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Galley Gossip: Blocked ears - how to ease the pain in flight
You're on a flight trying to get a little rest when the kid whose been kicking your seat for the last half hour suddenly begins to scream.You do what any normal passenger would do and spin around, shooting the parents an evil look. When that doesn't work you ring your flight attendant call light and ask the attendant if perhaps she can help, all the while thinking thank God we're landing soon. What the heck is wrong with that kid! Blocked ears. Altitude changes increase air pressure as the plane lowers. The change in pressure pushes the eardrum inward. Because children have relatively narrow Eustachian tubes, they may not function as effectively as an adults', especially if they're clogged by an inflammation or ear infection. Blocked ears can cause severe pain, dullness in hearing, and can occasionally lead to hearing loss.
What a parent can do
- Don't allow the child to sleep during descent
- Find something to suck on; a bottle, pacifier, gum or hard candy
- Postpone any future air travel if a cold, sinus infection, or allergy attack is present.
- Ignore the jerk seated in front of you.
What to do when your own ears hurt
- Steam helps. Many passengers will ask for wads of hot wet paper towels stuffed inside plastic cups that are then placed over the ears. The steam seeps from the cloth through the cup and into the ear. But because so many people have been burned using this technique, flight attendants (at my airline) no longer do this.
- Chew gum or constantly swallow or yawn during descent. This allows the muscles in the Eustachian tube to contract and open, equalizing the pressure. When you hear a clicking noise, you'll know it's working.
- Use a nasal spray or decongestant. When you're feeling congested, use it a few hours before the flight and also an hour before landing.
- Do the Valsalva maneuver. This is the best way to clear clogged ears. Pinch your nose and close your mouth while forcibly exhaling through your nostrils. Continue to do this periodically until landing.Once on the ground do not use Valsalva maneuver.
Are your ears bothering you after a flight? Do what I do and try taking taking a hot steamy shower and drink plenty of hot tea. If plagued with ear pressurization problems, invest in a pair of disposable ear plugs like EarPlanes which can be found online and at local pharmacies in sizes for both adults and children, and don't leave home without them!
Photo courtesy of TomD
Filed under: Airlines, Travel Health, Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
ronni Jun 13th 2010 6:19PM
I use nose drops about one hour before the plane takes off, and have not had any problems since I started doing this. Really opens up the E.tubes. Doctor recommended this and it does help.
earpainsufferer Jun 13th 2010 6:54PM
I had a severe sinus infection and a trip i had to go on. My ear drum had ruptured just because my sinuses were so bad. My specialist reccommended *earplanes*, the gum chewing, and taking an antihisamine, as well as, nose spray.
It all worked. No pain, no re-reputuring my drums...
Marshall Jun 13th 2010 6:47PM
I can remember as a teenager on a foreign airline outside the USA,the flight
attendants would walk around the cabin(s) of planes I flew on during short domestic
runs, The hard glucose candies that the flight attendants gave to passengers before
take off and before landing was for us to chew on to help eleviate the inner ear(s)pressure
during ascent and decent(hence: take off and landing). Another thing I learned is
that if you have a cold, flying can make your cold worse from changing altitudes.
Therefore, it is wise to be in good health before flying anywhere at all.
Sherr Jun 13th 2010 6:48PM
I also have found Ear Planes to be the answer. I used to get excruciating pain during landings...sometimes to the point that I felt like my head would explode. Since I've been using the Ear Planes any discomfort (and it's rare now) is completely bearable and my ears don't clog. I had tried chewing gum, yawning...whatever, it didn't work. Neither did sticking my fingers in my ears (I've tried almost everything). Bless the makers of Ear Planes.
Claudia Jun 14th 2010 11:50AM
I agree with Stephen. I've tried it all: Ear Planes, chewing gum, yawning, the Valsalva maneuver (described incorrectly above--you pinch your nose, inhale, then gently force the air up into your upper passages against your ears), steamy cups, and nose drops. They all help but the very best solution is to take a decongestant an hour before takeoff and another one an hour before landing. (The critical period is before landing.) Decongestant nose drops help too.
Taximom Jun 13th 2010 7:17PM
Please use that Valsalva maneuver with caution. I had my daughter do this on our last flight (April '10). Recently we went to her doctor's office for a sinus infection and were told by the pediatrician that she has a hole in her left eardrum. Apparently you can blow so hard doing this "trick" that you can rupture your eardrum! Now we have surgery scheduled this summer to repair the damage. I'm sticking to decongestant, gum, and suckers for all future flights!
Frequent Flier Jun 13th 2010 7:47PM
I had a deviated septum that made flying so excruciating I gave it up until I learned that was the problem. I had surgery and have much more manageable, intermittent pain now. I tried ear planes without success, maybe it's the shape of my canals, I don't know. The most effective thing I've found is Sudafed, the original tablets. I take it 30 mins before take off.
leon Jun 13th 2010 7:58PM
Like I used to tell my kids, " if it hurts, don't do it". So if flying hurts then don't do it.
What is so hard to figure out about that?
Mike Jun 13th 2010 8:42PM
The pain in my ears on descent used to be excruciating. I tried all the "cures" to no avail. Gum, holding my nose and blowing, you name it I tried it. Now everytime I fly I use a nasal decongestant like Afrin. Per the directions, three squirts in each nostril before boarding, and absolutuely no more pain when I fly.
Mike
Linda Jun 13th 2010 9:21PM
I had a terrible experience 11 yrs ago. I was fine going . On the way home, forget it. I had no choice but to leave on my return flight. I happened to catch a cold the day before. I bought a decongestant. Forgot which one. Anyway, I was miserable on the flight home due to not feeling well. My ears seemed ok until we had to land in Detroit and switch planes. When I switched planes from Detroit to NY when we landed a second time I was just about deaf. I went to an ear, nose and thoat doctor. He said just take Benadryl and Sudafed. I did that for a couple of weeks. I couldnt even hear my own phone ring. It got less and less each day. After 4 weeks of suffering, I went to the Walk In Clinic. He put me on an antibiotic and in 5 days gone. I havent been on a plane since. It took 5 weeks to get my hearing back. Very scary!!
Virgil Lovett Jul 7th 2010 12:40PM
When Iwas flying as a flight attendant, I would carry aged licorice for the kids that are a little bit older. Not for infants and toddlers but kids that new what licorice was. I would get red ropes, (not Twizzlers) and let it set out of the bag for 2-3 days and before we started our descent I would give them a decent sized rope to work on and tell them they can't finish it before landing...kinda like a contest and they would chew, chew chew and it would help them through our descent.
Plus they forget about the descent and the pressure in their ears and if they are not thinking about it kids are less likely to complain about some discomfort. Chewing gum works but it needs to be something that is very tough to chew and Juicy Fruit, Double Mint and gums like that get very soft very quickly and parent usually give it to them too early and then it doesn't really work when they need it the most. Bubble gum like Bubble Yum or Bazooka are the ones kids identify with and will make them work the most effectively of the gums.
This is not a remedy for kids with colds so, I can't remedy that but in general I think this might also be helpful!
Happy travels with kids this summer!!!
BlkAv8tor2003
Airline Travel...What You Really Need To Know!!!
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