Ear Blockage During and After Flight

[your_dreamguy]

Hello,

I went flying the other day as a passenger on flight. I thought I was completely over my cold but I guess I wasn't. Anyway, during the flight, in addition to my nose getting stuffed up, one of my ears become swollen and "blocked." This had never happened before. It took a long time on the ground before my ear came back to normal.
Does anyone know if there's any way to get your ear unclogged next time this happens? Is there any type of earspray (like nasal decongestant for your ear) that you can use? Any other advice or information regarding this pheonomena?

Thanks for your help.

 

[skyking1976]

Nasal administered decongestants can help a great deal since they act fairly quickly on the sinus cavities and therefore alleviate pressure on the eustachian tubes. You also might try taking a Pseudoephedrine (FAA approved) tablet before you get on the airplane. I believe they also make ear drops for ear blockage problems. Take a trip to your local drug store and ask your pharmacist for a recommended product.

Skyking

 

[Snoopy58]

Afrin!

It will do what you're asking, dreamguy. The Air Force flight docs recommended having some on hand as an emergency "get me down" fix -- especially for guys in unpressurized jets. Yes, you need to go see the doc after you DO get on the ground, but better to use Afrin than to have an ear or sinus problem that can ground you for weeks (or years)!

There are various cautions about using it repeatedly, basically that the tissues in your nose will get "used to" it over time, so that when you stop using it you're congested for some time -- several days or somesuch. Also, it's a definite no-no to use it BEFORE flying, because it may clear you up enough to get you up IN the air, then wear off & leave you plugged up like you were, or worse. HOWEVER, as a "get me down," it can be a total lifesaver.

I don't know that it's FAA approved, but I do know that flight docs & UPT instructors swore by the stuff & most wouldn't fly without it. Besides, "it's not for me, it's for a passenger/student who develops a problem." Which can well be true!

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

This helps...

When you valsalva, if you have trouble clearing your ears, try bending your head away from the side with the blockage. This will help to stretch your eustacian tube slightly. If you gently rock your head from side-to-side, it can help. If that doesn't work, take your finger and rub below your ear just behind your jaw while performing the valsalva. Again, this can help move the eustacian tube a bit and can aid in unblocking an ear. I've seen this work before and it's worked for me when I've had ears slow to clear.

 

[Salty Dog]

A scuba trick is to valsalva on the ground before you go up (or down for diving, of course). The slight overpressure in your inner ear/e. tube will make it easier for the air inside to leave when you get up to the thinner air.

Just an idea.

 

[2000flyer]

AFRIN

I second the AFRIN post. I never leave home without it.

2000Flyer

 

[falcondriver]

I always have a bottle of Duration nose spray and some sinus pills in my backpack, just in case I have a problem in flight.
FD

 

[bobbysamd]

Nasal sprays

There is really no such thing as an FAA-approved medication. Having said that, I suffer from congestion when I get a cold, etc. I found that the sprays with Oxymetazoline hydrochloride 0.05% help me. Zicam is good, but you can do fine with a store brand and save some money as long as it has that ingredient. I've used both.

Be extremely careful with blockages! They can lead to broken eardrums. I recall a Riddle student who suffered a broken eardrum because of congestion. He was grounded for eighteen months. He got his medical back, but I've heard that airlines reject applicants with a broken eardrum history.

 

[skykid]

I have been saved by AFRIN a few times myself. Here's another tip - when you land and still have the blocked feeling, don't overuse the valsalva move to try to get back to normal. Never use too much pressure to try to clear - this is when you blow the eardrum. A couple days not flying is better than several months to heal a busted eardrum.

 

[mattfish42]

rejected?

"He got his medical back, but I've heard that airlines reject applicants with a broken eardrum history."

Bobby, how solid is that rumor? I lost both eardrums when I was a kid. Your post kinda concerns me.

 

[DTWFO]

Be careful using Afrin type products as they have steroids in them that not only cause re-bound affect, but also will show up on a random drug test.

Also, if your ears plug as you are ascending, it is also a good idea to leave them plugged when you reach cruise (unless you think you can actively clear them using Valsalva) because the air is trapped in your ear from a lower pressure altitude. If you clear them at altitude and then start descending and are unable to clear them, you will have lower pressure air trapped behind your eardrum. This is when people run into problems blowing their eardrums out. If you leave them plugged, when you descend and reach the altitude that the air trapped in your ear is at, usually your ear will equalize by itself.

Just some tips from my experience.

 

[bobbysamd]

Re: rejected?

"He got his medical back, but I've heard that airlines reject applicants with a broken eardrum history."

Bobby, how solid is that rumor? I lost both eardrums when I was a kid. Your post kinda concerns me.

Well, that's what I recall from several years ago. Maybe the airlines have become enlightened since then. It used to be with many of them that eye surgery was cause for outright rejection; now, I understand that most care only that you have a First.

 

[Snoopy58]

Most if not all will only require a First Class medical.

There was a long explanation on another board that I won't try to duplicate here, but the bottom line was that with the Americans with Disabilities Act in play, a company can only require so much of you: no "astronaut physicals," no "uncorrected 20/20," etc. They can require what you need to perform your job (i.e. a First Class med), but they can't (so I'm told) require more to hire you than they require of the current employees.

AA did have a physical that they gave you following the interview (back when they were interviewing); SWA wants to see your medical certificate & that's it.

If you can pass a First Class, I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[mattfish42]

Thanks! Sounds like nothing to worry about.

 

[skyking1976]

Re: Nasal sprays

There is really no such thing as an FAA-approved medication.

True. But you can use them, unlike some blood pressure medcations and mood-altering drugs, (i.e. Prozac and Zoloft) which may result in denial of a medical certificate.

 

[falcondriver]

I got a clogged ear on descent once and my co pilot showed me a trick he learned from a British Airways FA. He put a paper towel in the bottom of a small cup and filled it with about a inch of water. He then heated the water up in a microwave. He told me to lean over and put my ear to the cup and let the steam rise up into my ear. I looked really stupid in the FBO, but about 30 seconds later my ear popped and the pain was gone.
FD

 

[bobbysamd]

Astronaut physicals

[W]ith the Americans with Disabilities Act in play, a company can only require so much of you: no "astronaut physicals," no "uncorrected 20/20," etc. . . . . AA did have a physical that they gave you following the interview (back when they were interviewing) . . . .

I took a physical at American. I dunno if it was as extensive as an "astronaut" physical when I interviewed with AE in 1990, but it was much more than the typical First Class Medical exam. I also remember that the doctor was somewhat nasty. I attended a total of five regional interview events. AE was the only one that demanded the physical.

It's good to see that that ADA forced airlines to see the light regarding medical conditions - and particularly the 20/20 uncorrected vision requirement at Delta. I remember seeing so many Delta pilots who wore glasses, and who knows how many more were wearing contacts. That really bugged me. My frame of reference is still very much in the early '90s, before the ADA really took hold.