Flying with a cold

[Mattg]

I have generally been pretty lucky with this but I'm flying a fair bit this weekend and unfortunately I have quite a bad cold. I have had some pretty bad experiences in the past of going through the decent in pretty bad pain as a result of flying whilst sick.

So, does anyone have a strategy they are willing to share to minimize the effect the descents will have on my ears etc.?

 

[harvyk]

Take a bag of glucose lollies with you, chewing them during descent will help equalize the pressure...

(As a side note AirNZ used to give out little boiled lollies to all pax as a matter of course just before descent)

 

[simongr]

You could try earplanes - you put them in your ears on ascent and descent and it reduces the impact of pressure changes

 

[Major]

Stay at home and recover. The descents will not bother you at all

 

[Ewing]

Take some pseudoephedrine about an hour before descent. You'll be right as rain.

Go into the pharmac_ and explain why you want it (ie: to reduce pain associated with flying) - I've never had any problems getting it (NSW and ACT), although I haven't bought any for about a year so I'm not sure if any restrictions have come in during that time.

I learned my lesson the hard way - three excruciating flights while completely clogged.
- CBR-SYD
- SYD-LAX
- LAX-JFK

On the descent into JFK I was fighting back tears and it felt like my eardrums were about to burst. After that flight I couldn't actually hear properly for a few days.

 

[straitman]

I have generally been pretty lucky with this but I'm flying a fair bit this weekend and unfortunately I have quite a bad cold. I have had some pretty bad experiences in the past of going through the decent in pretty bad pain as a result of flying whilst sick.

So, does anyone have a strategy they are willing to share to minimize the effect the descents will have on my ears etc.?

IF you can clear your ears then try the lollies etc strategies. IF you cannot clear your ears then do as Major says and stay home. Busted ear drums are not worth it.

 

[Princess Fiona]

IF you can clear your ears then try the lollies etc strategies. IF you cannot clear your ears then do as Major says and stay home. Busted ear drums are not worth it.

I ended up off work for 2 days unable to hear and with excruciating pain in my R ear after failing to do the stay at home bit, I foolishly reckoned as it was just a short hop to MEL it wouldn't be so bad on descent ops

 

[simongr]

It is interesting how different people react. I have once flown with a severe cold and had what I would call discomfort. I also scuba dive and can drop like a stone whereas other people have to descend slowly to equalise as they drop.

 

[here2go]

My wife uses EarPlanes as recommended previously (get them from the pharmac_ - much cheaper from experience) and the old chewing gum as soon as plane commences descent without colds as she has some funky kinks in her ears and struggles to unblock them through yawning.

 

[opusman]

I've tried earplanes and they don't seem to do a thing. Psuedoephidrine is your friend.

 

[amaroo]

Stay in bed....the people sitting near you would also recommend this form of treatment

 

[munitalP]

Stay at home and recover. The descents will not bother you at all

and the people around you wont be exposed to your cold....

Also wear a face mask

 

[Boris spatsky]

Take Drixine (buy it from a chemist). It decongests the nasal cavity - works wonders in such situations as an emergency item.

 

[spudseamus]

I've tried earplanes and they don't seem to do a thing. Psuedoephidrine is your friend.

Available from your local Bikey Clubhouse!! LOL! just kiddin'

 

[straitman]

Take Drixine (buy it from a chemist). It decongests the nasal cavity - works wonders in such situations as an emergency item.

Sinuses are one issue but ears are a whole other problem. If you cannot clear your ears then you stand to break your eardrums. (Aviation Medicine 101)

 

[juddles]

(As a side note AirNZ used to give out little boiled lollies to all pax as a matter of course just before descent)

Many airlines used to do this. These days ¨most¨ aircraft are pressurized to a greater degree. I personally live at a higher altitude than the pressure used in modern aircraft - so the pressure actually INCREASES for me as we go up!

 

[casanovawa]

I would buy some of the cold/flu tablets and there is one with psuedoephidrine isn't there? Or i thought their use to be one? That plus i guess regularly holding your nose and trying to equalise pressure probably works a bit better than the yawning maybe, although might be uncomfortable, horses for courses i guess or YMMV...

If i do have a cough or a sneeze and am on a plane i would feel dorky in a face mask, but if i take my medicine to clear things up as much as possible for several hours and just lift my shirt up over my nose for coughs and sneezes it at least minimises bugs being spread around the cabin...

 

[rtyuiop]

+1 vote for staying at home - I had major sinus pain for a week after flying (dosed up on decongestants!) when I shouldn't have.

If it catches you by surprise, I suggest knowing about the val Salva maneouvre:

Valsalva maneuver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But be aware apparently you can also do horrible things to yourself by doing it!

Cheers,

Danny

 

[Mattg]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I don't think not flying is really an option, and thankfully my cold is getting a little better. So, I will try to minimize the effects by being prepared with nasal decongestant and lollies etc. If I feel particularly bad still tomorrow I'll go to the pharmac_.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Straits, Drixine clears the eustachian tubes, thereby allowing the pressure to reduce on the inner side of the ear drum. Works for sinuses too. Carried by most guys on PC9 years ago (i guess you went straight to RW?)