Objective To study the middle ear damage caused by high pressure. Methods The finite element model of human middle ear was established based on CT scanning, and the change of stress, strain and displacement of the tympanic membrane and the stapes footplate was analyzed when the model was applied with time-varying pressure. Results The satisfactory agreement between the computational results and the corresponding experimental data in the literature indicated the validity of the model. High pressure would cause damage to the middle ear, and the damage would increase with the pressure increasing. Rapid pressurization could severely damage the middle ear, but with a small effect on the inner ear. Slow pressurization could also lead to the middle ear damage, but the inner ear might be damaged before the damage to the middle ear. Conclusions High pressure can easily lead to the ear damage; therefore, the pressurized rate should be controlled strictly during pressurization in order to protect the hearing.