Got ear infection-Travel insurance options are odd?

buel

Hi there,
My girlfriend and I are travelling to Copenhagen, Denmark next Tuesday and want to book travel insurance.
Unfortunately, i have recently had an ear infection. I went to my local Doctor's surgery on Tuesday and he gave me 7 days worth of Penicillin and advised me that if it hadn't cleared up then not to travel.

Today the infection is almost gone. Upon viewing various travel insurance websites, one of the 'accepted conditions' was stated the following- Ear infections- (resolved- must be all clear prior to travel if flying). Now my confusion is this- if the condition 'ear infection' is allowed then why must it have to be 'resolved'?
And does 'resolved' mean a Doctor's note/permission verifying that it is resolved?

Please can anyone offer any advice on this?

lisyloo

My girlfriend and I are travelling to Copenhagen, Denmark next Tuesday and want to book travel insurance.

You ought to get travel insurance when you book.
There is a risk of something happening e.g. car accident, that stops your travelling from the point you book.

then why must it have to be 'resolved'?

When you go up in an airplane the air pressure around you lowers.
Under normal health you might notice your ears "pop".
When you come down the pressure increases.
This places pressure on your ear drums. This is why babies cry and sometimes the stewards give you weets (sucking/chewing helps equalise the pressure).

If your ears are blocked your face probably a great deal of discomfort about which you will be able to do absolutely nothing.
Worst case you could get a perforated/burst ear drum and permanent damage.

And does 'resolved' mean a Doctor's note/permission verifying that it is resolved?

If it's clear to you that either your ears are blocked or they are not blocked then you do not need to visit a doctor.
Try holding your nose and blowing - can you equalise the pressure??
If you aren't sure then you need to make an appointment with a doctor, they can look inside your ear, ask you to equalise and see if your eardrums move.

If you already have the condition and do not have travel insurance then you won't be able to cover yourself against cancellation now. It's too late.
You need to buy insurance when you book for this reason.

I hope it clears up in time, but if in doubt go to see the doctor.
The pain could be pretty bad and there will be nothing you can do about it - they won't bring the plane down just because your ears are hurting.

You can try blowing whilst holding your nose, sucking sweets or wiggling your jaw from side to side to equalise the pressure, but if your ears are blocked then it might not help.
Personally I would not take a chance of flying with blocked ears, so good luck on it clearing up.

opinions4u

if the condition 'ear infection' is allowed then why must it have to be 'resolved'?

Because they are not prepared to cover you for costs that follow if you are stupid enough to step on a plane when you have an ear infection prior to taking out cover. If in doubt, don't fly. Deafness is not fun.

So because you've taken out cover after developing the condition, if you do fly and perforate an ear drum as a result you will have to pay any medical expenses that Dr Simonsen charges you in Copenhagen, together with any accommodation / new flight costs if your stay in Denmark has to be extended.

If you take out cover, then develop an ear infection, then can't fly, they'll pay out cancellation costs.

And does 'resolved' mean a Doctor's note/permission verifying that it is resolved?

To be on the safe side, I'd ask your insurer for absolute clarity and ask for the answer in writing.

buel

Thank you for the above advice. Much appreciated!

If the condition is 'resolved' then surely this is no longer a medical condition. ie- therefore i dont understand why this is labelled as an 'accepted condition'?

lisyloo

I would agree with you.
Perhaps they are just saying that once it's resolved you're covered and they won't hold it against you.
The documentation of this fact is in the customers favour.

peterbaker

I agree broadly with what lisyloo and opinions4u have said.

Having said that I think most people with colds, flu, sore throats who need to be somewhere and know something about the pressurisation problems and their own experience would just try to manage it.

I don't think an insurance angle would enter most people's head as insurance doesn't stop the pain

What you are asking is a bit like saying 'my friend and I plan on doing some necessary DIY this weekend with an old bandsaw which still has the bloodstains on it from where his father inadvertently chopped off a finger last time it got used - I want to book insurance in case that happens to me'

Personally I'd be more worried about the likelihood of losing a finger through me deciding to play the odds with the old unknown saw rather than paying for a new guard for the saw before using it, or even a carpenter to avoid the risk altogether.

Ears are not as well designed to deal with equalising rapid increases in external pressure as they are with decreases. Therefore although you could I suppose be unlucky enough to be the exception to the rule and to notice real discomfort on the way up, I would recommend saving a decent painkiller until 45 minutes into your flight (which I am guessing is about 1 hr 30 mins total). Then as soon as the descent starts about 20-25 minutes before landing you might also don some of those earplugs which reduce the pressure gradient (as long as they fit well and you don't fiddle with them half way down and break the pressure seal!).

You should know within 24 hours of starting the antibiotics whether the ear infection is improved. In most cases it should easily be resolved before you go. If it is resolved and flares up again that's surely a bit unusual in most people's experience and it is treated differently by the insurer, but in practice unless you are prone to frequent ear infections it should have gone after a 7 day course of antibiotics. Unless you know different from experience. I think you are the best person to know if it is resolved. If you are still unsure how about testing it in a pool?

Chances are you will enjoy your flights up down out and back again with no problems.

Don't stop taking the tablets