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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffAirplane ear can occur in one or both ears. Airplane ear signs and symptoms may include:
- Moderate discomfort or pain in your ear
- Feeling of fullness or stuffiness in your ear
- Muffled hearing or slight hearing loss
If airplane ear is severe or lasts more than a few hours, you may experience:
- Severe pain
- Pressure in your ear similar to being underwater
- Moderate to severe hearing loss
- Ringing in your ear (tinnitus)
- Spinning sensation (vertigo)
- Vomiting resulting from vertigo
- Bleeding from your ear
When to see a doctor
Usually you can do things on your own to treat airplane ear. If discomfort, fullness or muffled hearing lasts more than a few hours or if you experience any severe signs or symptoms, call your doctor.
- Mirza S, et al. Otic barotrauma from air travel. Journal of Laryngology and Otology. 2005;119(5):366-370.
- Vernick D. Ear barotrauma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 25, 2008.
- Ears and altitude. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/earsAltitude.cfm. Accessed Sept. 4, 2008.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 28, 2009.
- Travel safety tips. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/travelsafetytips.cfm. Accessed Sept. 28, 2009.
