Originally Posted by
sawsmanfc
Thanks for your advice.
I recognize that rate of descent is under the control of the Airport tower controllers, but was questioning if the pilot could adjust cabin pressure based on the approved rate of descent.
In other words, once the rate of descent is determined, does the pilot have any control over cabin pressure in order to ease or eliminate severe ear pain for passengers?
Cabin pressure is typically on Auto... for good reason it's a smooth and continuous automatic adjustment.
If a manual setting was used changes would be more dramatic/painful and of course add more workload to with their main task... landing the aircraft.
As suggested by another poster your wife might want to see an ENT since the symptom exhibits just on one side. It may be something impeding the eustachian tube's function on that side. And while I'm not a physician there a several more serious problems that can cause that. I am a scuba diver...
Sudafed sometimes helps ensure sinus and eustachian tubes are not congested.