The problem happens during . As the plane sinks toward the runway, the cabin pressure rises again. The air in your middle ear now becomes lower pressure than the air outside. Your eardrum gets sucked inward like a dented tin can. Your Eustachian tube, which is supposed to open and let new air in, can’t. It’s stuck.
On the ground, the pressure inside your ear matches the pressure outside. But during a flight’s ascent, the cabin pressure drops rapidly. The air inside your middle ear expands, pushing on the eardrum. That’s the “pop” you feel when you yawn or swallow—the Eustachian tube opens, letting excess air escape.
The answer is inflammation. During the flight, the dramatic pressure changes can irritate the delicate lining of the Eustachian tube. Even after the plane lands, the tube remains swollen shut. Fluid (or even a tiny amount of vacuum-sealed blood) can be drawn into the middle ear, creating a sensation of fullness.
