An earplug is provided for use by an airplane passenger, which more slowly
increases the pressure of air in the passenger's ear canal than the rate
of increase in cabin air pressure as the airplane descends near the end of
a flight. The earplug has a cavity (30) that is open to the front end (20)
of the earplug, and with a restrictor (24) at the front end of the cavity
that allows air to pass between the cavity and ear canal, and the cavity
to collapse, only at a very slow rate. As the environmental air pressure
increases near the end of a flight, the earplug is slowly compressed in
diameter and compresses the cavity.
