painful pressure today

[cforst513]

today i was putzing along at 8,000, and i was cleared to 3,000, my discretion. so i pulled the power back a bit and started a gentle 500fpm descent. i was still about 20nm away from the airport, so i figured i'd take it easy. about 7,000, i felt the first pop. i yawned and it cleared my ears, no prob. around 6,000 though, i felt a pain i have only felt one other time while flying, that time in an airliner. i didn't feel the typical pressure in my ears. this was a sharp, biting pain pain in my head, pretty much on the left side, and no amount of yawning, swallowing, or closing my nose and trying to blowout of it helped. furthermore, the pain spread to my jawbone and teeth!!!! very sharp, very painful. what gives? is that a sinus thing too? any of you guys deal with this?

 

[jetexas]

Probably a sinus block. I had one as a kid riding as pax. It felt like one side of my face was gonna explode..stabbing pain like a million tiny needles. my teeth hurt then too.
I carry a little bottle of afrin in my flight kit now just in case.

 

[cforst513]

afrin is nose spray, right? never heard of it before.

 

[PCL_128]

Do the Valsalva Maneuver: Close your mouth, pinch your nose, and blow. Unless you have a severe sinus problem, then it should push some higher pressure air into the sinus passages and eliminate the pain.

 

[jetexas]

afrin is a nasal/sinus decongestant. It comes in a little spray bottle that you stick in your nose. It can work for earblocks too.

 

[FN FAL]

Do the Valsalva Maneuver: Close your mouth, pinch your nose, and blow. Unless you have a severe sinus problem, then it should push some higher pressure air into the sinus passages and eliminate the pain.

I have to do that all the time. In fact I just do it ahead of time now, just so I don't have such a big adjustment after I do it. And I don't have sinus problems or alergies.

You know what, it might sound kind of funny, but I think the slower you descend the worse it gets.

I've made jump after jump and tons of rapid descents flying jumpers and never had much of a problem with clearing the tubes. However, it seems that when you nurse the altitude changes, it increases the difficulty. At least for me it does.

 

[CitationXDriver]

I have to do that all the time. In fact I just do it ahead of time now, just so I don't have such a big adjustment after I do it.

I have been told that the Valsalva should be used sparingly?? I knew a girl in college who supposedly injured her ear and suffered hearing loss from doing it multiple times a day. Any docs out there that can confirm or deny this??

 

[FN FAL]

I have been told that the Valsalva should be used sparingly?? I knew a girl in college who supposedly injured her ear and suffered hearing loss from doing it multiple times a day. Any docs out there that can confirm or deny this??

You probably shouldn't jump on a Valsava like you're starting a husqvarna chainsaw...it wouldn't be prudent. I do them all the time...just don't blow your brains out while you're at it.

 

[CitationXDriver]

Im not sure what sort of method your using to start your chainsaw......but OKHaHa, guess you should have got a Stihl!

 

[Tram]

Ok well.. this one was too good not to use..