Help!! Painful earaches on the airplane

[cj2000]

I am taking my son and nephew (ages 7 and 9) to DW in June. I notice when I fly (not often) sometimes I get extremely bad earaches probably due to the high altitudes. I have tried chewing gum. This does not work. Is there anything I can take before flying. My son has also complained of this. One of the flight attendants recommended some sinus medicine for kids but I can't remember the name of it. I just want to make sure we have an uneventful plane ride. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[HalYes]

I have bad ears (since being a kid 38 years ago)

I also fly alot.

Have you ever seen the item called Ear-Planes!

They have a little valve that equalizes the pressure. They fit into the ears. They have kid sizes. about $5.00 bucks.

Try ANY local drugstore.

They work for me!

Good luck!

 

[emmy]

I have had these very painful earaches and the best thing for me is a good decongestant. We usually use children's Dramamine with our kids- as they have gotten carsick and we didn't want to take any chances- bonus is it contains a decongestant!

 

[HenryMom]

I saved some posts from a thread with this very same question a couple weeks ago. Sorry, but don't have the link! Most people recommended the EarPlanes (supposedly available at Wal-Mart, RiteAid, drugstore.com as well as other places) and/or taking Sudafed. Here is another tip I saved from that thread:

"If your son's ears hurt midflight, ask the flight attendant for 2 styrofoam cups with hot, wet paper towels in the bottom. Hold the cups over his ears and the pain should subside. It looks funny, but it works!!"

A flight attendant verified that this trick should work but added to be very careful with the hot towels!

Good luck and have fun!

~HenryMom

French Quarter -- May 18 - 24
Less than one week to go! Yippee!

 

[skeezixspud]

The best thing to have them do is DRINK continuously from the moment the pressurization begins, until the plane is fully airborne. I carry a sports bottle of water on all flights; just pull it out and stick it in the seat pocket as soon as you get seated. I have not had any ear pain at all since I started doing this on all flights. It also usually doesn't hurt to take a dose of Sudafed 30 minutes before boarding, to clear any unnoticed congestion.

 

[Lewisc]

Sudafed (or store brand) 30 minutes before take off and 30 minutes before landing (even if you're taking the second pills before 4 hours) helps alot.

 

[jamsmom]

Do you have to have a prescription for dramamine? If not, where can you find it?

 

[skeezixspud]

... call the pharmacist a couple of days ahead and ask if they have any. Many drugstores don't keep it those formulas in stock all the time, and they may have to order some from their warehouse.

 

[Teacher510]

I agree about the Sudafed. It helped my daughter when she was 5.

 

[Dr. Happy]

Hi There,
As a former flight attendant for People Express Airlines in my younger days, the trick with the cups DOES work!! Here's what you do:

1. Get 2 hot liquid disposable cups (the ones used for coffee)

2. Take paper towels and fold them into small squares that will fit completely in the bottom of the cups. They should be several layers thick when folded (to hold the water when saturated).

3. Fill with VERY WARM, not hot, water. Water should not be hot enough to cause scalding if it comes in contact with your skin.

4. Pour the VERY WARM water into the cups until the paper towels are saturated. You don't want too much water that will run out of the towels and onto your ears. Just enough to fully saturate the towels.

5. Then, place both cups over your ears, with the saturated towels inside them, and hold firmly. Do this before take off, during the climb to cruise altitude, and during the decent. You might look funny, but the warm water in the cups creates a different air pressure that helps balance inner ear pressure (at the middle ear) with outer ear pressure that is in the cabin.

The decongestant is also a good idea. I prefer Sudafed because its non-drowsy and easily assimilated. You may want to do both. That way, you'll be sure of having a more comfortable flight.

Also, be sure to move around during the cabin. Get up and out of your seat. Have you been reading about the sudden deaths of otherwise healthy people who developed fatal blood clots as a result of being too sedentary during flight? This is entirely avoidable.

 

[MimiKay]

I'm a pharmacist.... My son hated to fly until our last trip... I ordered the earplanes. He and I both wore them and truly it helps SO much! I also gave him a combination of a decongestant and antihistamine. Dramamine is an antihistamine. Sudafed is a decongestant. The "NEW" Dimetapp is safe and contains both. Also, there are other brands, too. The decongestant will help with the ears popping. The antihistamine will help with drowsiness(makes you sleepy). Sleeping through the plane ride is great (for me and him)! I hope this helps, but I definitely recommend the earplanes!! They are worth $$.

 

[rbuzzotta]

I give my DD's Dimetapp about 15 minutes prior to boarding the aircraft which is usually about 20-30 minutes before departure. As another former flight attendant and now a R.N. I can attest to giving passengers the styrofoam cups with paper towels and warm water, but I hesitate to give it to my own children. However, as an R.N. I feel more comfortable with a decongestant/antihistamine. The fear I have with the moist paper towels in the cups is that water could possibly enter the ear and since the middle-ear (eustachian tube) of most young children has difficulty draining itself, it could possibly lead to an ear infection.

Just my 2 cents! We fly OFTEN since I retired (at the age of 33) and still have flight benefits and I have never used the warm water cups on my DD's. The Dimetapp works wonders. Never a problem.
The flight to MCO is about 2 1/2-3hours long (depending on air traffic) and usually they sleep during most of the flight. I bring chewing gum if needed for desent.

 

[LuvPoohNCA]

for anyone looking for the liquid dramamine, it has unfortunately been discontinued. I have been looking for it for weeks( my DD gets sick on the planes descent) and i finally called the 800# on the back of the chewables box and they told me it had been discontinued. this is a shame since i have a hard enough time getting her to take any kind of medicine and i know she will fight me tooth and nail with the chewable.

i will probably just give her some Benadryl as i have been told that this will help the motion sickness too.

 

[rbuzzotta]

Did they give you a reason why they D/C's the liquid Dramamine? I have a bottle in my medicine closet and I just bought it last year. It is still good! This must have been a recent change.

Thanks

 

[staylor]

Hi! I am a flight attendant and always use Sudafed. My DH has ear problems every time he flies. So I never leave without Sudafed. Also for our children (5 & 17 mos) I use dimatapp or pediacare or motrin cold. Anything with a decongestant. We are going to WDW Saturday (May 19th) and my 17 month old is teething. I will give him Tylenol Cold about 30 min before getting on the plane. I am not taking any chances! My DH also likes to use the hotcups that Dr. Happy was talking about. The only problem I find is that not all airlines will make them. They think of them as a liability with the hot water and all. Anyway, I hope this helps!
Have fun!
Staci

 

[HenryMom]

This is great information (we leave tomorrow!) but I just have one question still that I am wondering if any of you with the medicial background can help me with: my ds is 2 1/2 and I bought some Sudafed to give him.

But, now that I've read some posts saying give an antihistamine to help with drowsiness (yes! yes! We want drowsiness! It's a 3 hour plane ride, right during nap time) -- my question is: Will the Sudafed pep him up too much? I know it's "non-drowsy" but does that mean stimulant? I really hesitate to give him too many things, but now I am wondering if the antihistamine isn't needed to counteract the effects of Sudafed? As you can imagine, we want to smooth they way towards a nap on the plane as much as possible.


Thanks in advance for any clarification

~HenryMom

French Quarter -- May 2001

 

[Dr. Happy]

Hi There, HenryMom,
Yes, there is a chance that your DS might become somewhat more active on the Sudafed (did you get the Children's Sudafed elixir I'm assuming?). And yes, an antihistamine will likely sedate him, so you may want to consider this before you make a decision. If he has seemed more active on decongestants in the past, you might just want to think about the antihistamine. Children's Benadryl might be an idea. I don't think giving him one medication, and then the other to counteract the first, is a good idea.

Hope you have a wonderful time!!

 

[rbuzzotta]

I agree with Dr. Happy. My 9 year old DD gets a little "Hyper" on childrens sudafed. I usually stick to Dimetapp. Good Luck and have a safe and happy trip!!

 

[LuvPoohNCA]

rbuzzotta...

i really didnt ask why it had been discontinued. sorry. i was just disappointted that i couldnt find it.