Ear pain on descent

[Luv Bunnies]

I had an eardrum burst on a business flight many years ago (felt like charging my company for pain and suffering!). I felt a cold coming on the morning of the flight. The pain was so bad on descent that I was sure I was going to pass out. The pain went away after landing, but my ear remained blocked the next day. I went to the doctor and she said there was dried blood on my ear drum. It most likely burst and regenerated quickly, as they are prone to do.

Ever since then, I take a decongestant before flights if I feel the slightest cold symptoms. I've also tried Earplanes and they seem to help. Chewing gum is hit or miss for me. Sometimes it seems to help and sometimes I still get a little pain.

 

[North of Mouse]

My poor son was in agony with pain in his ears on descent and unfortunately we had two flights to get here yesterday. It was making him nauseous too. I had tears in my eyes watching him, I was massaging his head around his ears trying to relieve some pressure and he said that helped a little but not enough.

Is there anything I can get for him either here in WDW or back at MCO that will help prevent it on our flight home? I don't have a car so it has to be here or at the airport. He's 8.

Thank you!!

Don't have time to read all the replies, but will tell you what worked with our ds. Flew into Port Au Prince Haiti, and the mountains are such that there's a very steep descent. He, too, was in agony. A flight attendant brought him two styrofoam cups with hot wet paper towels in them to cup over his ears. It gave 'instant' relief.

 

[3happydancers]

When we flew with our boys I had them use airplane earplugs which seemed to help. You can usually find them in any drugstore. I combined that with giving them tootsie pops and they didn't have any discomfort at all.

If you can find them, Earplanes (they have kid versions too), are wonderful at helping elleviate the pressure changes. They're earplugs you wear for the ascent and decent. Although the instructions tell you it's best to keep them in the entire flight.

I had a permanent hole in my left eardrum from ear infections as a kid, and relied on them for business travel. They saved me a lot of pain and anguish. I'd think you should be able to find them at a airport store.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/earplanes-disposable-ear-plugs/ID=prod353009-product

I have found EarPlanes to work wonders. We've tried "Popping", drinking, chewing, lollipops, Sudafed... We've combined them... Still had a miserable amount of pressure and pain. But since we've started using EarPlanes, both my son and I are "cured".

The only draw back is that he likes to listen to music with his earbud headphones and can't because of the EarPlanes.

We also swear by EarPlanes! They really do make a huge difference!

Turner's Drugs will deliver to Disney resorts. You could check online to see if they carry them, and just have them delivered to your resort. We've used them before for other needs and they were great.

Good luck!

Don't have time to read all the replies, but will tell you what worked with our ds. Flew into Port Au Prince Haiti, and the mountains are such that there's a very steep descent. He, too, was in agony. A flight attendant brought him two styrofoam cups with hot wet paper towels in them to cup over his ears. It gave 'instant' relief.

Another fan of Ear Planes! And as for the Styrofoam cups with hot wet paper towels in them, I have to say I found this interesting. Never tried this method but I can see it working. My daughter has suffered from chronic ear infections since the age of about 3. One of the home remedies for pain recommended by her doctor, and truly worked, was warm moist heat placed over her ears.

 

[set1208]

I've never heard the cup thing either but it sounds really soothing. My son has had his tonsils and adenoids removed and when he was little, he had a burst ear drum too. He's also had a couple nasty ear infections in the past...not often though. At least two though. It was heart wrenching seeing him crying in pain. I'm so grateful for all the help. Thanks!

 

[bjscheel]

If it's still bothering him now, you might try having him hold a warm wet washcloth on his ears. Our oldest had one trip where the ear pain lasted the first couple of days of the trip. If I recall, the washcloth helped.

 

[set1208]

If it's still bothering him now, you might try having him hold a warm wet washcloth on his ears. Our oldest had one trip where the ear pain lasted the first couple of days of the trip. If I recall, the washcloth helped.

Fortunately the pain settled down once we landed. He had a hard time hearing for a little while but that cleared quickly too. Your poor son....two days! Ouch. We have a direct flight home so he will only have to deal with this one more time.

 

[sherreis]

Another vote for Earplanes.

We flex from Baltimore to MCO for a surprise trip for our boys and DS - then 8- didn't care that he was going to WDW - that's how much his ears hurt.

We purchased Earplanes at a store at MCO for the return trip home and now he will not fly without them.

He puts them in when he gets on the plane and doesn't take them out till we land.

 

[jll2800]

I agree with everyone's recs about Earplanes! I get horrible, horrible ear pain on descent. Earplanes don't always cure it completely but they do help. And like someone else mentioned, they make a kids size too.

I've never tried sudafed (though now that I hear it, it seems so obvious!), but you better believe I'll be doing that on my next trip too!

 

[set1208]

We just got home and we had a successful flight. I went into the shop in terminal B and got Advil, Dramamine, gummi savers, and EarPlanes...$40 later.

About a half hour before the flight, I gave him Advil and Dramamine and he was passed out cold before we even took off. I never used the ear plugs or the gummies. He slept the entire flight (2 hours) and I started to wake him up just as we were landing. He was just a little groggy but he was fine. No pain or discomfort at all. It may have helped that he only had 5 hours of sleep the night before since we had to be on DME at 4 in the morning.

So thank you again for all of your helpful advice.

 

[mcjaco]

Good to hear!

Save those Earplanes. They don't go bad before you use them!

 

[Iheartminnie11]

Thanks for the Earplanes suggestions, will definitely look into these.

 

[Poipu]

I just had a terribly painful flight and reading on here about the cups and warm paper towels saved me. It made the pain tolerable. Thx so much!!

 

[seashell724]

Two questions for you all!

First, can you still hear with earplanes or are all sounds blocked out like ear plugs?

Second, do you fill the cup full of warm paper towels so your ears touch them or just have one sitting on the bottom?

Thank you!

 

[baseballnut]

This is exactly what happens to my DD16 every time she flies. These instructions are directly from her ENT doctor: 1. Take 1 Sudafed (12 hour) the night before (or 13 hours prior to) the flight. Take 1 more Sudafed one hour before take-off. 2. Use Afrin- Spray in each nostril while sitting on the runway waiting to take off. (I usually have her do this when the pilot tells the flight attendants to take their seats) 3. Buy Ear-Planes. Place them in your ears BEFORE the cabin doors are closed. Do not remove them until the cabin doors are opened after landing. Continue to pop ears throughout the flight with gum or drinking. This has helped my daughter tremendously over the past few years.

This!

Also, remember to keep him hydrated - BEFORE and during the flight. The hydration makes the "stuff" in your ears thinner and more fluid, and the OTC meds dry it up so it's not "in the way" while flying and changing altitudes.

I've had ear issues my whole life (and even bad dizziness and nausea while flying), and it took me years to figure it out. Water, water, water!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

This!

Also, remember to keep him hydrated - BEFORE and during the flight. The hydration makes the "stuff" in your ears thinner and more fluid, and the OTC meds dry it up so it's not "in the way" while flying and changing altitudes.

I've had ear issues my whole life (and even bad dizziness and nausea while flying), and it took me years to figure it out. Water, water, water!

You are so right about water. Ever notice your ears ringing and then drink a few glasses of water and it goes away.

 

[baseballnut]

You are so right about water. Ever notice your ears ringing and then drink a few glasses of water and it goes away.

Exactly!

Learned that dehydration contributes to my vertigo, as well. Water does a body good!

 

[North of Mouse]

Two questions for you all!

First, can you still hear with earplanes or are all sounds blocked out like ear plugs?

Second, do you fill the cup full of warm paper towels so your ears touch them or just have one sitting on the bottom?

Thank you!

Have had no experience with the Ear-Planes, but I am the poster that when my ds had horrible ear pains on descent, a flight attendant used styrofoam cups and 'hot' paper towels. You DO NOT want the towels to touch your ears. The water is squeezed from them and pushed to the bottom of the cups, then capped over the ears. Works like magic!!

 

[kristenrice]

EarPlanes!

I bought a 3-pk from Drugstore.com about 2 weeks before our trip for myself and our 2 DD's. I asked DH repeatedly if he wanted a pair as well and it was always, "Nah, I'll be fine".

The night before our flight, we were in the hotel (the airport was 2 hours from home and we had a 7am flight) and DH says, "You know...I think there is a Walgreen's around here. Do you think you could see if they have any EarPlanes for me?". Nothing like waiting until the last minute. We all wear them now when we fly and I will always buy a pair for DH .