The eustachian tube is, as the name implies, a section of the lumen that connects the pharyngeal cavity to the tympanic chamber. Our middle ear is like a room, and the tympanic membrane is what it is closed to. In this way, the tympanic chamber needs a pathway to the outside environment. The eustachian tube is responsible for this function. The eustachian tube has two ports, one is called the pharyngeal port, which opens in the nasopharynx, and the other is called the tympanic port, which opens in the anterior superior wall of the tympanic chamber. The presence of the eustachian tube ensures that the middle ear cavity contains the proper volume of air, and the presence of this air ensures that there is a balance of air pressure between the inner and outer sides of the eardrum, thus allowing the eardrum to move normally and ensuring sufficient space for the three small auditory bones in the middle ear cavity to move. However, because the eustachian tube is the only channel between the middle ear and the outside world, most of the bacteria that cause otitis media also tend to enter the middle ear through the eustachian tube from the nasal cavity or nasopharynx. With this in mind, we can understand the main function of the eustachian tube. Once the eustachian tube becomes blocked to varying degrees, it tends to cause changes in air volume and pressure in the middle ear cavity, leading to the corresponding clinical symptoms. However, when we travel by airplane, certain people will feel stuffy or even painful in their ears during takeoff and landing. When the eustachian tube is not functioning well, the air pressure in the middle ear cavity cannot be adjusted in a timely manner, thus causing the above symptoms. One of the most common methods of adjusting the eustachian tube is the pinch and puff method. The method is: take a deep breath, close your mouth tightly, pinch your nose, hold your breath, and then “blow” your nose as hard as you blow your nose, at which point you will have a stream of air pushing the eardrum outward. This indicates that your eustachian tube is passively opening. In post-operative patients with otitis media, we usually recommend that the patient start doing this exercise 4 weeks after surgery to ensure that there is enough air in the middle ear cavity to improve the movement of the auditory bone and to improve hearing.