If you have active, severe barotrauma (intense pain, fluid behind the ear, recent rupture), most doctors recommend not flying until it is healed. Flying again too soon can worsen the injury, prevent healing, or cause permanent hearing loss.

If you must fly or are currently recovering, follow these steps to minimize pressure changes.

Symptoms of airplane ear can range from mild to severe and typically occur during takeoff or descent: Barotrauma - Harvard Health

The symptoms of barotrauma during flying can vary from person to person, but common complaints include:

Barotrauma is caused by a pressure imbalance between the environment and the air-filled space in the middle ear. The , which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat, normally opens to equalize this pressure. If this tube is blocked or fails to function, pressure differences can cause the eardrum to stretch, leading to discomfort or injury. Common Symptoms

Barotrauma is a polite, clinical word for a very impolite sensation. It lives in the delicate architecture of the middle ear, a tiny airspace connected to the throat by the Eustachian tube—a passage no wider than a eyelash. On the ground, it’s fine. But at 30,000 feet, as the cabin artificially compresses to the equivalent of 8,000 feet, that tiny space becomes a prison.