Cross Country Flight -- Ear Damage?

[AdamL]

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, you should try the Valsalva maneuver, and see a doctor. I'm pretty sure it's not serious though, don't worry about it. I fly recreationally and sometimes have headaches for a couple days following a very, umm.... fun, flight. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[jdd12]

This happened to me in May and lasted for 3 days. It sucked.

Like Daryn said, it goes away on it's own.

I'm not going to cry wolf here, but my girl friend's mom had this exact same thing happen to her ~5 years ago. SHe figured it would go away, but it didn't and her hearing was permanently damnaged in that ear. FYI

[MrX]

[ QUOTE ]
You most likely have a problem with your gestation tubes (spelling is probably wrong). I have a similar issue, and it can be very painful. The doctor advises me to overdose on Sudafed 1 hour before takeoff, and also blast some afrin in my nose while sitting on the runway. Ever since the problem has been solved.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I laughed so hard at this.

X

[DasLeben]

What I do on aircraft is the valsalva maneuver. You basically pinch your nose and try to blow gently out of your nose. That'll cause your ears to "pop" and equilize easily. When the airplane starts to descend, make sure to do this early and often, and you shouldn't have any issues.

Trust me on this one...as a pilot, I can tell you that this works wonders.

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
What I do on aircraft is the valsalva maneuver. You basically pinch your nose and try to blow gently out of your nose. That'll cause your ears to "pop" and equilize easily. When the airplane starts to descend, make sure to do this early and often, and you shouldn't have any issues.

Trust me on this one...as a pilot, I can tell you that this works wonders.

[/ QUOTE ]

Chewing gum can also work. After years of SCUBA diving this comes naturally to me, I basically just move my jaw and equalize unconsciously. Sucks when I have a cold and do it by accident and those air passages get stuck open for hours though.

[Skipbidder]

25 mg prednisone 8 hours before the flight and 25 mg again 1 hour before the flight.

You should be able to get 100 5 mg tablets for less than 3 bucks (so make sure that you know this when you fill your prescreption...don't pay some $10 or $20 copay).

Make sure to tell your doctor that you read this suggestion from a random guy an on internet poker forum. They love that.

By the way, I'm only suggesting this because I curbsided an ENT about it a few years ago (my ears hurt like a mofo when I fly). It worked very well. I've written it for one patient who claimed that it helped him as well.

I tried to do a literature search on it a few years ago, without being successful. Perhaps I'll try again.

There, I just did it. 120 mg pseudoephedrine 30 minutes prior to flight was effective in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial reported in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine in 1998. (You won't need a prescription for this in the US, unlike the prednisone.)

One other trial did not show effect for pseudoephedrine in children (Archives of Peds and Adolescent Medicine).

[daryn]

[ QUOTE ]
What I do on aircraft is the valsalva maneuver. You basically pinch your nose and try to blow gently out of your nose. That'll cause your ears to "pop" and equilize easily. When the airplane starts to descend, make sure to do this early and often, and you shouldn't have any issues.

Trust me on this one...as a pilot, I can tell you that this works wonders.

[/ QUOTE ]

but what can you tell me, as an applebee's waiter?

[SCfuji]

maulik

everything should return to normal but you probably wont notice as its probably going to be gradual. if you think your ears are still effed up go see a doctor (ENT/ears,nose,throat specialist).

[DasLeben]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What I do on aircraft is the valsalva maneuver. You basically pinch your nose and try to blow gently out of your nose. That'll cause your ears to "pop" and equilize easily. When the airplane starts to descend, make sure to do this early and often, and you shouldn't have any issues.

Trust me on this one...as a pilot, I can tell you that this works wonders.

[/ QUOTE ]

but what can you tell me, as an applebee's waiter?

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you have something else to do with your time than be a complete cockbite? 11,000 posts, you'd expect someone to know how to act.

Jesus Christ dude. You don't piss me off, I'm just amazed that people like you actually exist and are tolerated (well, maybe only on the internet). Go troll another thread.

Actually...y'know what, this just reminded me why I stopped posting here. See you all in another couple months.