Just want to share a bad experience I had:

I flew with my nose stuffed, and it affected my ear drums during descends on several flights of a particular business trip. Both of my ears were blocked for three weeks... what a horrible experience. I couldn't go to see a doctor as I was on a three-week world tour visiting multiple locations of my former employer.. all in distant third world countries. I had problem hearing in business meetings, airports, taxi, hotel, in the plane, etc. When I got home, my family asked me why I was talking to them like they were deaf, and I also got complains from the field offices that I was constantly yelling at them during meetings, and unless I changed my attitude, I was not welcome anymore.

I finally made an appointment with my doctor, and as soon I paid the co-payment before the doctor examined me, both of my ears popped.

There are so many variables here, but the general rule of thumb is not to fly if you cannot "pop" your ears - if your eustachian tubes have closed, as the prior poster said - descent can be EXTREMELY painful and you do run the risk of ear drum damage.

Afrin is one of those drugs that if you do use it, you should use it once when it's needed, and throw it away. It's a drug many people have become dependent on - google up "afrin addiction" for an eyeful of cases. It IS very effective at relieving this particular problem however.

These may help:

http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/MEbaro.html#Simple

http://www.liquivision.ca/frenzel.doc


for scuba divers but the principle is the same

4am decision
 

I appreciate all the responses.

In the end, UA 882 took off from BKK without me, as will 852 from NRT. I hope it was an FT'er who escaped the waitlist into my 15H/15A seats.

Leave that doctor immediately. He obviously knows nothing about human physiology. Any diver can tell you about reverse blocks, and I can personally vouch that it can be one of the most painful experiences of your life. The incident I spoke of in my previous post was due to a total blockage of one of my Eustachian tubes, and I suffered it on ascent, not on descent.

This was in Hawaii. After treatment (massive anti-inflammatories, anti-biotics, and anti-histamines), the doctor said I was clear to fly, but asked if I wanted a note to give the airline and my boss saying I had to stay in Hawaii for medical reasons. Unfortunately, we had to come back...

Be really careful. Have a good friend who blew out both his eardrums on a flight from DEN to IAD when he had a serious blockage. The resulting infection cost him his hearing in one ear. The other healed up, but he still has tinnitus. If you don't use Afrin regularly, you might benefit from it. If you want to use a saline spray "Ocean" in the squat bottle with an orange top offers me relief. Good luck what ever you use.

I'd flown many times with minor colds an no problems, but last Nov I had to give a lecture in DC to a very large crowd, and I was being paid. I felt I could not cancel, so I flew with a pretty bad head-cold.

The descent was excruciating... I kept waiting for my ears to clear, but they never did. I gave the talk with blocked ears and couldn't hear questions from the audience, so I had a person stand up on stage and repeat them (yelling them at me).

Then I did some research. On the return (that night) I used a nasal decongestant, took some sudafed, and used "Ear Planes" (special ear plugs that allow ear pressure to change more slowly than "normal" on a plane).

All of these things were available in an airport shop at DCA.

No problems.... what a relief.

My ears cleared a few days later.

Moving to Travel Buzz

cblaisd
Moderator, United

I've had this type of situation occur as well, where my ears/sinuses were clogged up due to a cold and had pain due to pressure changes. On a preventative note, I've learned to never EVER blow my nose when I have a cold. All it does is provide temporary relief and cause much more of a problem in the long run with my entire head plugged up for many more days. So, while my nose is still stuffed, my ears and sinuses are less so and cause fewer problems in general - and I'm usually still able to "pop" them and get some pressure relief in the air.

As others have noted, pseudoephedrine is a big help -- Sudafed is the best known brand but save a few bucks and buy a house brand.

The other thing that helps me a lot is washing my nose out -- the worse clogged, the more it helps. Most doctors recommend using a 3-ounce ear syringe, but my sister turned me on to the Rhino Horn -- a plastic version of "neti pots" used for yoga purifying rites and much easier to use than an ear syringe. Take a pint of water, add 1/8 tsp baking soda (to raise the pH) and 1 tsp non-iodized salt, heat to lukewarm (not too hot!!!!! it must feel comfortable, not cold or hot), and let it flow into one nostril and out the other. Sounds gross and disgusting and totally perverted to anyone who hasn't tried it, but the relief is sometimes enormous. One source is http://www.bytheplanet.com/Products/...erhinohorn.htm.

Edward

Erm, I disagree.

Reverse blocks while diving are pretty serious -- at worst, they stop you from ascending, and thus endanger your life!

But we're talking about pressure changes of 3-4 atm in that situation. In a plane the change is far less than 1 atm (and you're starting from approx 1 in all cases, and going down pretty slowly). The ET tube does let air escape much easier than it lets air in, I believe.

Your own unpleasant experiences notwithstanding, I imagine it's pretty rare to have problems in an aircraft on ascent.

Reminds me of the time years ago when my oldest son, then a toddler, was rushed to the Emergency Room with suspected appendicitis. As soon as the doctor began to examine him, he farted long and loud, and the tears changed to a smile instantly. The rest of us were not so amused. Since that episode, I've made every kid fart before I would take them to the hospital.

2 stories on topic:

1. I had a boss with 2 hearing aids. Guess why.

2. We interrupted a 2-flight cross country move at ATL years ago when one of the kids flew with a congested head. He was in agony on the descent. The EMT at the airport warned us not to get on the next flight. We followed the recommendation to stay overnight while medicating him with decongestants and applications of steam and hot compresses. We were told he would be risking ruptured eardrums flying as he was. He was well enough for ATL-SFO the following day. He's now ruining his hearing the proper way, in a rock band. :D

I once developed a bit of an ear infection on a long business trip. One ear was totally blocked. I would say that it was uncomfortable for a time during the ascent, but certainly not unbearable. I do wish I'd known about Afrin though, that may have helped.

It hurts like hell during descent! I know it from my own experience but also from many passengers on my flights during my time as a flight-attendant. One thing that always helped was the following:
I soaked a clean towel in hot water and put it in a plastic cup. Then you put the plastic cups over your ears (the hot towel should be as far inside the cup that it can not burn your ear). The hot damp helps to equalize.
I know it looks pretty silly (like Mickey Mouse) when you hold two cups over your ears, but it's sure worth it to reduce the pain. Just ask your FA to bring you that, I'm sure they know about it.

help for sinus pain on descent
 

I know this thread is about ear problems, but if your ears are blocked your sinuses might also be blocked. I've sometimes had horrific sinus pain on descent, but have found some relief using a modification of the above poster's ear remedy.

For sinus pain in flight, fill a couple of the tiny liquor bottles with very hot water. Apply them directly to the painful sinuses just above or below your eyes. (If the bottles are too hot, wrap a paper towel around them to avoid burning your skin.) This, and only this, has always provided me with some measure of relief from that terrible pain.