Interesting fact I learnt today

[Danny]

If your flying and have a tooth ache (esp. tooth decay) it can cause immense pain due to the pressure differences. The same thing can occur if you have a bad cold and can’t pressurize the inner ear and/or sinuses.

The tooth decay pain is by far the worst though, because air pushes up against your nerve!

I didn’t know any of this so I though I would share it with you lot.

/end class

[Bendy]

Sorry, but I knew that already.


C- Must try harder.

[Ian (GPX)]

[Milo]

...which is why you should suck on a sweet to get your saliva going. This causes you to swallow and therefors equalise the pressure much more frequently to reduce the chance of discomfort and ears popping.

Not that I've ever been on a plane...
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[Danny]

I would be happy to go through emergency transponder codes but I think people might find the previous information a bit more useful.

Every time you hear your ears 'pop' it means you've equalised the pressure.

[Mr C]

I can confirm the cold thing - ear infections are the same

no amount of swallowing will release the pressure and it is bloody agony and you don't recover for a few hours after landing

I fly a lot
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[Rob]

..and did you also know that if the cabin pressure suddenly drops in a plane (to the extent where they need to introduce the oxygen masks) and you have any cavities in your teeth, they can explode! Nice!
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[Chuck100]

Umm, not sure about the initial thread...

When you go up in a plane, whilst the cabin is pressurised, it is still a lower pressure than the 1 atmosphere we feel at sea level. This would result in fewer air molecules striking the nerve ending and hence less pain.

When you descend the pressure will work the other way. I remember reading somewhere that it's only a change of 1 or 2 atmospheres during a normal flight.

I'm a diver and for every 33ft you descend under water the pressure increases by 1 atmosphere, so at 33ft you are experiencing 2 atmospheres of pressure. At 100ft, you are experiencing 4 atmospheres (this is about the depth I normally dive at).

Having been diving with a toothache, I didn't notice any great difference, but that could just be me. You do have to 'equalise every 10 or 15 feet though. You need to be careful doing this and shouldn't really force it (same applies to aircraft) otherwise you could suffer a barotrauma in the eardrum.

What I do notice at depth is the 'narcs' (nitrogen narcosis) which is a bit like being drunk, only calmer and quieter.

Rgds,

Chuck
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[Laura]

Is that why when I had ear infections in both ears it was agony at take off and landing?
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[Bendy]

You're also more likey to be travel sick when you have a cold and your ears are blocked, as it affects you balance.

[Danny]

The cabin is usualy pressurized to an altitude of about 8,000ft. This is enough to cause altitude sickness in people heavy smokers.

Yes Laura, your ear drug can even explode if you get it bad enough.