A Southwest flight was forced to land after a 'pressurization issue' caused a passenger's ears to bleed

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• A Southwest flight from Connecticut to Florida experienced a 'pressurization issue' on Friday.
• "Several passengers" were treated for injuries, with one reportedly bleeding from the ears, USA Today reported.
• It's not clear what caused the plane's pressure to drop to an unsafe level.

A Southwest Airlines flight from Connecticut to Florida was forced to turn around Friday after a 'pressurization issue' injured several passengers and even caused one person to bleed from the ears.

News of the bleeding was first reported by USA Today.

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A Southwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that flight 1694 from Bradley International Airport, near Hartford, returned to the airport about 45 minutes after takeoff.

"Flight #1694 with scheduled service between Bradley International Airport (BDL) and Tampa Bay (TPA) experienced a pressurization issue shortly after takeoff," the airline said. "Our flight crew followed proper procedures and returned to BDL, where it landed safely. Several customers among the 139 onboard were treated for injuries and discomfort by local paramedics."

It's not clear exactly how the pressurization issue was caused or what steps were taken to fix the problem. If cabin pressure drops too low, it can cause discomfort, and sometimes bleeding, due to the thinner, drier, air, according to the World Health Organization.

"We removed the aircraft from service and continued the Customers' travel with another aircraft," Southwest added. "The safety of our Customers and Crew is always our top priority."