Cross Country Flight -- Ear Damage?

[Maulik]

During a cross country flight, my ears began to hurt from the changing pressure. This is typical for me when I fall asleep and cannot adjust during the descent. I also suffer a temporary loss of hearing that fades slowly as my ears readjust after the flight. When the second leg of this flight reached peak altitude, my ears settled, pain subsided and normal hearing resumed. I planned to stay awake for the descent and to try to directly handle the changing pressure. Instead, I woke up during the last 100 miles of the flight as we passed over Lake Tahoe and were well into the descent. Seven hours later, my ears have not adjusted and when I speak, I hear myself as if I am speaking through a tunnel or water.