Ear pain when flying

[caryrae]

i have tried the earplane earplugs many times but don’t help, my ears still hurt bad mostly when landing. Plus I must be allergic to silicone since anything silicone bothers my skin. Has anyone found any other way to make your ears not hurt?

 

[Christine]

My son has this problem. What works for him is to either use Sudafed (from the pharmacist) a day or 2 before the flight and throughout the flight and/or couple that with Afrin nasal spray. Not perfect but he gets some relief.

 

[fly girl]

Valsalva technique. Pinch your nose and blow with mouth closed.

Make sure on take off and landing you are chewing gum or sipping a drink.

Take a decongestant.

If it still hurts, put a warm to hot wet compress behind lower ear.

 

[caryrae]

I have heard of taking decongestant but never tried. Think I will definitely try it and how it works for me. Hadn’t heard of the nasal spray but will give it a try too.

 

[Meglen]

I have learned it's all about the pilot and how fast they go up and down. If it's slow my ears don't get clogged. Saddly I can't take Sudafeds so I rely on headphones in my canals plus gum. And sometimes pulling on my ear lobes as we land. Who know what works.. lol

 

[Christine]

I have heard of taking decongestant but never tried. Think I will definitely try it and how it works for me. Hadn’t heard of the nasal spray but will give it a try too.

I used to work for an F-16 and commercial air pilot and he was BIG on the Sudafed use prior to and during the flight. I only get mild pain in my ears so I can't verify if it works or not. My son is the one with the awful pain--to the point that it really ruins his travel. The Sudafed and the Afrin help. Not 100% but there is some relief.

 

[_19disnA]

Chewing gum or just swallowing a few times also works for some people. On some flights have had that issue and then later in day after arriving, my ears will clear on their own. Most of the time never have an issue when flying. Perhaps related to something about the aircraft pressurization system.

 

[Christine]

Chewing gum or just swallowing a few times also works for some people. On some flights have had that issue and then later in day after arriving, my ears will clear on their own. Most of the time never have an issue when flying. Perhaps related to something about the aircraft pressurization system.

For those that are suffering a lot (like the poster here and my son) it's generally due to eustachian tube dysfunction and is an issue no matter what flight they are on. My son has a lot of allergies, also has had small, narrow eustachian tubes and is incredible pain when he flys. He's called me from the airport nearly in tears after a flight. I think most of us with somewhat "normal" ears probably can't relate to the pain. I kind of get it how you are describing. Some flights worse than others, and then taking several hours to clear. I get pretty clogged and some very minor pain, and nothing I do ever helps it so I just live with what it is. But I think for a smaller percentage of people, it's really, really painful.

 

[fly girl]

I have learned it's all about the pilot and how fast they go up and down. If it's slow my ears don't get clogged. Saddly I can't take Sudafeds so I rely on headphones in my canals plus gum. And sometimes pulling on my ear lobes as we land. Who know what works.. lol

Well, to be fair, it isn't all about the pilot. The ATC tells them what altitude to fly at. If they have to adjust quickly because they were told to be at a certain altitude they comply.

For those that are suffering a lot (like the poster here and my son) it's generally due to eustachian tube dysfunction and is an issue no matter what flight they are on. My son has a lot of allergies, also has had small, narrow eustachian tubes and is incredible pain when he flys. He's called me from the airport nearly in tears after a flight. I think most of us with somewhat "normal" ears probably can't relate to the pain. I kind of get it how you are describing. Some flights worse than others, and then taking several hours to clear. I get pretty clogged and some very minor pain, and nothing I do ever helps it so I just live with what it is. But I think for a smaller percentage of people, it's really, really painful.

I have seen individuals in pain, and it would be miserable. If you have ever flown with a cold and your ears won't pop you get a small gist of the pain they feel. It is pure misery. I can't fathom it on every flight.

 

[caryrae]

For those that are suffering a lot (like the poster here and my son) it's generally due to eustachian tube dysfunction and is an issue no matter what flight they are on. My son has a lot of allergies, also has had small, narrow eustachian tubes and is incredible pain when he flys. He's called me from the airport nearly in tears after a flight. I think most of us with somewhat "normal" ears probably can't relate to the pain. I kind of get it how you are describing. Some flights worse than others, and then taking several hours to clear. I get pretty clogged and some very minor pain, and nothing I do ever helps it so I just live with what it is. But I think for a smaller percentage of people, it's really, really painful.

My sister is the same as me. Her ears are very painful, she would be almost in tears when landing. It’s bad because it takes a while to actually land with pain the whole time. Luckily I can stand the pain enough but man can it hurt. Chewing gum doesn’t help but I still try.

For the Sudafed is it just Sudafed PE sinus congestion? Also do you take the 1 pill every 4 hours like directions say or not that often?

 

[Christine]

My sister is the same as me. Her ears are very painful, she would be almost in tears when landing. It’s bad because it takes a while to actually land with pain the whole time. Luckily I can stand the pain enough but man can it hurt. Chewing gum doesn’t help but I still try.

For the Sudafed is it just Sudafed PE sinus congestion? Also do you take the 1 pill every 4 hours like directions say or not that often?

It's the sudafed that you purchase from the pharmacist that they keep behind the counter. Need to make sure it's this active ingedient: Pseudoephedrine. My son uses the ones you take every 4-6 hours. I'm sure you could use the extended release also.

 

[Trinity88]

I've found nothing works 100%. I find the pain almost intolerable (and I've birthed multiple children without meds lol) and often end up in tears. One thing that did help me - once a flight attendant saw I was suffering and brought me 2 Styrofoam cups with paper towel in them that wet with very hot water. I held them up to my ears and the hot steam seemed to help.

 

[Dream]

This is a miserable thing to have. My PCP told me, after a particularly bad flight, to take a decongestant an hour prior to my scheduled flight, and then just before boarding, use Afrin in both nostrils. I have not had any pain at all since starting this. I also use ear planes just to add to my game plan, but have flown without that step and did fine.

 

[Moliphino]

Valsalva technique. Pinch your nose and blow with mouth closed.

This is what always works for me.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I’ve discussed this with my ENT nurse and the decongestant and Afrin were recommended.

I’ve tried everything else and nothing else works. You have to get at the congestion. Ears, nose, all connected.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Years ago I started with vertigo when flying and the ENT had me do a mashup of the following around 30 min before takeoff, which I still do:
1 Sudafed (the kind you need to share ID for with the pharmacist, NOT the kind out on the shelves)
1 puff Afrin each side
1 Benadryl
1 pair Earplanes that I need to keep in 30 min into the trip and put back in as soon as the plane starts to descend or I guesstimate 30 min before landing, my ENT explained the changes in pressure that cause the pain aren't only at the moment of liftoff and landing.
Gum or something to nibble on or sip as long as the Earplanes are in, I don't normally like gum but it's easy

If the flight is longer than the time for the Sudafed I take the second tablet in the 2 tablet dose, so far the combo works, I haven't tried to leave any out since the Vertigo and pain are not a thing I want to entertain.

My SIL had issues and they bought and liked some kind of special cup contraption that held warm/hot water at the ends,I think you can do it with regular cups but they found a special product.

 

[caryrae]

I bought the ”special“ Sudafed and Afrin. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks

 

[Mysterian]

I recall getting it so bad during landing that I was partially deaf for about an hour. All the best advice has been given already. I just heard that basically the same methods that are supposed to cure you of hiccups supposedly works for pressure pain too. By that I mean trying to yawn, not so much having someone jump out and scare you.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It used to be so bad for me flying. As a kid my parents told me I would just cry all the time due to the pain. I'm positive it's because or how my ear tunes were formed. As I got older I stopped having as much pain but I do get motion sick/slight vertigo primarily at take off. For that I focus on the bathroom sign plaque til we reach a more level altitude.

I could not ever do the hold your nose and blow for your ears, in fact that caused more pain and made it worse.

I do take allergy medicine for seasonal allergies but I don't do that all year round so I'm definitely flying when I don't have allergy medicine in me. For whatever reason the extreme pain for flying ebbed a lot as I got older and I could more effectively pop my ears.

But my ears are still incredibly sensitive to very loud or sudden noise. I did buy foam slim fit ear plugs for this Disney and Universal trip I'm on right now for certain rides where I know the noise at times is loud for me and they work pretty well. The fit is great in my left ear but my right ear I haven't been able to get the fit just right but it does block enough sound. These slim fit are the first I have been able to tolerate as normal foam ones exert too much pressure for my small ear canals.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Hadn’t heard of the nasal spray but will give it a try too.

My doctor told me decongestants and neosynephrine nasal spray. Helped some.