Barotrauma is the overarching term for medical conditions caused by sudden or significant shifts in air or water pressure. Most barotrauma conditions aren’t serious, and their symptoms go away without treatment. But in some instances, barotrauma may be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

What Is Barotrauma?

Barotrauma refers to the way a sudden change in barometric (air) or water pressure affects your body. Ear barotrauma is the most common type and often affects the middle ear. Other types may affect your lungs, gastrointestinal tract or sinuses. You may experience barotrauma while flying in an airplane or deep-water diving.

Barotrauma types

Healthcare providers classify barotrauma by the part of your body that it affects. Barotrauma types include:

  • Ear barotrauma (airplane ear) affects your middle ears
  • Gastrointestinal barotrauma may affect your stomach or intestines in your gastrointestinal tract
  • Pulmonary barotrauma affects your lungs
  • Sinus barotrauma (sinus squeeze or barosinusitis) puts pressure on your sinuses

Symptoms and Causes

Symptoms of barotrauma

Barotrauma causes different symptoms. Your symptoms will depend on the part of your body that air and water pressure changes affect.

Ear barotrauma symptoms

Ear barotrauma (airplane ear) symptoms may include:

Gastrointestinal barotrauma symptoms

You may have this condition if you swallow air while doing deep-water diving or scuba diving. Symptoms include:

Rarely, gastrointestinal barotrauma may cause a hole in your stomach or your intestines. Symptoms are severe belly pain or nausea and vomiting. It may hurt when you touch your belly. Go to an emergency room right away if you have these symptoms.

Pulmonary (lung) barotrauma symptoms

Pulmonary barotrauma can happen during free deep-water or scuba diving. Symptoms often include:

Sinus barotrauma symptoms

You may experience sinus barotrauma symptoms while doing free diving or scuba diving. Symptoms may include:

Barotrauma causes

Barotrauma happens when air or water pressure changes faster than your body is able to adapt. That can happen while flying in an airplane or scuba diving.

Diagnosis and Tests

How doctors diagnose barotrauma

A healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms. They’ll ask if symptoms started after you did things like fly in an airplane or diving. A provider will do a physical exam. They’ll use different tests to diagnose specific barotrauma types.

Ear barotrauma diagnosis

Healthcare providers may look inside your ear with an otoscope. This is a special lighted instrument that providers use to check eardrum damage, signs of infection or other issues. They may do other tests like:

Gastrointestinal barotrauma diagnosis

A healthcare provider may do the following tests if they think you have a GI rupture:

Pulmonary barotrauma diagnosis

Healthcare providers may do the following tests to diagnose pulmonary barotrauma:

Sinus barotrauma diagnosis

A provider will examine your nose. Tests may include:

  • Endoscopy to look at the inside of your nose
  • CT scan to get images of your sinuses

Management and Treatment

How is barotrauma treated?

Treatment depends on the barotrauma type. Potential treatments for barotrauma are:

Typically, people don’t need treatment for gastrointestinal barotrauma. The exception is when the condition causes a perforation that requires surgery.

When should I seek care?

You should talk to a healthcare provider if ear or sinus barotrauma symptoms don’t go away or if they get worse. But gastrointestinal and pulmonary barotrauma may cause complications that can be life-threatening. You should go to an emergency room if you have:

  • Gastrointestinal barotrauma and you have sudden severe belly pain
  • Pulmonary barotrauma and you have chest pain or shortness of breath

Outlook / Prognosis

What can I expect if I have this?

Your prognosis or expected outcome depends on your situation. For example, if you have airplane ear, you may not need any treatment. But you may need surgery if barotrauma damages your eardrum. If you have a form of barotrauma, a healthcare provider is your best resource for information. They’ll tell you what you can expect.

Prevention

Can I prevent barotrauma?

Yes, in most cases, you can prevent barotrauma:

  • If you’re flying on an airplane, invest in special earplugs. Chew gum, yawn or blow your nose to protect your ears from air pressure changes.
  • If you scuba dive, follow safe diving practices. That will help you reduce the risk of gastrointestinal, pulmonary and sinus barotrauma. Organizations like the Divers Alert Network (DAN) offer safe diving practice training.

Living With

How do I take care of myself?

Barotrauma covers a wide range of medical conditions. Some are more serious than others. Contact your healthcare provider if you’ve experienced significant air and water pressure changes that might affect your health.

A note from Wockr

Barotrauma happens when your body can’t adapt fast enough to changes in air and/or water pressure. You may develop barotrauma while flying in an airplane or scuba diving. Barotrauma can be a serious medical issue, particularly if it affects your lungs or your gut. But there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of barotrauma.