to ask for advice on this?

[buffythemuffinslayer]

I am a frequent flier - recently flew to France for a work event. Picked up a bad cold in the first 24 hours (international, pretty much inevitable I think) and flew back on Wednesday night. I've never flown with cold like this - sinuses, cough, sneezing, glands - and on the descent my ears felt like the drums were about to burst. I had to double over and press my fingers to my ears - not a good look for 20 minutes.

Cold is now getting slowly better, but I seem to be losing my hearing, quite literally since landing. It's like my ears are blocked, constantly, and hearing is fuzzy at best. I also get sharp pains in my ears regularly. I'm going to the pharmacy tomorrow but wanted to know - has anyone else experienced this? I don't want to be fobbed off, I'm generally healthy and not too paranoid, but it's worrying. I've tried to pop my ears, yawn, do hot compresses etc.

Has anyone had this? All and any advice appreciated as Google is giving me very mixed messages.

Oh, if it helps: have also had sudafed, painkillers and lemsip since landing. Reckon decongestants will be suggested by pharmacy which may not be a bad idea.

First world problem I know, just worried as I couldn't even hear DS calling me tonight, for a wee. Luckily he is patient, but it took me ten minutes to pick anything up.

I had this.

It improved by itself after a week.

Was a rubbish week though.

I would contact your local NHS drop in centre or out of hours service and get it checked out hun. if it has burst your ears drums then infections are possible which can cause lasting and sometime permanent damage.

I haven't experienced it in the same way

But I do tend to get severe congestion behind my eardrums

Oddly enough, the very best decongestant product I've ever used is made by Morrissons.

They're tiny little blue capsules and you can only take on per day, but they are the most brilliantly effective things I've ever used.

And they're only 89P!

*one per day

I can't hear anything when I land on most flights I have ever taken, it clears by itself gradually usually within a day or two I hear normally again. But with a cold it takes longer. A decongestant may well be useful. I guess because I expect it I'd not thought of that.
I usually take some sort of painkiller for the sharp pains.

I also do things which probably you shouldn't (attacking wax in ears).

Sudafed is a decongestant and mustn't be taken whilst taking lemsip! Double-dose of decongestant may have made the problem worse!

Oh definitely try a decongestant then OP

The pharmacist will probably recommend Mucron or Sinutab or something

Well worth giving it a go because it does thin out the gunk, so it slides down away from your ears.

I can't hear very well after blowing my nose anyway but it usually sorts itself out after half an hour or so, but after doing it a bit back the hearing didn't come back in one of my ears (which made me feel really unbalanced) so I went to the doctors and he said it was catarrh.

It took six bloody weeks to clear

Hopefully yours will be something like that and not anything more serious

Oh, I mixed seasavage up with the OP there...sorry

My husband had this after a flight earlier this year - he'd also been struggling with a cold before he flew. His ear drum perforated 24 hours and he was in a lot of pain. Doc said he'd prob already had ear infection that flight had worsened so I would get to your gp as if it is an infection you'll need antibiotics which pharmacy won't be able to give you.

Thank you all - makes sense.

I will do an NHS Drop in if it carries on after taking a decongestant - slightly worried as hearing has been getting worse. Morrisons! Was there this evening with DS, didn't know!

I fly a lot, but have always been a 'good' flyer - happily reading a book whole others suck on sweets. Famous last words.

Seasavage - yup, have been attacking the wax something ferocious - then Google and realised probably not best at this stage.

I just really want my ears to be ok - promised DS before I went away that we'd go for a fun swim (rapids, slides, etc) tomorrow, and he's really excited. I don't want to be a party pooper. Pharmacy it is...

Missed a couple of responses - I do worry that it's an infection as at several points I've had pain in my jaw too? Lefthand side which is odd because the worse ear is on the right.

I will see what the pharmacy says and if it doesn't work out, will go to the doctor properly.

Good to know people have had this before - hopefully it will just clear. Not hearing properly is just a bit perturbing. DP being lovely, but confused.

Kaymondo - that sounds awful - hope DH made a full recovery. Not sure anything is perforated, I imagine that would be more painful.

Good luck OP

I've had very similar the last few weeks, though not from flying. Decongestants, Olbas Oil and steam have all helped. I found swimming was fine as the problem was behind the ear drum, though may not be much fun if you can't hear!

And apparently pain in the jaw is common with blocked ears.

I was just going to say try steam- lean over a bowl of boiling hot water and put a towel over your head/the bowl and breathe the steam in. It opens the passages and thins out the catarrh to help it drain. Or something like that anyway! You can do it 2-3x a day for 10 minutes at a time.

For future flights, put Olbas Oil on a tissue of hankie and hold it up to your nose and breathe through it every 10 mins or so.
It stops you catching any of the colds that will be circulating on the plane.

Hope you feel better soon.

Yes, after flying with a truly stinking head cold. Couldn't hear properly for the best part of a week, but it resolved itself. A bit of patience and I'm pretty sure your situation will resolve itself too.

For future flights, saline spray helps prevent colds :-)