adjusted to the same level as outside the body for a period of time, the residual gas in the middle ear is absorbed by the mucous membrane inside the tympanic cavity, and the eustachian tube is slow to let in air, the mucous membrane of the middle ear will ooze fluid, forming a special kind of otitis media – aviation otitis media – in the middle ear. This kind of otitis media is not as severe as purulent otitis media, but is mainly a sensation of water filling the ear. In fact, the damage caused to the ears by air travel is difficult to avoid not only for ordinary passengers, but also for professional flight attendants. According to the data released by the Air China Flight Health Center’s Cabin Flight Medical Office, between 2007 and 2009, there were 333 cases of aviation otitis media among the flight attendants of Air China flights, accounting for 9% of the number of flights during this period, and four of them were rare aviation tympanic membrane perforations. What factors can lead to aviation otitis media? The external factor of aviation otitis media is the change of air pressure. If the plane lands too fast from a high altitude, it is difficult for the good pharyngeal tube to adapt to it. It is estimated that the group of flight attendants in Air China who developed aviation otitis media were shot by some sudden descending of the plane. In terms of internal factors, if a passenger takes a flight during a cold or rhinitis attack, the function of the eustachian tube is more likely to fall off and cause aviation otitis media. How to avoid aviation otitis media 1. When the plane is about to take off, the flight attendants will say some precautions when flying, and instruct that when landing, you should swallow, chew, yawn or pinch your nose and drum (unfortunately, they are often ignored), these actions are to make the eustachian tube more active, so that the air pressure in the middle ear reaches the balance with the outside world as soon as possible. 2, and in the cold, rhinitis attack stage try not to choose the plane travel, it is impossible to avoid, you can get off the plane as soon as possible to the nasal cavity drops some shrinkage of the nasal mucosa nasal drops, note: for ordinary people suitable pinch nose puff method, for the nasal cavity has more nasal snot is not suitable. There are many nasal drops available, but try not to use the “nasal drops” mentioned in the previous article, as there are safer forms available in hospitals and special nasal drops for children. How do I treat aviation otitis media? With adequate preparation, most passengers can avoid aviation otitis media. Those who are unlucky enough to be shot can easily recover with prompt treatment. After disembarking from the plane, if the ear pain is severe or if it becomes apparent that hearing is affected for several hours to a day without relief you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Most can be relieved within a few days with nasal drops and medication to reduce nasal discharge. If there is already significant fluid accumulation, the fluid can be drawn out by tympanic membrane puncture. This method sounds a bit scary, but in fact it is similar to sticking a needle in the back of the hand during an IV, so I won’t go into details for the limited space. In case the tympanic membrane is perforated by drinking cold water, most of them will heal. If it does not heal, ahem, that is a small chance than winning five million dollars, so rely on surgery to repair it. Do enough preventive work, travel by air is still very safe, problems arise in a timely manner to seek medical attention, indiscriminate use of drugs may aggravate the damage to the ears, I wish you all a smooth trip in the clouds.