Severe Earache/Headache during plane landing

[Chris H]

The last couple of times I've flown in a jumbo jet I've had quite severe pain in predominantly my ears, and a fair bit in my head also. Experienced this yesterday on a trip from Melbourne to Adelaide, and I'm wondering if anyone knows what causes it and how to prevent it. Found some ear plugs in a chemist that claim to relieve the pain with a "small filter built in to the ear plug". Anyone know anything about these and whether they're any good? Or perhaps any other solutions?

Cheers,

Chris

[LostAngeles]

For me it seems to be worse if I have a cold or other sinus funk going on, so a Claritin seems to help.

[Skwinty]

In the days before aircraft were pressurised, the air hostess would hand out boiled sweets for you to suck as this would help equalise pressures in the ears to prevent this sort of problem. Perhaps this would help especially if the aircraft pressurisation system was a bit off optimum performance.

[Seanette]

I'd think a decongestant would help more than ear plugs, since it sounds to me like the pressure in your ears isn't equalizing properly. Skwinty had a good suggestion, but for me, chewing (such as gum) works better.

[Here_to_learn]

Found some ear plugs in a chemist that claim to relieve the pain with a "small filter built in to the ear plug". Anyone know anything about these and whether they're any good? Or perhaps any other solutions?I've tried them on a trip I had to do while having a cold. The idea with them (from what I understand) is to slow down the rate of pressure change, so that it gives you a longer chance to equalize the pressure before it starts to hurt.

It's of course hard give give a real verdict, but one of the flights I didn't insert one correctly and that ear hurt a lot, while the other was ok-ish.

So, yes, my feeling is that is does help some, but the advise already given in the thread about using an decongestant of a type is a lot better. In Sweden I would need a prescription from a MD to get an effective one, but the few times I have asked for it I got it when explaining that I needed to travel for job purposes.

So my advice is - if you need to fly with a cold, or if you fly regularly and might catch a cold, get a prescription for something that really good.

[BenBurch]

Chew gum.

Its that simple.

You'll not have a problem.

[RoboTimbo]

Chew gun and take decongestants. On the way down, you can pinch your nose between your finger and thumb and blow (gently) to help equalize the pressure.

[RecoveringYuppy]

Add yawning to chewing gum and taking decongestants.

Is it practical for an ear plug to actually seal your ear to slow down a pressure change? I would think that would be an earplug that would contribute to a headache, not end one.

[Walrus32]

Afrin nasal spray, or the equivalent. Helps unblock the Eustachian tubes.

[Safe-Keeper]

Happened to me, too, only once, though. The plane was descending and I was leaning forward (not in a brace position, just because I was tired), and I suddenly got a splitting headache - literally, it felt as if my head was going to get ripped in two. Fortunately it passed after only a few seconds.

[I Ratant]

I had that occur a couple times on commercial transcontinental flights, but never on many many test flights in the L-1011.
I would be wishing I had a cordless drill (before the days of the cordless drill) to let the pressure out of my sinuses!

[BenBurch]

my doctor warns against ever using afrin, ymmv.

[LarianLeQuella]

Did your doctor give you reasons Ben? For a one time use to equalize pressure, I have not heard any lasting reasons not to use it. To use it more than once or twice though, then you can start to have problems.

As a military aviator, I've become almost immune to pressure changes. Even the most modern aircraft have the cabin altitude go up to about 8000 feet if they climb above FL350 or so, so if you are used to sea level, that's actually quite a change.

The "vasalva" maneuver is probably going to be your best and most natural bet (assuming you know how to do it correctly). Making sure you are not congested to start with also helps. And given the choice of using Afrin, or letting your sinuses blow out; use Afrin! Granted, the PSID on commercial aircraft should never get that bad. It's not like flying a T-38 with partial pressurization up to FL400. ;)

[BenBurch]

She says it almost always induces a rebound effect, which encourages dependence.

[Here_to_learn]

Is it practical for an ear plug to actually seal your ear to slow down a pressure change? I would think that would be an earplug that would contribute to a headache, not end one.There is some discussion in this article (http://www.caohc.org/updatearticles/fall2008/earplugs.php), especially "Situation 3". I know nothing about the validity of the source, this is just how I got it explained to me, and it matches my very limited anecdotal "evidence".

[RecoveringYuppy]

There is some discussion in this article (http://www.caohc.org/updatearticles/fall2008/earplugs.php), especially "Situation 3". I know nothing about the validity of the source, this is just how I got it explained to me, and it matches my very limited anecdotal "evidence".
So, apparently it's possible. But I wonder how much care you have to take to pick an earplug that will put you in situation 3 and avoid situation 2.

[skeptigirl]

Reviewing the mechanism of the pain: air pressure becomes unequal on either side of the eardrum causing it to buldge. The stretching is painful.

Descending , the pressure is greater outside than inside the middle ear. Holding your nose and bearing down putting pressure on your head (valsalva maneuver) can push air into the middle ear, but this can also put pressure on your heart. If you are older, it's not a good idea. And if you are ascending, it does the wrong thing.

The reason for chewing gum is that swallowing opens the Eustachian tubes allowing air to equalize on both sides of the eardrum.

Using Afrin is not going to open Eustachian tubes. It shrinks nasal passages and decreases nasal congestion. That is not the problem here.

If your ears are truly blocked with fluid in the inner ear, then higher air pressure on the outside of the drum shouldn't cause enough stretching on the eardrum to be that painful. Fluid does not compress like air does. An already inflamed and painful eardrum might hurt more, but chances are it would have hurt before and after the ascent/descent as well.

You need to swallow again and again until you feel your ears 'pop' and the pain should go away instantly. Gum works, but so does sucking on hard candy or anything else including just swallowing. Yawning works sometimes.

[macdoc]

It can be very painful and dangerous....don't take it lightly.
It's akin to going diving with blocked tubes...

[Here_to_learn]

But I wonder how much care you have to take to pick an earplug that will put you in situation 3 and avoid situation 2.These (http://www.magellans.com/store/util/richfx_image_embed?Args=&style_id=IF379) looks like the ones I got from the pharmacy.

[technoextreme]

Using Afrin is not going to open Eustachian tubes. It shrinks nasal passages and decreases nasal congestion. That is not the problem here.

Wrong. I have no clue why but when ever I have bad nasal congestion it corresponds to bad ear congestion. Doctor also prescribed decongestants when my ears were bad enough to the point where it felt like I was in an airplane all the time.

[fishbob]

Chew gum.

Its that simple.

You'll not have a problem.

True only if you are healthy and not congested.

If you are on the rebound from a nasty sinus blocking mucus-fest, nothing helps enough, and you will experience a lot of pain. I do not recommend the cordless drill though. SOMEBODY might mistake that for a gun on the plane - and you know where that leads.

[Modified]

Descending , the pressure is greater outside than inside the middle ear. Holding your nose and bearing down putting pressure on your head (valsalva maneuver) can push air into the middle ear, but this can also put pressure on your heart. If you are older, it's not a good idea. And if you are ascending, it does the wrong thing.

You can also do the opposite (pinch your nose closed and attempt to suck air in through your nose), but it takes a lot more effort to get a result. I find that yawning works to open the Eustachian tubes, or if you can learn to expand your upper throat as happens when you yawn that also works.

[Kevin_Lowe]

I used to have this exact problem.

Now I buy pseudoephedrine (they always try to sell me the antihistamines that make you drowsy instead, because they think I will run off and use it to make meth, but that stuff doesn't work well for me) and take a couple of pills an hour or two before descent.

Between pseudoephedrine and the previously-mentioned trick of blowing gently into your nose while you hold it closed, I've only experienced mild discomfort since then.

[rjh01]

Have you discussed the issue with your GP?

[joobz]

It's all about opening the eustation tubes. Think of them as a tacky flattened hose. The goal is to overcome the tackiness and open them up to allow pressure equalization between the inside and outside of the ears. If you practice opening them, you will likely be able to open them even if you have a cold.

Yawn, and pay attention to how your jaw widens at the very initial step. For me, it is almost a jutting out and down motion. If you do this very sutlely without yawning, you may notice a slight "crackle/pop" in your years. (especially if you have slightly plugged tubes). This is literally a physical opening of the eusation tubes.

Now, keeping them open, breathe through the nose rapidly. You'll notice that you'll be able to feel the pressure of breathing in your ears. Practice this a bit and become aware of how to open your eustation tubes. You can test yourself by by doing the valsalva maneuver at normal atmospheric conditions and then pop open your tubes to equalize the pressure.

Then at the beginning of take off and landing, it becomes a simple matter of just opening them with a slight jaw move.
I've been able to do this even when I have cold.

[I Ratant]

I can "pop" the ears with swallowing... but the sinuses in the forehead.. that takes toughing it out, as a drill is really contraindicated! :)

[skeptigirl]

Wrong. I have no clue why but when ever I have bad nasal congestion it corresponds to bad ear congestion. Doctor also prescribed decongestants when my ears were bad enough to the point where it felt like I was in an airplane all the time.A decongestant pill you swallow acts systemically. Afrin acts on the tissues you spray it on. If the label says it is supposed to act on all your congestion, it is possible you are getting a larger dose in your bloodstream through the nasal mucus membrane. But usually the point of putting something directly in the nose is because you get a local effect and therefore less side effects.

[SkeptiChick]

A decongestant pill you swallow acts systemically. Afrin acts on the tissues you spray it on. If the label says it is supposed to act on all your congestion, it is possible you are getting a larger dose in your bloodstream through the nasal mucus membrane. But usually the point of putting something directly in the nose is because you get a local effect and therefore less side effects.My doctor has prescribed (well, suggested) Afrin for ear congestion. His directions were to tilt my head to the side immediately after spraying to allow the spray to get to that side of the sinus to open things up. And yes, it works. Quite well.

[Bikewer]

It's also possible to physically "pop" your ears by holding your nose and mouth shut and "blowing" (actually just increasing pressure in the oral cavity)

An old skin-diver's trick.

Likely not reccomended by medical authorities, though I imagine the risk of "overpressure" is slight.

[Chris H]

I tried the decongestant and an ear cleaner and didn't have any problems on the way home. Thanks everyone!

Cheers,

Chris