“Why do my ears pop when I swallow?”
I'm 23, and I noticed that, lately, my ears have been popping whenever I swallow. It's been happening for a week, after I landed in New York from a recent vacation. Why is this happening?
6 Answers
Read about the eustachian tube function and middle ear pressure. Bottomline, this is normal. your middle ear pressure is trying to equalize with the outside air pressure. Pop your ears a few times like you are still on the plane. It will resolve.
Ear popping is not necessarily a bad thing, but if it is frequent, it can be a sign of congestion in the sinuses and nose. As long as it is not painful and your ears do not feel plugged, most likely it will go away after a few days. If it is persistent, go get an ear exam and hearing test from an ENT specialist.
Hello,
It is likely the barometric pressure from the flight.
Dr. D
It is likely the barometric pressure from the flight.
Dr. D
You may have just noticed it a week ago, but it's been happening your entire life. The eustachian tubes go from the back of your nose to the middle ear. Their function is to equalize any pressure difference between the middle ears and the environment. The tubes stay closed, except when you swallow, they open for a split second and then close again. This happens because there is a small, delicate muscle that runs between the eustachian tube and your soft palate. So get used to it; it's not going away.
THIS IS CALLED EUSTATION TUBE DYSFUNCTION AND MAY RELATE TO ALLERGIES , YOU MAY NEED TO HAVE AN AUDIOGRAM AND IMPEDENCE TESTING TO FULLY EVALUATE THIS AS WELL AS A FULL NASAL EXAM BY ENT IF DOES NOT RESOLVE
Could be normal, but also may indicate minor Eustachian tube dysfunction from barotrauma. If hearing loss, dizziness or significant tinnitus, should see ENT
