Ear ache during flights- causes, predictability, remedies

[Liz1tummypain]

Hi folks, we're thinking about biting the bullett and getting a flight to Florida this summer. Only hitch being I had really bad ear ache on a flight a long time ago- think it was short-ish, about 2 and a half or 3 hours. It was really bad for both outward and return flights and I was deaf for a few days each side. Since then I haven't really had it. Is this kind of problem likely to be worse on longer flights- I mean is it true planes fly higher for longer distances? Also I heard that cheaper airlines get the cheapest air space which is higher up but I don't know if this is true. I thought the cabins had machines that maintained the pressure so why does it change as you go higher? Can anyone who has had this problem got any info, advice on remedies etc please?

Sucking sweets tends to mostly work for me.

My DH gets this - can't hear for a week after a flight and gets awful pain. He used to think it was wax but it's not.

He chooses to drive, but did try earplanes once and they seemed to help. He also sucks an entire bag of sweets!

I've been on flights where cabin crew have given out boiled sweets to suck. Also, I had quite bad ear pain on one descent. The cabin crew gave me a hot flannel trapped inside two plastic cups to cover over each ear, don't know if they were having a laugh and can't remember if it worked lol. Aren't you supposed to do lots of yawning and holding your nose and blowing to keep the ear tubes open? Bit like when you go up in altitude??

I get horrific ear pain during the flight's descent - I can tell the second that the plane starts descending as the pressure in my ears changes and without Ear Planes in, it feels like someone is sticking a sharp needle through one ear and out of the other. Sucking a sweet or swallowing does nothing for me.

After one awful flight that left me crying in pain during the descent and with agonising ear ache for three days after landing, I tried Ear Planes and they work well for me. Boots do a cheaper own brand version which is just as good. I put them in around an hour prior to landing and I can still feel the change in pressure in my ears but there's little/no actual pain. I literally refuse to fly without them.

Another vote for ear planes - we also used boots own brand. Put them in when still on runway before take off & keep in until captain says you are at cruising height. Put in again an hour before landing to be sure they are in for whole descent. Take spares as if you drop one putting it in you rarely find it!

One of my DCs travels a lot by plane and finds that a combination of earplugs that she bought (poss) from Boots (so might be the things you were discussing upthread), plus chewing gum, plus antihistamine* taken for a couple of days beforehand all help.

• ie hayfever tablets

Mrs Brrrr, thanks for your message. Could you just explain about the anti-histamines? are they supposed to reduce inflammation or any other reasoning behind them? Thanks to everyone above too.

Take a sudafed decongestant approx 30 mins before expected take off or landing. Also take a bottle of water with a sports cap. Take lots of little sips. That should have you sorted