Why do your ears pop during flights?

Ear popping during take-off and landing is a common response to changing air pressure, says Dr Pooja Pillai of Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru. It happens when pressure in the middle ear differs from the cabin. The Eustachian tube, linking the middle ear to the nose and throat, normally equalises pressure when we swallow, yawn or chew, but may lag when cabin pressure changes quickly.