ear problems and flying

AHAR

I get a similar thing to the OP. My pain feels like it's in my lower jaw rather weirdly. Always happens as the descent starts. I can tell by a sudden drop in engine noise when my hearing has gone - I can still hear fairly clearly but it's all much quieter.
I take a couple of paracetamol in advance for the pain and as for the hearing, I quite like the calm, quiet world you end up in - for a few hours at least!

trolleyrun

I would recommend steam inhalation for a few days before flying. At least 4 times a day for 4 days. This will clear out your sinuses and get rid of any "gunk" hiding in there. It also helps clearing out the eustacian tubes, which are likely culprits in blocked ears.

If your ears do get very blocked - do NOT try to force your ears to "pop". You can do terrible damage to your eardrums (possibly permanent). I know it's annoying to have blocked ears (including the pain), but it will clear up after landing. Sometimes it takes longer to clear them, but it will happen.

PinkPrincess83

I suffer with my ears on landing aswell. I use earplanes and find they really help. A few times they havent completely stopped the pain in my ears, but it has definantely reduced the pain.

Im going away in August for the first time in ages and plan on using earplanes and also after researching a few weeks back im going for some decongestant aswell.

virgin_moneysaver

trolleyrun wrote: »

I would recommend steam inhalation for a few days before flying. At least 4 times a day for 4 days. This will clear out your sinuses and get rid of any "gunk" hiding in there. It also helps clearing out the eustacian tubes, which are likely culprits in blocked ears.

If your ears do get very blocked - do NOT try to force your ears to "pop". You can do terrible damage to your eardrums (possibly permanent). I know it's annoying to have blocked ears (including the pain), but it will clear up after landing. Sometimes it takes longer to clear them, but it will happen.

I have read this thread with interest as I am flying for the 1st time in 7 years next weekend - one of the main reasons for not flying is that I have a permanently damaged Eustacian tube. The 1st time I flew to go on a weeks girly holiday to Majorca I ended up with all the glands in front of the ear swelling up, so for 5 days out of 7 I looked like the elephant man - this was how I found out I had a problem flying!! - I have only flown 9 times in 30 years. I had tried sucking the sweets etc & yawning but no great results. Will be taking on a lot of the advice on here & will report results when I get back

moneysavvy35

I swear by menthol crystals. this is what I do....
once the flight starts to descent put tissue in a plastic cup, put the menthol crystals on top, ask the flight attendant to put hot water on top to melt the crystals, then inhale deeply - all the steam from the menthol opens up the airways/ear drum whatever it is inside thier and makes it less painful. I can't say that it gets rid of pain completely but it sure does help.

another suggestion is to take paracetamol 1/2 before the flight is due to land, although I've not tried this though as the menthol seems to do the trick.

I've tried earplanes but they don't really work for me.

I understand this problem completely I remember once I was flying back from Philidelphia and I was in tears it was that bad - I remember looking around at everyone laughing/joking/reading - an thought wow can you guys not feel this. I feel you - its horrible. Hopefully some of the tips from this forum will help.

Mrs_Arcanum

awacko wrote: »

Hi ,
Wondering if any of you have some advice please as I’m flying in a couple of months to spain. The last few years when I have done this, when coming into land at Spain, I’ve found that the air pressure causes me to get an excruciating pain in my head – I would guess my sinusses - and have found that not only do my ears get blocked , it gets so bad that my hearing is affected for a few hours after we have landed. Obviously , I would like to avoid this as it’s a real nuisance at the start of my holiday and so was wondering if anybody had any advice - apart from the usual taking boiled sweets - that might work. Thanks

Boots do ear plugs for swimming which were brilliant for me (cheaper than the earplanes ones for flying which are exactly the same). :money: - These have a tiny valve which helps balance the pressure. Like you I suffer horrendously during the decent for landing & these work for me.

moggitymog

we use karvol on cotton wool to smell, it does seem to work

1981trouble

I have exactly the same issue, excrutiating pain which is linked to the sinuses (head, ear, tooth, jaw and nasal pain).

I found earplanes didn't help, nor did the sucking sweets or fingers in ears ideas.

The only thing that has ever helped me is to take decongestant about an hour before descent (i swear by sudafed). For me it doesn't stop the deafness but it does stop the pain, I can cope with not being able to hear for the first 24hrs of the holiday.

wayne

my doctor told me to try sucking halls menthalyptus.works for me which means i,m not deaf for the first two or three days of my hols.

awacko

Just for the record, I used ear planes as recommend above and they worked a treat . Thanks again to all:beer: