Do your ears bother you when flying?

Sitting here waiting for a flight, I thought I would share what I do to keep my ears clear when I fly.

1. If you have allergies, stay on your meds leading up to your flight. Doing so will minimize swelling in your sinuses and Eustachian tubes.

2. I have No-Drip Afrin in my travel bag. All Afrin is the same. The “No-Drip” just sprays more evenly and doesn’t run down your throat as much.

3. I put two squirts of Afrin in each nostril when I get to the holding area. These first two squirts decongest the front of my nose. Twenty minutes later, I put two more squirts in each side of my nose. The second sprays get way in the back and help decongest the area around my eustachian tubes.

4. NOTE: AFRIN IS TO BE USED EVERY 12 HOURS. WHAT I JUST WROTE IS NOT THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE BOTTLE. IF YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR HEART RHYTHM PROBLEMS, CLEAR THIS WITH YOUR PROVIDER FIRST.

5. Afrin last 12 hours, so if your flight is less than 12 hours, you only need to do this once. You may need to repeat this after 12 hours for a long-haul trip.

6. This is all I need to do. Some of my patients also take Mucinex D before flying. Mucinex D further decongests the Eustachian tube.

7. Mucinex D should be used with caution if you have high blood pressure, prostate issues, or heart arrhythmias, so be sure and clear this with your provider if you have any of these conditions or other health problems.

8. Chewing gum also helps, but you only need to do this when descending. It is really rare to have ear problems when ascending.

9. Some of my patients get sinus headaches when flying. This routine works well for that too.

Till next week,
Jim Atkins, MD, Follow me on Twitter.

P.S.

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