Hey everyone, I've done some searching around, but I couldn't find anything about my situation.
A little less than two weeks ago, I took a day trip to Maui with a friend of mine.

Thursday: Right ear started to get plugged from sinus problems. To where I couldn't really hear out of it.

Friday: DFW > LAX > OGG, then 5 hours in Maui.

Then 7 hour flight from OGG >> DFW. The HNL > DFW flight canceled so they rerouted people and as a result, no upgrade

Landed back in DFW and once again, and after a semi-painful landing, couldn't hear.

In any case, went to a CareNow. Got a FloNase prescription, along with a steroid shot. (Found that kind of odd...?) The doctor seemed not to have much experience with this kind of thing, but I guess that's carenow. Said that it's definitely still the air pressure. My ears have gotten somewhat better since then, but still kinda blocked.

That said, I have no more sinus infection, but I have to fly this Wednesday evening to San Diego. Does anyone know if using EarPlanes with my ears in the current condition will keep things the way they are? Or will it make things worse? I'm on a refundable ticket, so if absolutely necessary, I can stay put. Won't be convenient in the long run, but I really can't do this for too much longer. It's getting pretty crazy.

Any advice? Any remedies for plugged ears in this kind of situation?

Thanks

please post back your results if you do fly and use the EarPlanes, I recently flew and hadn't noticed my sinus problem until too late and my ears wouldn't equalise for days - ended up with a very slight tear in the eardrum and needed antibiotics for infection.

Not a doctor but have a lot of ear problems. The steroid shot was probably to help reduce the inflamation in your ear.

My personal advice is if your ears are still painful and you have the option, don't fly but I've never tried EarPlanes so can't say if they would help. I'd also advise going to see another doctor.

I love Earplanes, but I'm not sure they are appropriate if your ear is already plugged. Use them in the future though.

Flonase is also a steroid. As mentioned above, this reduces inflammation. It does not have any immediate sinus (eustachian tube) clearing effect.. Call your GP and ask if a short course of (real) Sudafed or Afrin nasal spray are ok. Both of these facilitate active drainage from the ear. Each also has its own problems and side effects. Do NOT fly with your ear still blocked, as a ruptured eardrum can result.

Drinking 8-10 glasses of water/day and blowing up 8 balloons a day for a few days prior to flight will help decrease discomfort related to pressure changes.

They gave me a Flonase prescription, so I am doing that as recommended. At this point, it is getting better, but I think I'm going to have to cancel my San Diego flight I just don't want to take a chance in anything happening long term.

I will definitely try out the earplanes on my next flight and share the results. Normally I don't have a problem, it's just all this sinus crap that's been causing the problems.

Go to your own doctor and don't rely on CareNow. If I were you, I would want to know if I had a sinus infection. If bacterial, you'll be given antibiotics. If not, do you have allergies? There are ways to treat that as well. My guess is that the CareNow doctor thought allergies because of the Flonase.

In a pinch, if you have to fly, take a very long hot shower as close to flight time as possible, use saline nasal spray throughout the flight, and about an hour before you land, use afrin. In my experience, afrin has a rebound effect and requires more and more to be effective. I wouldn't use it regularly.

I'm not a Doctor so the only advice you should really take from me is to see your Doctor.

I just had the same thing in March when I flew to Portugal. You are lucky. I ended up in the emergency room of a Portugese hospital.

I actually had an ear infection. The doctor gave me antibiotic ear drops and some ibprofen to reduce the swelling and the pain.

When I got home I went to my ENT doctor at Northwestern. He did the same thing your guy did. Gave me a steriod shot and 2 perscriptions. One Nasonex, one something else.

He also recommends earplanes and said I should take Nasonex with me and spray my nose before landing.

I feel your pain. If I didn't have to fly I wouldn't. You might want to double up your dosage. It took me about a month and a half to hear again.

Cat

I would not fly. I have similar issues, once I was half deaf for a week, other times I have been in dreadful pain when I was having sinus and ear issues. I would say based on my experience the ear planes would not for the situation you are in now, they did not for me when my ears were already messed up I finally went on a year round once a day allergy tablet. About two hours before I fly I take pseudoephedrine, the kind you have to sign for at the pharmacy in Texas, I stay hydrated and now I never forget my ear planes or Flents Flite Mate ear pressure reducing plugs.

I had the same thing happen to me in January in the middle of LAX-ORD mileage runs. Got a headcold - my ear got plugged would not "pop" for 3 days. What fixed it was using the EarPlanes on my next flight. It was such a relief when my ear popped on the ascent.

I've had the same problem as you - ear blocked, and then a headache that made me feel like pounding my head hard on the wall was the only way to make it better. When I landed, it took nearly 30 mins for the pain to subside and the ear to unblock, but only after I threw up.

Found out later that it was sinus problem that affected my in-ear balance. All my doc gave me were sinus and allergy meds, and now I don't have that problem anymore.

That's exactly what I would have reccomended.^
Along with some nonsedating antihistamine.