Ear Infections and Flying

I got a phone call yesterday from someone asking about her son flying with an ear infection. Here's my advice on that one. If you have an ear infection you should be taking a decongestant for at least 24 hours before you fly. This will help take the congestion out of the eustachian tube so that when you take off your ear doesn't plug up. You can use any of the over the counter decongestants, just follow the instructions on the label.

If you have an infection, this should be diagnosed by a physician, who is treating you with antibiotics. Ear pain does not necessarily mean you have an infection. Get it looked at.

When you fly, ask the stewardess for 2 cups with a hot wet paper towel in each. As the plane takes off, hold these up to your ears. This will alleviate some of the discomfort of the take off. Do the same for the landing. You make look a little silly and feel a little funny holding the cups to your ears, but it is way better than the pain associated with the assent and descent. Cabin pressures are set to about 5,000 feet, so if you're landing in Denver, it will be less painful because your ears are used to that pressure. However if you're landing in Houston or somewhere that is sea level, the pressure will be intensified.

It would be best if you didn't have to fly, but sometimes that is not an option. Things that can occur are what we call barotrauma to the ear drums from the pressures outside versus the inside pressure behind the drum. This may lead to scarring and decreased hearing later in life. You can also suffer a rupture of the drum, in which case the pain will be instantly relieved. the bad news is that you will lose your hearing for awhile in that ear depending upon the size of the rupture. Ruptures heal, again leaving some scar tissue which can impair the hearing in the affected ear.