Flying with a cold
 

What's the best way to deal with flying with a cold? I'm on a business trip and have to fly Thursday and Monday (probably wont be better by Monday). Anyway, I've heard things like people can get tinnitus from doing that... is it an old wives tale?

Take lots of Vitamin C and Zicam.

Try to avoid slobbering over your tissues in front of everyone. Nobody likes to be trapped in a metal tube sitting next to somebody who coughing/sneezing/otherwise clearly quite ill. If you don't feel well enough, stay home and call the airline. Your ticket fare rules should allow a free change (with no fee) in the event of the passenger's illness.

Nothing good can come from flying with a head cold.

I'm still suffering repercussions from my Christmas trip to visit the in-laws (including acassional tinnitus)

The best I've come up with is to try to open myself up and dry myself out with pseudoephedrine - not that it helps that much.

I'd avoid flying with a head cold or the flu as much as possible... If you have no choice... Try to find a cold medicine that works for you. I would also consider Nyquil or something similar to try to sleep and avoid the discomfort.

HTSC

I have a sinus infection at the moment and my doctor suggested using Afrin spray (available over-the-counter) one hour before landing - the change in cabin pressure can cause your ears to be damaged and the Afrin can help. As usual, drink lots of water!

Afrin.

AfrinAfrinAfrinAfrinAfrinAfrinAfrinAfrinAfrinAfrin AfrinAfrin

Afrin.

You could get ear problems (and ear pain) from doing that, indeed, and you could also have very annoyed passengers around you too.

If you can, postpone the trip, in the interest of your well-being and others'.

Agreed, this saved me on a trip to HKG when I had a sinus infection. Just use it about 20 min before boarding and 20 min before landing and the pressure changes shouldn't bother you at all. I would not recommend using Afrin for regular congestion while you are on the ground though. It can become addictive and keep your nasal passages from being able to self-lubricate.

Repeat that too often and you won't be able to stop (Afrin is highly addictive).

Isn't Zicam a medicine that's supposed to work because it contains no active ingredients?

I've heard of taking generic Claritin but just picked up some Hista-Vent about a half-hour ago from the pharmacy.

^

Agreed. But for those 4-5 nights per year when it's "please God just let me effing BREATHE" that little bottle is the best thing in the world.

You can literally feel your nasal passage opening up.

Tricks & tips:
1. If you're really stuffed up blow your nose then immediately use the Afrin. This lets you inhale through that nostril and get the Afrin all the way in.
2. When you squeeze the bottle to shoot the Afrin into your nose please pull the bottle back OUT of your nostril before relaxing your grip/un-squeezing. If not then ...stuff... from your nose can get sucked into the bottle Ewwww.

Another thought - there are (for some reason) some nasal sprays that are larger than 3 ounces ....

Oh, one more tip about the Afrin. Have a tasty chaser available. Afrin tastes awful once it makes its way down through through nasal passages to the back of your throat. I usually chased it with some OJ (through the mouth, not the nose obviously).

And are permitted regardless.

BTW: Only English speakers are limited to 3 fl oz. Everyone else gets 100mL. Read the brochures: http://www.tsa.dhs.gov/311/311-brochures.shtm