system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How come chewing gum prevents or lowers the effect of your ears popping when flying?
gpt
The reason your ears pop is because there is a small tube that connects your middle ear to your throat, called the Eustachian tube, that fills with pressure. The tube naturally opens when you open your jaw, so chewing gum prevents pressure build-up in the tube. When you pop your ears, you are releasing the pressure in the tube.