Originally Posted by mahjongguy
In addition to the pain as we come down to approach at NRT and SFO, is there some chance of real damage?
Yes. In the event of a real blockage, you could puncture your eardrum.
The ear has three ways of equalizing pressure on the two sides of the eardrum:
- equalize with air pressure. This is the normal way.
- If that fails, equalize with fluid. This usually means blood, but that's not always possible.
- If that fails, remove the barrier. i.e., puncture the eardrum.
I once had an equalization problem that resorted to #2, though it could just as easily have progressed to #3. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk.