Ear popping is when pressure in the ears needs to equalise so that your eardrum doesn’t expand or contract more than usual. In certain environments, this can happen quite quickly, creating the ‘popping’ sound we hear so very often.
Most of the time, our air pressure is the same, but there are situations when it is known to shift rapidly – for example, while travelling by plane. Fluctuations in altitude make ear popping more likely, and some people find the sensation very uncomfortable indeed.
When the ear pops despite there being no change in altitude, this is known as
Eustachian tube dysfunction and should be checked over by doctors to ensure there are no other underlying conditions – although colds and allergies are usually to blame for this phenomenon.