As a guy who flies for a living, I'll give you my two cents on your senses...
Hearing is important. As the good doctor of audiology mentioned ear infections impair the bodies ability to equalize the pressure in your inner ear. Now, hanging out at ground level this is typically a mild irritant at best.
Taking a plane ride in a "pressurized" cabin is not overly tasking for the body. The key word is pressurized. Not all cabins pressurize quite the same nor do they necessarily maintain that pressurization. You are from Florida and your body has acclimatized to the near sea level pressures. Most aircraft maintain ambient pressure up to and including 5000 feet above sea level. This is not a bad pressure shift, but is noticeable. From 5000 - 18000 most cabins maintain the pressurization of a 5000 foot cabin. Above the 18000 mark, where most airliners transit, there is a pressurization "schedule" that adjusts the cabin pressure a little bit at a time to maintain a pressure just a little above ambient.
HOWEVER, should the cabin lose pressurization or your ability to clear your ears and sinuses properly be impaired greatly, you could do serious harm to your inner ear and possibly blow a sinus. Both are typically very painful experiences and result in permanent damage that can run from permanent hearing loss to sinus damages that impact your ability to breathe.
So...the real question is just how bad is the ear issue? Followed by the question of just how lucky you feel?
Personally, I do not fly when the ear and/or sinus problems impair my ability to clear my ears. I like all of my senses intact and want to be able to keep flying...something I would not be allowed to do if I blew my ears/hearing or sinuses.
Just some food for thought.
