EAR PAIN when I Fly

[Luvdisney]

Am I the only one who has ear pain when they fly? Best way to discribe it is having an ice pick shoved into your ear... I've tried earplanes, they don't work. I spray Afrin in my noise 45 min before my flight. I start taking sudafed 3 days before my flight. I even have the steward bring me warm towles to put over my ear. It's always the same ear too? I have been to the doctor and he says my ear looks fine. I chew gum and swallow. I try poping my ear as soon as the door shuts. The last time I flew it got so bad my tongue went numb on the same side as my ear. Is there anyone like me that has success with something other then what I have already tried???

 

[Tiffer]

I would seriously get a second opinion with specialist. I notice that I fly so often, in the last 3 years anyway, that my ears feel like I need to pop them, or un-clog them w/a yawn EVERYDAY. I to had tympanic (sp?) testing and the Dr. said everything was ok. But it certainly doesn't feel normal.

But, I don't have pain. If you really hurt....I would try another Dr.

 

[ACDSNY]

I'm another flyer with sinus and ear pain almost every time. I know exactly what you're talking about. I use the same things you've tried with the addition of Motrin right before the flight. This seems to keep it down to a manageable level normally.

I've been seen 3 times in the last 3 months since I thought I had a sinus infection. Every time the doctors said they couldn't see anything and I wasn't running a fever so it must be allergies. Well they finally did a CT scan and low and behold they have put me on antibiotics for a very long time. The last doctor commented when he looked at the CT scan "you've must of had this before July". I flew six times in July and I've had daily headache since.

Good luck on find what works for you.

 

[lila]

I'm not sure what to suggest either. I fly several times a week for work and had quite a few ear problems last year (I am fairly certain my problem was caused by a scuba incident). I found the Afrin and the Sudafed minimized my ear pain.

I did see an ENT though, and she suggested I take a couple weeks off from flying and consider ear tubes (which I did not wind up getting - although I did get my tonsils out!). I think the break from flying and taking allergy medication with a decongestant on a daily basis has been helpful.

Good luck - let us know what happens.

 

[OKW Lover]

About the only thing if can add is to try to equalize (hold your nose and blow) more frequently. Begin doing this every couple of minutes starting when the aircraft doors are closed and keep at during the climb. On the way back down, begin once the plane begins its decent.

 

[rhiannonwales]

Does it only happen on takeoff/landing? I had a stewardess tell me to put plastic cups over my ears durin that time to stop ear pain. It reduces the rate of pressurazation a little.
Good luck!

 

[Luvdisney]

It usually starts as we get to cruising height. I try blowing out my ear, but I really have a hard time getting the ear that is in pain to pop. When I blow my other ear will pop. Sometimes when the ear finally pops the popping of the ear hurts worse. I think I may try another Dr for that 2nd opinion, maybe an ENT Dr?

 

[Lowillian]

Am I the only one who has ear pain when they fly? Best way to discribe it is having an ice pick shoved into your ear... I've tried earplanes, they don't work. I spray Afrin in my noise 45 min before my flight. I start taking sudafed 3 days before my flight. I even have the steward bring me warm towles to put over my ear. It's always the same ear too? I have been to the doctor and he says my ear looks fine. I chew gum and swallow. I try poping my ear as soon as the door shuts. The last time I flew it got so bad my tongue went numb on the same side as my ear. Is there anyone like me that has success with something other then what I have already tried???

Me too! I've tried everything. When I flew to FL this past May, the pain was so bad as we started to desend, I actually got nausous. It finally popped - so loud I thought I blew my ear drum out or something. After landing, it takes almost a day until I can hear normally again.

I really love to fly, but this ear thing is getting worse!

 

[NotUrsula]

Definitely go see an ENT, or a neurologist who specializes in treatment of the ear. I have Meneire's disease, and because I pretty much constantly have some excess fluid in my inner ear, flying hurts like the dickens most of the time unless I do quite a bit to prevent it. Unfortunately, the new liquids restrictions have denied me one of the components of my usual routine, and since 8/10 I have not managed to fly without at least some pain.

I use a Rx steroid nasal spray (which does not cause a rebound reaction like OTC nasal sprays can), in combination with an oral course of guaiafenesin combined with pseudoephedrine (600 mg. of guaiafenesin and 90 mg. of pseudoephedrine, which is a triple dose of pseudoephedrine; you won't want to take that much if you have issues with hypertension.) In addition, I normally drink quite a lot of water during ascent and descent, because swallowing helps, and because guaiafenesin dehydrates you. I also carry a bottle of Auralgan (Rx in the US) drops, which is a topical solution of benzocaine; I put that directly into my ear if it starts to feel really tight.

If all else fails, I'll ask the FA for cups. These are usually styrofoam coffee cups (not plastic cups). They have paper napkins in the bottom, over which the FA will have poured some boiling water. It is CRUCIAL to hold these upside down for a few moments before using them, to make sure that no water will drip out and scald you!! Once you check for excess water, hold the cups tightly over your ears like muffs, for as long as you can stand the heat. The steam inside the cup-chamber will help to equalize the pressure in your ears. You want to ask for these before descent if you anticipate it will bother you; the FA can't get up to help you once final descent begins. Note that if you wait for the pain to get really severe before asking, the cups may not work.

 

[seashoreCM]

Actually you need to suck out your ears from the inside (using your throat and lungs) when the plane ascends and blow from the inside when the plane descends.

"Don't do this at home!"
I really do not recommend trying to forcefully blow/suck out your ears, you could do more damage.

With a doctor's advice take Contac(tm) or Dristan(tm) or similar cold capsule decongestants prior to flying. This shrinks the nose and throat membranes and hopefully will also widen the eustacian tube passages that connect the ears with the throat and expedite equalizing of pressure.

I don't have faith in Ear Planes (tm) which can slide back and forth in your ear nullifying the holding of pressure, and cups with steam which are hard to hold without losing the steam pressure around the edges and which also are not absolutely rigid to maintain pressure with.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Don't use the air pump at a gas station to inflate bike tires. That pump issues air gulps so large that the bike tire would go from underinflated to "way" overinflated in one ding with the obvious result of bursting (a hint hint as opposed to an OT).

 

[krbq]

About the only thing if can add is to try to equalize (hold your nose and blow) more frequently. Begin doing this every couple of minutes starting when the aircraft doors are closed and keep at during the climb. On the way back down, begin once the plane begins its decent.

This is what I do on descent and it's the only thing that has worked for me. It may take several tries, but when the relief comes it is always instantaneous.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I have not flown for well over 10 years, but I have had major earpain every time I have flown as a kid, teen, and young adult. I never tried Earplanes, but I did use Sudafed and drank a lot during take off and landing. A flight attendent gave me the cups once, but they didn't help. I had pain so severe that my entire jaw hurt. Earpain on an airplane ranks as one of the worst pains I've ever had.

I'm flying for the first time in a long time next week. My doctor said to use a nasal spray 30 minutes before take-off, so I'm going to give that a try in addition to the Sudafed, Earplanes, and a lollipop or gum to help with swallowing during take off and landing. I hope that all of these methods will make for a pain-free (or a reduced pain) flight.

When you say "hold your nose, then blow," do you mean to hold your nose and blow with your nose, as if you are blowing your nose? I'm willing to try just about anything to escape that pain I had the last times I flew.

 

[DiznEeyore]

I have severe sinus problems but am usually okay when I fly (do the ear-popping thing, etc.). However, last time we flew, we were mid-flight and my ear got so painful, so quickly, that the flight attendant that my dh was chatting with noticed the look on my face and asked if I was alright. I really thought my eardrum was going to burst.

The flight attendant got me an OTC decongestant nasal spray (apparently they kept bottles on board) and once I used it, I was okay after a few minutes. He told me I should always use one before flying because it would help relieve the pressure.

 

[krbq]

When you say "hold your nose, then blow," do you mean to hold your nose and blow with your nose, as if you are blowing your nose? I'm willing to try just about anything to escape that pain I had the last times I flew.

I close my mouth and hold my nostrils closed, then blow gently as if blowing my nose so that the air is forced toward the middle ear -- eventually you'll feel the ear "pop" as the pressure equalizes. It usually takes me several tries before it works, and I try not to blow too hard. DH learned to do this in the Air Force.

It also helps to use nasal spray/decongestant and take an OTC decongestant before or during the flight but with the recent restrictions you won't be allowed to carry the spray on board.

 

[Pixiedust34]

It also helps to use nasal spray/decongestant and take an OTC decongestant before or during the flight but with the recent restrictions you won't be allowed to carry the spray on board.

Thanks for explaining how to pop ears. It must hurt when they pop! But, they'll already be hurting anyway. I'm afraid that my eardrum might rupture with trying too hard to pop my ears.

I *think* you are now allowed up to 4 oz. of a liquid non-RX med. The nasal spray is 4 oz, so it should be OK to bring. I'm going to keep an eye on TSA's website to see if anything changes. I have chewable Sudafed for my kids.