system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: If its basically a straight shot from your outer ear to the ear drum, how does water get 'stuck' in your ear after swimming?
gpt
Two things.

* If you look in an ear, it's not a straight tunnel but rather, a hollow area going straight back before droping down at around a 40-45° decline.


* Air pressure/water tension. The water has it's own tension keeping it in your ear. So long as the tension holds, there's no way for air to naturally make it behind the bit of water which results in the water staying stuck in your ear.