What happens upon surfacing after experiencing a middle ear squeeze?

Upon surfacing after experiencing a middle ear squeeze, a feeling of fullness or pain in the ear is a common and correct response. This condition occurs when there’s a difference in pressure between the ear's middle cavity and the external environment. While diving, if the Eustachian tubes cannot equalize this pressure effectively, negative pressure can build up in the middle ear, leading to discomfort or pain.

When a diver surfaces, the rapid decrease in external pressure can further exacerbate this sensation of fullness or discomfort in the ear, as the negative pressure created may not be immediately equalized through the Eustachian tubes. This may cause pain or a feeling of fullness until the pressure is balanced.

In contrast, other options do not typically result from a middle ear squeeze upon surfacing. Loss of balance may occur in various diving-related conditions but is not directly linked to the emerging-from-a-middle-ear-squeeze scenario. A sudden spike in hearing ability could suggest a normalizing effect of equalized pressure but isn't a classic symptom of a squeeze. An increase in ambient noise is unrelated to the physiological changes occurring in the ear during a squeeze.