I have these same problems. The reason this happens is because your ear drum is like a piece of balloon. It can vibrate but air can't pass through it. So when you climb to altitude, the pressure on the other side of your ear drum (the opposite side as the ear canal leading to the outside) stays the same pressure as ground level. The pressure outside drops as you climb, so your ear drum will bulge toward the outside, which hurts. Your body has a mechanism that's supposed to equalize this. You have tiny tubes leading from the back of the throat to the side of the ear drum that doesn't face the outside. They're called eustachian tubes, and for a lot of people, they don't function properly. Instead of letting air flow to the inside of your ear, they collapse and do nothing. A solution to this is visiting an Ear Nose and Throat specialist to have a Tympanostomy tube inserted directly into the ear drum. This is a surgery, and can be performed in the dr's office. This surgery is common in children who are prone to ear infections. Having the tube in the ear drum will let air flow easily from one side of your ear drum to the other, and you'll feel no pain! They're great little things and I've had this done with immediate results. There are some side issues involved with this: 1.) Now there is a hole in your ear drum, so when you swim, it's best to wear ear plus so water can't get behind your ear. I do this anyway, to avoid swimmer's ear, so it's not a big deal. 2.) The tube, as far as your body is concerned, is a foreign body. Eventually it's going to fall out (mine last about 18 months on average), and will need replacing. 3.) If the tube becomes clogged with wax, it's not going to function. So it's best to visit your ENT regularly to make sure wax doesn't accumulate around the tube. Other than that, they're a great solution. Hope this helped, Matt
