Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?

We know we often feeling hurt in our ears in flight because of the air pressure change (I feel it in almost every flight).



And it is usually when the plane starts descending to land, not when it is taking off.



Why is it? Why only pressurization (when the plane is descending, the air pressure rises), not depressurization that hurts our ears?Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?As you rise, the air in your ear has to escape to equalize the pressure, this is pretty easy unless you have a bad cold or are really stopped up. When you come down, the air pressure increases and air needs to go back through the Eustachian tube, little harder to do.



Try a valsalva (hold your nose and blow, GENTLY), in extreme cases you can extend the blocked ear toward the ceiling, this straightens the tube and makes the air passage a little easier.Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?
It's easier for excess air pressure behind your eardrum to escape as you go up than it is for air to get back into your ear as you descend.



The inside of your eardrum is connected to your mouth and nose with a narrow tube, the eustachian tube. When there's a difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of your eardrum, this tube opens from time to time to let air in or out of your middle ear (that's what makes the popping sound in your ears as you go up or down). When you're going up, the pressure in your middle ear is higher than the pressure outside, and this usually pushes the eustachian tube open without too much trouble. On the way down, though, it's more common for the tube to get stuck and not open easily, so the pressure in your middle ear ends up way lower than the pressure outside, and it hurts until the eustachian tubes finally open. The pain comes from air pressure pushing the eardrum to one side.



The tubes have to open several times both on the way up and on the way down. They'll make a popping sound (sometimes with an odd echo) each time they open. As pressure builds up, you can feel a stuffiness in your ears and it becomes hard to hear (because the eardrum is being pulled tight). When the tubes open, you hear the popping and suddenly you can hear again without the stuffy feeling.



You can help equalize the pressure on the way down by holding your nose shut, closing your mouth, exhaling into your mouth and nose, and swallowing.Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?if there builds a greater pressure in the MIDDLE ear than is the ambient pressure of air, the pressure differential acts against a sensitive piece of tissue called drum, which causes pain.. the overpressure is easily relieved through the Eustachian tube connecting the MIDDLE ear with the mouth.

if there is the underpressure and your tissues in the mouth and nose are swollen (flu etc) the eustachian tube cannot open from a certain pressure difference anymore. then the ear starts to hurt again due to presure differential exerted at the drum. as the pressure of ambient air increases, the drum can burst, orthe Eustachian tube opens randomly causing a hissing sound in your ear, renewing your hearing, with collateral effect of lower ear sensitivity for several days and possible damage to your hearing.Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?
As the plane climbs up to altitude the air pressure drops and the inner ear adapts easily. as the plane descends, the pressure on the inner ear increases and the inner resists the change (it begins to hurt worse as the amount of pressure increases). Try chewing gum or pinching off your nose and increasing the pressure in your head to cause your ears to adjust.Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?I've flown before and have never experienced any ear discomfort until we reached maximum altitude . Never when we land or take off .Why do our ears hurt only when the plane is landing, not when taking off?
Because after being in a higher altitude, your senses are use to being in that lesser amount of gravity, and so when it descends, the plane, the gravity, and your sense, change constantly, making it hard to re-adjust.