Dave wrote:
On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:14:15 GMT, Don W
said:


Be very careful about equalization. If your ears hurt do _not_ force
it by going lower... or higher ... until you can equalize the pressure.


Not quite right as to the ascending part. Because of the way your Eustachian
tube is laid out in relation to the ears and throat it's next to impossible
to damage the ear drums as a result of ascending. Picture what happens when
you release the stem of a filled balloon. Now consider the Eustachian tube's
exit to the throat like the stem of the balloon.

Dave,

I can't argue with what you write about the Eustachian tube, because
I just don't know. I'm not an ear specialist, nor do I play one on
TV. I am, however, trained as a technical diver and remember being
trained (and experiencing) that it is necessary to equalize both
descending and ascending. If one or both ears is blocked, and the
pressure difference is enough, a barotrauma or possibly a ruptured
eardrum is the result.

Also, think about it. If what you said is true then people would
not need to equalize during ascent on an airplane. As a pilot I
can tell you that people do very much need to equalize during ascent
in an unpressurized airplane and that if a person does not know how
to equalize a very painful experience is the result.

?????

Don W.