Symptoms
Symptoms include tinnitus and hearing loss.

Cause
The air pressures in and outside the ear cavity are quite different, causing tinnitus and earache. If you happen to have a cold, a running nose and an inflammatory canal between the back throat and the middle ear (Eustachian tube), the symptoms will be very evident.

Recommendations
You can repeatedly pinch your nose and exhale and swallow to balance the air pressures inside and outside the middle ear and lessen the pressure on your ears. The best way is to take a few chunks of chewing gum with you. Intentional yawning also helps.
If you have nasal congestion caused by a cold, you can use nasal drops and do what’s described above during descent.