For the past six weeks, I've had a really irritating problem. I literally woke up one morning with both my ears completely blocked! I didn't have a cold or allergies - I have no idea what caused it, but every day I feel the crackling and plugged feeling without being able to pop them.
Flashforward to this week - I had a trip booked to Las Vegas and was terrified that my plane ride would, at least, cause discomfort during my flight and at the worst, cause permanent damage to my ears afterwards (I might have spent several hours online researching ear travel horror stories...). But, in my research, I found several solutions that claimed to solve the problem of pressure related ear issues while travelling on a plane.
The Solutions
1) ear plugs - the kind specifically made for air travel. They look like they screw into your ears. These are supposed to equalize the air pressure as you fly. You put them in your ears as soon as the cabin door closes and keep in until you are at cruising height. Again, putting them in before and during the descent. You can buy earplugs in airport convenience stores as well as drug stores before your flight.
2) Sudafed - While taking any kind of decongestant may help keep your sinuses clear, many people swear by this particular brand. The suggestion is to start using it the day before as well as the day of a flight. Unfortunately, it contains an ingredient that makes you jittery so it is not suggested for use before bedtime.
3) Don't sleep during takeoff or landing.
4) Chew gum or suck on a candy. This is the old standard advice that I have always followed when I travelled before I had ear issues. Make sure you buy your gum before you hit the airport. I have come across some that don't sell gum because of the damage it does to the lounges (I guess people drop it on the floor or put it under chairs???)
5) Otrivan - Squirt some nasal spray in your nose a half hour before taking off to clear passages. It is recommended not to use this kind of nasal decongestant long term because of its rebound potential, but my doctor said it is fine to use a couple of times for a flight.
6) Valvarian manouever - This is the procedure where you hold your breath, plug your nose and try to blow your ears out. From experience, I have to say this manoeuvre doesn't work for me (I am afraid of blowing too hard!) What does work better for me is simply yawning, or another manoeuvre where you plug your nose and try to swallow water. I'm sure many other people on the plane are doing their own various procedures so don't worry about looking silly while trying your own.
7) Don't fly. - Many doctors suggest to simply not fly at all if you are experiencing a bad cold, ear infection or have existing ear issues. There are so many stories of people rupturing an eardrum, breaking blood vessels, tinnitus, hearing loss... I think it's important to weigh the risks with the choice to fly.
In my case, I decided, since it was travelling for a vacation and I was able to cancel it with little cost, to cancel my trip, since I'm not sure what's going on with my ears and am already experiencing a lot of discomfort. I have a specialist appointment in 3 months, so hopefully, it will either get better on its own, or the specialist will be able to advise me on whether or not I should fly in the short term.
Let me know if these suggestions on how to travel with ear problems work for you!
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