爲什麼坐飛機時我們總感覺耳朵要爆炸了?大綱

Most of us are familiar with this phenomenon of travel: ear-popping usually happens during takeoffs and landings.
大多數坐過飛機的人都熟悉這樣的現象：飛機起飛或落地時我們的耳朵會有脹脹的感覺。

Our ears pop because of the change in air pressure as the plane ascends or descends. At higher altitudes air pressure is lower, even though the plane is pressurized.
我們的耳朵之所以會有這種感覺是因爲在飛機起飛或降落的時候發生的氣壓變化。在較高海拔區域氣壓較低，儘管飛機已經在加壓了。

Our ears are sealed off inside our heads, so as the plane ascends or descends the pressure outside and inside our ears is different. This difference in pressure can distort our ear drums and be painful.
我們的耳朵在頭內處於封閉狀態，因此隨着飛機上升或下降，耳朵內外的氣壓不同，而這種差異會扭曲我們的耳鼓並導致疼痛。

What needs to be done here is to equalize the pressure between our ears and the airplane cabin.
此時我們需要做的就是平衡耳朵和飛機機艙內的壓力。

Nature has provided the means for this with a tube that runs from the middle ear to the nasopharynx—the open area behind our noses. It's called the Eustachian tube.
剛好我們天生自帶這種功能，由中耳延伸出的一條直達鼻的咽管道器官（在我們鼻子後面的一塊開放區域）稱爲耳咽管。

Normally the Eustachian tube is closed, so in order to equalize the pressure we need to open it.
通常情況下耳咽管都是關閉的，但當我們需要平衡氣壓時我們需要打開它。

Seasoned travelers know that you can avoid the discomfort by swallowing or chewing gum when you feel the pressure change.
經驗豐富的人知道，如果感到氣壓變化了，他們會通過吞嚥或咀嚼口香糖來排除不適。

The mechanical action when we chew gum or swallow opens the Eustachian tube, and allows the pressure to be equalized. The opening of the Eustachian tube is associated with the “pop” we hear.
嚼口香糖或吞嚥這些機械動作會幫助我們打開耳咽管，隨即平衡氣壓，打開耳咽管的同時我們也會聽到“嘭”的一聲。

Incidentally, babies often cry on takeoff and landing because they don't know to chew or swallow. Having them suck on something can open their Eustachian tubes and alleviate the pain on their ears.
通常嬰兒在起飛及降落時會哭是因爲他們不知道來咀嚼咀嚼或吞嚥。這時讓他們吮吸點什麼東西能夠幫助他們打開耳咽管並緩解耳內的疼痛。