excruciating pain in head when flying

crashgoddess

Not sure if this is the right place to post but i hope someone can help me, last time i went on a plane ( to lanzarote) on the descent i got an excruciating pain behind my right eye and in my head, my eye started watering as lot aswell. I go on planes quite often and this was the first time it has happened. It was so bad i actually thought my head was going to explode, my husband was really worried and i had my two small children with me. On landing the pain subsided and gradually got better and better. The problem is im due to go on holiday again soon and im dreading it happening again, im presuming it had something to do with the air pressure in the plane and am quite expecting it to happen again. Has this happened to anyone else and is there anything i can do to stop it happening, thankyou in anticipation.

Mands

crashgoddess wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place to post but i hope someone can help me, last time i went on a plane ( to lanzarote) on the descent i got an excruciating pain behind my right eye and in my head, my eye started watering as lot aswell. I go on planes quite often and this was the first time it has happened. It was so bad i actually thought my head was going to explode, my husband was really worried and i had my two small children with me. On landing the pain subsided and gradually got better and better. The problem is im due to go on holiday again soon and im dreading it happening again, im presuming it had something to do with the air pressure in the plane and am quite expecting it to happen again. Has this happened to anyone else and is there anything i can do to stop it happening, thankyou in anticipation.

It sounds like a sinus infection. Because of the infection your body was unable to deal with the changes in pressure as it would normally, that's what caused the pain.

There's more information, and suggestions on things to try, here. If it were me I'd deal with the underlying problem and get a neti pot to decrease infections and improve the sinuses generally.

Hope you find something that works for you,
Mands

scottish_lassy

I had this a number of years ago. My daughter had a cold the previous week and I must have caught it without realising. Pain was above left eye and was excrutiating. I have flown again many times and never suffered again, so don't worry too much.

Alter_ego

You can sometimes relieve it by pinching your nostrils closed, and try to blow through your nose. Not too hard though. Surprised the crew did not tell you this.

AHAR

I often get what feels like really bad toothache on planes. I'll be fine for the almost the whole journey then as soon as the descent starts it triggers it off. I've learned to take a couple of paracetamol in advance to help with the pain. My hearing can also be significantly reduced for a day or so after taking a flight.
I think some planes are better than others at regulating the air pressure in the cabin but I've known almost empty water bottles that I've had open on the plane to be crushed by the difference between cabin pressure and the pressure on the ground which gives you an idea of what's going on...

Katiehound

sounds like a sinus problem. I always get really bad earache on descent - the faster the descent the worse it is ie coming down gradually over Africa with virtually empty airspace no problems. I now use earplanes which makes a huge difference- they are on sale at Amazon- link here- but I have bought them from Boots in the past

:http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=earplane&!!!!!googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=4762780171&ref=pd_sl_91wm5l25qm_b

One pair meant for one return journey!

poppy_f1

i had something similar years ago, never had it since tho

bcl999

crashgoddess wrote: »

..... and am quite expecting it to happen again.

This is part of the problem, as you will be sitting there waiting for it to start. I sat beside a lady on a flight from Brazil who was absolutely dreading the descent. We were both travelling alone and as it was quite a long flight, we got chatting. We chatted all the while till we landed. It was then she realised she hadn't noticed any pain and thanked me profusely! Said it was the frist time in years she hadn't experienced the pain.

spiro

Yawning and moving the lower jaw from left to right can help relieve it, this is a trick they teach divers. This may be why the women who was constantly talking didnt get the problem.

crashgoddess

thankyou to everyone for your replies, i will buy some earplanes and decongestants and hope they work

Enterprise_1701C

Don't get normal decongestants - make sure they are ones for the sinuses (I find Tesco's own Sinus Deal Relief capsules clear mine nicely). Really does sound like the problem I have when my sinuses act up so chances are it was just a one-off Good luck.