Anything to help 4 year old ear pressure/pain on flight

[ProudparentofaMuffin]

Hi

Going on our first family holiday abroad later on this year. DC never flown before.

Trying to pre-empt ideas for the plane. Has anyone any suggestions to help with ears on the plane? Obviously having never flown before I'm not sure how she will be, but I would sooner be prepared. I would normally suck on a sweet but I wouldn't trust her with a hard sweet!

I recall years ago flying home from somewhere pre children and seeing a mum lining up her three children and giving them calpol at the gate! Is this a 'done' thing to try and stop any ear pain in its tracks? I assume that's why she was doing it...!

Any advice greatly appreciated!

I just give my 4 year old a lollipop to suck on. She's been fine on all the flights she has done (6)

As pp I give mine lollies to suck or a bottle of water/drink and keep telling them to sip.

I have tried anything and everything to stop my ears blocking on landing and nothing has worked. DS age 8 is used to going deaf for while now and just accepts it.

I have read somewhere that if an adult takes paracetamol/ibuprofen before landing that can help and I forgot to try it last time we flew so I get where the Calpol has come from. If it's just one dose I don't think it will be any harm but surely if that worked everyone would be taking it?

would you trust her with a hard lollipop? if so I'd do that throughout descent

I would buy a bag of the flat lollipops for flights when my kids were small, never the round kind. I'd still give the lolly a tug though to check attachment to the stick!

We only ever gave DD a waterbootle with a sports cap and then only when she was really young, 1 1/2 - 2 years.

You can also suck on a Haribo/Percy Pig if you really need something.

I never gave her painkillers.

You can buy special ear plugs for kids in boots.
Flight ear plugs... they worked brilliantly for my son who also had terrible ear pain on flights. They are washable and reusable.
Calpol half an hour before takeoff too.

As an adult, taking a decongestant an hour before landing has always stopped my ears becoming painful. I do it on every flight now and no issues at all.

Hot towels from the air crew inside paper cups held over the ears helps to equalize the pressure. From a pediatrician next to me on a flight some years back.

Juice carton, yoghurt or smoothie pouch, lollipop but I’d do a flat one not a round one as she’s under 5, anything sucky really but probably not plain water as she’s unlikely to want much of that. And don’t mention that ears are likely to hurt, otherwise it can become a bit of self fulfilling prophecy, just say nothing except ‘who wants a lolly’ or whatever you’ve brought. Neither one of my kids have ever complained of ear pain.

Thank you so much for all of the replies and suggestions. Definitely some things to think about. I think I would feel better with the flat lollies at her age. And yes I agree not to tell her about ear pain!

I think I need a trip to Boots and actually look at all the travel aids for children!

Just another quick question for anyone more experienced than me ... air sickness. She's never been travel sick, we've been on some very long car journeys and she's never been sick at all. She's not really a sicky child at all tbh, however I would sooner be prepared! Is there anything I should consider getting as a 'just in case' for this scenario? Or just see how she goes and if it turns out she does have air sickness I will know for next time?!

I don’t think sickness is that likely with a 4YO, IME it’s more of a baby/toddler thing (none of mine did it after 2). But it can’t hurt to have a spare plastic bag or 2 and I would always recommend a spare change for everyone, + swimsuits if it’s a beach holiday, packed in hand luggage and that covers every scenario from spilt drink, toilet accident, sickness, delays and lost luggage.

DD14 is really sensitive to the pressure on her ears. We've had the special , pressure reducing earplugs for the last few years and they def seem to help. Obviously lots of sweets too 😂

She does get car sick, and normally takes travel sickness pills on car journeys of more than an hour, but didn't struggle on the plane.

Thank you so much, I didn't know this existed so I have just bought a pair of these. I don't usually suffer, but last year I got on a long, many planes, journey after having come down with a mild cold a couple of days prior and I experienced such horrendous ear pain on each flight's take off and landing. In one dramatic moment, after having been sucking on throat sweets for ages, the throat sweet liquid actually came out of my ear. I was sitting there trying to play it cool. I feel for the young ones. When I first flew this happened to me so I got into the habit of taking and antihistamine before a flight just to keep everything dry and open, but had dropped out of that habit long ago.

@dudsville they really make a huge difference! Keep them in after landing for about half an hour at least.

Motion sickness happens on planes. DC1 gets very sick and takes motion sickness pills. Check timing because they don’t last long enough for long haul flights. DC1 doesn’t get sick in long car journeys or theme park rides. It could be a mixture of exhaustion and turbulence that make her more nauseous. DH is the same and he said he gets nauseous towards the end of flights.

I will look at those flight ear plugs. DH suffers badly and I have not heard of them beforehand.

DC1 is 13 and have had motion sickness on planes for a long time. Not just a baby toddler thing.

About motion sickness - DD suffered badly and she couldn’t even watch a movie. She had headphones and audiobooks for most of it.

She outgrew it at one point but it does flare up when she is tired. We normally have some plain crackers or Tucs with us she can nibble on.
Or chewing gum as she is now old enough.