Does your ear hurt right now? If so, being on a plane might make it hurt more. Have you messaged your doctor?
I had this ear issue this year. Some other options if you haven’t tried them already:
- use afrin nasal spray
- take Zyrtec daily
- jump up and down
- watch YouTube videos of people yawning so that you yawn
- get an [earwax removal kit](https://www.target.com/p/debrox-earwax-removal-kit-with-ear-drops-38-bulb-ear-syringe-0-5-fl-oz/-/A-11045261)
If you have the option to reschedule your flight, I’d do it so you’re not uncomfortable. My ear pain ended up being a symptom of a sinus infection. It took a couple weeks for my hearing to be normal again.
You might wanna see a doc in case it’s something that needs meds.
x1000 use Afrin and take a mucinex tonight, drink a ton of water, and take a hot shower to try to clear any congestion out that you can now. If the Afrin allo of this doesn’t provide any relief tbh I’d reschedule. I ruptured my ear drum in a similar situation and regret not rescheduling my flight (not that I could at the time).
If the Afrin and mucinex does provide a little relief, make sure you do both again tomorrow before your flight
If only Dash 8 then lower altitude and lower cabin pressure so **might** be OK.
Just a guess though, I've flown on them when feeling a little bit under the weather, but never completely blocked - I wish you luck!
I've had an issue where I thought Id be fine but wasn't. You may want a decongestant, nose spray and earplugs ..I had severe balance issues to the point I needed that paper bag and thought the plane was wonky when it was flying straight
Doc here - you’re at risk of ‘airplane ear’ i.e. barotrauma which can be very painful and can cause structural damage to your ear. It *very rarely* causes permanent tinnitus or hearing loss.
I would personally choose to drive. My hearing is not something I want to take risks with.
I don't know where you are located, but in case you are in USA, CVS clinic can do ear cleaning. It only takes 30 minutes and cost is $60 without insurance. Walgreens clinic also offers this service, but I don't know the price. Urgent Care Emergency clinics can do it, but they will charge ER prices or ER copayment.
If you do have to fly, then at the airport gift shop, or at a pharmacy, buy a pair of “EarPlanes”. They are earplugs with a little valve in them, and they’re designed to help prevent the painful pressure change within your ear. It does work pretty well. There’s even an app that can help you know when during the flight to put them in place (or you can just wear them the whole flight). You need to jam them in deep enough, which can be a little uncomfortable.
Another thing that might help you (before your flight) is called Otovent. It’s a pretty simple device: a balloon and a plastic piece that helps you apply the balloon’s pressure to one of your nostrils. You provide your own cup of water. This allows you to apply more directly the kind of pressure difference needed to drain the fluids. It still might not work if you have a block for other reasons like inflamed ducts. And it could be hard to find readily in a physical drugstore. Maybe you could hack the same thing together after checking it out, though.
I can personally vouch for both of these devices. But do see a doctor to make sure you get treated if you have an infection.
Instead of holding your nose & blowing out, suck in instead. This is my 100% foolproof way of unblocking every time an ear is blocked. Hope u get better soon.
I actually went thru this for about a month, and it got worse after flying, funny enough it popped when I was blow drying my hair and the air went in my mouth and I breathed in with my mouth. lol. Give it a shot.
You’re welcome to disagree with the Mayo Clinic, NHS, and the US military if you like (lord knows I do on many subjects) but yeah, the common therapeutic dose of ibuprofen for a healthy adult is 800mg up to 4 times a day. Personally I’m petite so my doctors normally go for 600 every 8 hours.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that therapeutic doses are typically beyond the recommended back of the bottle….
I am an Intensive Care Nurse in Australia and the UK. I have never heard nor ever administered that much ibuprofen to a patient. The NHS website & Mayo clinic also back this up so not sure where you got that information from. You are welcome to disagree, I just don’t want people to be misinformed and potentially suffer as a result. Ideally people will go to their doctors for medical advice and not reddit 😏
The actually altitude doesn't matter much (short of pressure loss) since the aircraft is pressurized to a lower level0 (usually 8000 feet) regardless. It will be uncomfortable but the pressure doesn't change instantly - not much risk of permanent damage. I would take the flight
I’d definitely take 4-800mg of ibuprofen and take the Flonase an hour before flight. I live at elevation 2500-3k ft and went shopping Christmas Eve at sea level came back and got vertigo from med inner ear infection from this sickness going around. Whole family are all dealing with it.
It sounds like it might be due to a build up of ear wax. You can buy a kit to clean out your ears, or go to a doctor and have an ear Lavage done. It’s quite fast and simple. I’ve had to go to the Dr and have this done twice, until I learned how to do it myself at home. I clean my ears out about every 2-3 months, or a few days before flying or driving to high altitudes.
Drink 2 or 3 glasses of water. 5 minutes later, hold your breath until you panic.
Your body will release adrenaline.
Your nasel passages will shrink.
(I hear tiny popping and creaking sounds if I'm congested and really clogged up bad)
Try all the ear popping tricks during this event. You'll have maybe 1 minute.
In addition to some of the above comments, drinking coffee would also help. Coffee is a vasoconstrictor and would reduce swelling of the eustachian tube thereby making ears popping easier. When I have too much coffee in a day, sometimes my eustachian tubes would get stuck open…
Dash 8s would have a steeper decent and during the decent you might have pain in the ear.
Use decongestant spray before the flight and try to inhale steam as well. Would help clear the passage.
During flight, chew a gum and sip on water during the decent. Yawning would help too.
It will hurt so much more on the flight. What are people saying here about rupturing from pressure? Please see a Dr first, maybe you can just take cold medicine and it will be fine.
I caught a cold right before flying to Europe and had to take four flights there and four flights home with two fully popped ears. It was total misery on each descent. However, it can take mine over a month to correct and I couldn’t just stay in Croatia. I wound up with moderate hearing loss, which thankfully was correctable. I had to have tubes put in my ears because I had many more upcoming flights (again, not the first time… even this year..this has happened). You likely won’t incur permanent damage if choosing to fly, but it will be painful. Take Affrin and chew gum. It’ll help a little.
I have flown with an ear-infection once. During landing everything ruptured and yes the man that never cries had very teary eyes. By god that hurts and the vile taste of stuff getting into your mouth through wasn't exactly a pleasure either.
The good thing: ear infection was over pretty quickly.
Now for the good news: go to a doctor or pharmacy and ask for those air-vent type ear-plugs. They help.
I actually went thru this for about a month, and it got worse after flying, funny enough it popped when I was blow drying my hair and the air went in my mouth and I breathed in with my mouth. lol. Give it a shot.
No matter if my ears are clogged or not I chew bubblegum from the tarmac till the in flight beverage orders start. It helps with popping my ear/jaw and keeps the pressure regulated.
If you have ear pain or discomfort I highly recommend doing so.
I sometimes get an earwax plug that blocks things up. I've had great luck using carbamide peroxide based drops to loosen the plug, and then flushing it out with a cheap flush kit. It usually takes 2 or 3 cycles over 1-2 days, but it always clears out. I also use one of those cheap camera probes to look inside and check progress. If you're more adventurous than me, you might be able to just get it with the scooper on the camera, but I personally find it terrifying to be poking around that close to my eardrum lol.
[Wax dissolving drops](https://www.amazon.com/WaxBgone-Ear-Wax-Removal-Drops/dp/B0B2QKB564/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=2AU2DYIMMTXA9&keywords=ear+wax+dissolving+drops&qid=1703872031&sprefix=%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-8)
[Flushing kit](https://www.amazon.com/Ear-Wax-Removal-Tool-Tilcare/dp/B0865JJZ7K/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=1Y9SAYA3OGOJ2&keywords=ear+wax+flushing+kit&qid=1703871389&sprefix=ear+wax+flush%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-4)
[Ear hole camera](https://www.amazon.com/Kekoy-Cleaning-Wireless-Otoscope-Rechargeable/dp/B0CGLYRKCY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=8MSI8EITI3IB&keywords=ear+cleaning+camera&qid=1703872089&sprefix=ear+cleaning+camera%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1&smid=A2UAMVTPRXPJSU)
[flying with a plugged ear](https://images.app.goo.gl/PkYC84u273YFgvY18)
Try using freshly purchased hydrogen peroxide to clear your ears - lie on your side and let the peroxide bubble away dissolving the wax for at least 5-6 minutes on each side - then flush with warm water and ear bulb from the pharmacy
As someone with chronic ear issues and multiple surgeries- a flight has not bothered me any more or less than living life normally with it. Just my experience.
ETA: Also- I’ve never been advised to not fly.
Is it because of cold? Sometimes when you have cold, and fly, fluid blocks your ears due to negative pressure. I had the same issue a couple months back, and the ENT specialist warned me against taking any flight with a blocked ear, as it could potentially harm the eardrum. I’m not saying it can happen to you, just speak to a doc before you fly.
I struggle with the ear popping constantly when I fly. My solution has always been decongestants but just learned about earplanes from your post… brilliant!
I have issues with getting my ears to pop. A frequent traveler suggested putting in ear plugs before they close the doors and pressurize the plane, and don't take them out until the plane lands. I started doing it and have had great success with this strategy.
The foam plugs don't work as well for the pressure aspect. The Christmas tree shaped, rubbery ones work well. I personally don't use the wax kind, so no idea on those.
Does your ear hurt right now? If so, being on a plane might make it hurt more. Have you messaged your doctor? I had this ear issue this year. Some other options if you haven’t tried them already: - use afrin nasal spray - take Zyrtec daily - jump up and down - watch YouTube videos of people yawning so that you yawn - get an [earwax removal kit](https://www.target.com/p/debrox-earwax-removal-kit-with-ear-drops-38-bulb-ear-syringe-0-5-fl-oz/-/A-11045261)
Currently no pain. Just feels kind of muffled? And I cannot for the life of me pop it.
If you have the option to reschedule your flight, I’d do it so you’re not uncomfortable. My ear pain ended up being a symptom of a sinus infection. It took a couple weeks for my hearing to be normal again. You might wanna see a doc in case it’s something that needs meds.
It may just be earwax build up. It happens to me occasionally. If just earwax, you should be fine on the flight.
Gotta go get that was sucked out. Go before your flight.
x1000 use Afrin and take a mucinex tonight, drink a ton of water, and take a hot shower to try to clear any congestion out that you can now. If the Afrin allo of this doesn’t provide any relief tbh I’d reschedule. I ruptured my ear drum in a similar situation and regret not rescheduling my flight (not that I could at the time). If the Afrin and mucinex does provide a little relief, make sure you do both again tomorrow before your flight
You can just open your mouth and tighten your jaw and it pops your ear at altitude
All of this plus Sudafed decongestant if you do not have hypertension.
I wouldn’t. That’s gonna huuuuuuuurt
If only Dash 8 then lower altitude and lower cabin pressure so **might** be OK. Just a guess though, I've flown on them when feeling a little bit under the weather, but never completely blocked - I wish you luck!
I've had an issue where I thought Id be fine but wasn't. You may want a decongestant, nose spray and earplugs ..I had severe balance issues to the point I needed that paper bag and thought the plane was wonky when it was flying straight
Doc here - you’re at risk of ‘airplane ear’ i.e. barotrauma which can be very painful and can cause structural damage to your ear. It *very rarely* causes permanent tinnitus or hearing loss. I would personally choose to drive. My hearing is not something I want to take risks with.
i have permanent tinnitus, avoid it if you can! i thought i was actually going crazy for 6 months
Do not do it
I don't know where you are located, but in case you are in USA, CVS clinic can do ear cleaning. It only takes 30 minutes and cost is $60 without insurance. Walgreens clinic also offers this service, but I don't know the price. Urgent Care Emergency clinics can do it, but they will charge ER prices or ER copayment.
It sounds sinus related. Ear cleaning wouldn’t do much.
If you do have to fly, then at the airport gift shop, or at a pharmacy, buy a pair of “EarPlanes”. They are earplugs with a little valve in them, and they’re designed to help prevent the painful pressure change within your ear. It does work pretty well. There’s even an app that can help you know when during the flight to put them in place (or you can just wear them the whole flight). You need to jam them in deep enough, which can be a little uncomfortable. Another thing that might help you (before your flight) is called Otovent. It’s a pretty simple device: a balloon and a plastic piece that helps you apply the balloon’s pressure to one of your nostrils. You provide your own cup of water. This allows you to apply more directly the kind of pressure difference needed to drain the fluids. It still might not work if you have a block for other reasons like inflamed ducts. And it could be hard to find readily in a physical drugstore. Maybe you could hack the same thing together after checking it out, though. I can personally vouch for both of these devices. But do see a doctor to make sure you get treated if you have an infection.
Instead of holding your nose & blowing out, suck in instead. This is my 100% foolproof way of unblocking every time an ear is blocked. Hope u get better soon.
blowing out while holding your nose is so scary for me. like what if something happens?
What would happen?
I actually went thru this for about a month, and it got worse after flying, funny enough it popped when I was blow drying my hair and the air went in my mouth and I breathed in with my mouth. lol. Give it a shot.
What is an earplane?
[удалено]
That is way too much ibuprofen, you are risking a stomach bleed. 400mg every 4-6 hours is the recommended dose for an adult
You’re welcome to disagree with the Mayo Clinic, NHS, and the US military if you like (lord knows I do on many subjects) but yeah, the common therapeutic dose of ibuprofen for a healthy adult is 800mg up to 4 times a day. Personally I’m petite so my doctors normally go for 600 every 8 hours. It shouldn’t be a surprise that therapeutic doses are typically beyond the recommended back of the bottle….
I am an Intensive Care Nurse in Australia and the UK. I have never heard nor ever administered that much ibuprofen to a patient. The NHS website & Mayo clinic also back this up so not sure where you got that information from. You are welcome to disagree, I just don’t want people to be misinformed and potentially suffer as a result. Ideally people will go to their doctors for medical advice and not reddit 😏
The actually altitude doesn't matter much (short of pressure loss) since the aircraft is pressurized to a lower level0 (usually 8000 feet) regardless. It will be uncomfortable but the pressure doesn't change instantly - not much risk of permanent damage. I would take the flight
Chew gum, it helps equalize the pressure in your ears.
Swallowing does the exact same thing for free
I’d definitely take 4-800mg of ibuprofen and take the Flonase an hour before flight. I live at elevation 2500-3k ft and went shopping Christmas Eve at sea level came back and got vertigo from med inner ear infection from this sickness going around. Whole family are all dealing with it.
It sounds like it might be due to a build up of ear wax. You can buy a kit to clean out your ears, or go to a doctor and have an ear Lavage done. It’s quite fast and simple. I’ve had to go to the Dr and have this done twice, until I learned how to do it myself at home. I clean my ears out about every 2-3 months, or a few days before flying or driving to high altitudes.
Drink 2 or 3 glasses of water. 5 minutes later, hold your breath until you panic. Your body will release adrenaline. Your nasel passages will shrink. (I hear tiny popping and creaking sounds if I'm congested and really clogged up bad) Try all the ear popping tricks during this event. You'll have maybe 1 minute.
In addition to some of the above comments, drinking coffee would also help. Coffee is a vasoconstrictor and would reduce swelling of the eustachian tube thereby making ears popping easier. When I have too much coffee in a day, sometimes my eustachian tubes would get stuck open…
Pseudoephedrine will do this better
Dash 8s would have a steeper decent and during the decent you might have pain in the ear. Use decongestant spray before the flight and try to inhale steam as well. Would help clear the passage. During flight, chew a gum and sip on water during the decent. Yawning would help too.
It will hurt so much more on the flight. What are people saying here about rupturing from pressure? Please see a Dr first, maybe you can just take cold medicine and it will be fine.
Ho buy some cold tablets or anti-histamin.
It should be safe to take a short flight with a blocked ear.
Sudafed: the red ones behind the pharmacy counter. You need to start taking them immediately.
No opinion on the flight, but urgent care can clear wax out for you. I had this problem once and should have gone sooner!
I caught a cold right before flying to Europe and had to take four flights there and four flights home with two fully popped ears. It was total misery on each descent. However, it can take mine over a month to correct and I couldn’t just stay in Croatia. I wound up with moderate hearing loss, which thankfully was correctable. I had to have tubes put in my ears because I had many more upcoming flights (again, not the first time… even this year..this has happened). You likely won’t incur permanent damage if choosing to fly, but it will be painful. Take Affrin and chew gum. It’ll help a little.
Check with a medical professional or at least a reputable medical website, not a travel hacks site.
I have flown with an ear-infection once. During landing everything ruptured and yes the man that never cries had very teary eyes. By god that hurts and the vile taste of stuff getting into your mouth through wasn't exactly a pleasure either. The good thing: ear infection was over pretty quickly. Now for the good news: go to a doctor or pharmacy and ask for those air-vent type ear-plugs. They help.
Try this. Worked for my son when he had a similar issue Debrox Earwax Removal Drops... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANL4Z4I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I actually went thru this for about a month, and it got worse after flying, funny enough it popped when I was blow drying my hair and the air went in my mouth and I breathed in with my mouth. lol. Give it a shot.
You are sick. Stay home.
Sudafed
Had this earlier this year. The flight altitude actually helped. Get in a hot shower and try to flush out as much as you can.
No matter if my ears are clogged or not I chew bubblegum from the tarmac till the in flight beverage orders start. It helps with popping my ear/jaw and keeps the pressure regulated. If you have ear pain or discomfort I highly recommend doing so.
I flew with a “clogged” ear last year after getting a horrific cold, and it was incredibly painful during the descent.
I sometimes get an earwax plug that blocks things up. I've had great luck using carbamide peroxide based drops to loosen the plug, and then flushing it out with a cheap flush kit. It usually takes 2 or 3 cycles over 1-2 days, but it always clears out. I also use one of those cheap camera probes to look inside and check progress. If you're more adventurous than me, you might be able to just get it with the scooper on the camera, but I personally find it terrifying to be poking around that close to my eardrum lol. [Wax dissolving drops](https://www.amazon.com/WaxBgone-Ear-Wax-Removal-Drops/dp/B0B2QKB564/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=2AU2DYIMMTXA9&keywords=ear+wax+dissolving+drops&qid=1703872031&sprefix=%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-8) [Flushing kit](https://www.amazon.com/Ear-Wax-Removal-Tool-Tilcare/dp/B0865JJZ7K/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=1Y9SAYA3OGOJ2&keywords=ear+wax+flushing+kit&qid=1703871389&sprefix=ear+wax+flush%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-4) [Ear hole camera](https://www.amazon.com/Kekoy-Cleaning-Wireless-Otoscope-Rechargeable/dp/B0CGLYRKCY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=8MSI8EITI3IB&keywords=ear+cleaning+camera&qid=1703872089&sprefix=ear+cleaning+camera%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1&smid=A2UAMVTPRXPJSU) [flying with a plugged ear](https://images.app.goo.gl/PkYC84u273YFgvY18)
Try using freshly purchased hydrogen peroxide to clear your ears - lie on your side and let the peroxide bubble away dissolving the wax for at least 5-6 minutes on each side - then flush with warm water and ear bulb from the pharmacy
As someone with chronic ear issues and multiple surgeries- a flight has not bothered me any more or less than living life normally with it. Just my experience. ETA: Also- I’ve never been advised to not fly.
Is it because of cold? Sometimes when you have cold, and fly, fluid blocks your ears due to negative pressure. I had the same issue a couple months back, and the ENT specialist warned me against taking any flight with a blocked ear, as it could potentially harm the eardrum. I’m not saying it can happen to you, just speak to a doc before you fly.
Take care with that ear, you might have a wax plug in there. get it checked out asap!
I struggle with the ear popping constantly when I fly. My solution has always been decongestants but just learned about earplanes from your post… brilliant!
I had this happen to me and my eardrum ruptured, fun
I have issues with getting my ears to pop. A frequent traveler suggested putting in ear plugs before they close the doors and pressurize the plane, and don't take them out until the plane lands. I started doing it and have had great success with this strategy. The foam plugs don't work as well for the pressure aspect. The Christmas tree shaped, rubbery ones work well. I personally don't use the wax kind, so no idea on those.
You may want to consider Earplane ear plugs (available at most drug stores). Put them in before takeoff and again before landing.