Ear pressure problems after flying - Hearing Disorders Message Board

Cuilc · 07-09-2005, 11:17 AM

I had a very bad inner ear infection in April caused by a sinus infection. It cleared up and I seemed to recover most of my hearing in my left ear (I have a slight hearing loss in the left ear and moderate loss in the right ear which now has a hearing aid fitted). 3 weeks ago, I flew down to London from Glasgow. My ears didn't seem to have any problems until a few days later when I noticed that sound was quite dull. 48 hours after I came back to Glasgow, my hearing in my left ear was very poor. I can hear my voice reverberate quite badly and I can hardly hear at all, even with the hearing aid in in my right ear. It is very distressing. Can anyone offer any suggestions? I've been reading up on this on the internet and it seems very likely that I've now a problem in the pressure in the old eustacian tube (there's a surprise). I've been popping my ears galore in the last 2 days trying to get the pressure to normal, but I read that when the pressure changes on an aircraft descent, if you've got existing problems with the eustacian tube, it sucks in high-pressure air and creates a vacuum - and it can suck in fluid leading to infection. The last thing I needs is yet another infection. Anybody had this happen to them - and how long before it goes back to normal?

divadebi · 08-14-2005, 06:15 PM

I flew to New York with boyfriend against my better intuition and oh brother, I spent the next 6 months dealing with ear infection. I couldn't hear, very painful, popping, heart beating sound in it, fluid, nothing helped. I have also had this happen when I rode up to 45th floor in building - wreaked havoc on my ears. They say to chew gum and while I was on that elevator I was doing some wierd chewing motions, I was the only one on there i f someone saw me they probably would have thought I was possessed or something!! Trying to avoid the inevitable. My ears run my life bottom line.

chardonnay · 09-30-2005, 03:03 PM

I think I can help with the problems of pressure, pain and that plugged up feeling after flying thanks to advice from my doctor. Some of these alone will help many people, but my ears get so bad after flying I have to do all of them to be pain free. 1) for each trip, I buy EarPlanes (over the counter item found with ear products). Simply insert before getting on the plane and remove once you exit the plane. 2) take a product like Sudafed (the little red pills) about 30 minutes before plane departure 3) also take one capsule of Benadryl 4) chew gum while on descent 5) about 30 minutes before landing or before the start of descent, use a decongestant nasal spray. Doing some of these things but not all, does not do enough to help me, but doing all of them has made my life after flying normal once again. Try it, I think you'll find relief. Good luck.