Should I fly with a slight ache in my ears?
I'm due to fly tomorrow (short flights, no more than 2.5 hrs) but today I woke up with a slight ringing in my ears and a little pain, mostly in the right ear. Its nothing that I can't bear, but I remember once many years ago on a flight to Phoenix my ears were in incredible pain as we landed. (I don't remember if I had an ear infection back then) I've flown since then with no problems. Any advice to make the trip more comfortable?
Pain & Pain Management - 2 Answers
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1 :
Its the changes to the air pressure that you are feeling. When your ears are healthy the pressure in the ear equalizes with the pressure in the cabin automatically. But if you have a ear infection or a blocked nose sometimes your ears will pop or even be painful because of the pressure. Try squeezing your nose and blow through your nose gently. Do you feel your ears pop ? If you do then repeat the exercise during the flight and after take off or landing. You could try Sudafed spray to ease the congestion. If you cant equalize the pressure this way you may feel pain.
2 :
My husband is a retired Air Force Pilot and flies our private plane frequently. Here is what he recommends and what I have found really works! Do nothing during takeoff or during the normal part of the flight. When the descent starts (which is when the pain occurs) try to clear your ears yourself. When you can no longer clear your ears, spray AFRIN into your nose two times each side. It will instantly clear your ears and take the pain away! You can only do this one time so make sure you wait until your ears are not clearing before you spray. Also, it won't work a second time so if you have a connecting flight, you're out of luck. BE SURE YOU DO NOT USE THE AFRIN BEFORE OR DURING THE FLIGHT. Only use it on the descent!
