Clogged Ear after air flight while having an URI

[denise2]

PLEASE can you help, I am being driven crazy by my right ear being clogged & hearing difficulty, for the past 4 days!

I thought I was at the tail end of an upper resp. infection when I had to go on a trip; THe trip there resulted in my right ear being clogged for 2 days. Began to feel more ill while away, went to a walk in clinic while in Woodstock NY; Doc said I had broncitis(sp?)and possibly the start of a sinus infection, was given a Z pak, cough syrup, and told to take Sudafed for sinus allergies(w/ decongestant). Started to feel better when it was time to return home. My ears clogged, became painful during flight(esp. landing). Left ear cleared by 90%, but my right ear(again)stayed clogged, this is the 4th day of this, going on to day 5.
I am having problems with finding an ENT w/out waiting a week or 2. Is there something I can do to help my ear, should I continue to use sudafed, or a nose spray?? Please help, I'm starting to feel panic-ey, like a panic attack coming on.

Thank you in advance for your time & any help you can provide.

-Denise2

[tcady]

A related discussion, Clogged Ear Remedy? was started.

[CaptnRon]

As a pilot, now with real problems Equalizing from flights I can talk with some degree of experience.

You know it is getting bad when parts of your toungue go numb.

If your sinuses are swollen, decongestants will only offer mild relief, sprays as recomended will also help, non are fool proof. Tell you Flight staff, often they can help. It's worth it.

Some help I have found works for me:
   1. When expecting trouble start medication a day before you fly
   2. Hot fluids, like tea, minimum milk, drink slowly, breathing in the moist steam from the cup.
   3. Try tilting your head back, turn head to one side, force a deep dpwn yawn and stress the chin/jaw muscles. Do it to the other side. Give preference to the side you turn away from the bad ear. It helps straighten the Eustation tube.
   4. With 3 above I find slightly massaging the hollow under and below the ear can also assist.
   5. Some people find Pinching the nose and blowing helps. You risk more overpressure as the E-Tube can run like a check valve and keep the extra pressure that does get in, trapped.

Hope this helps.

I don't fly now because of this. Maybe I will ask for help too.  
:D

[National Jewish]

A decongestant like Sudafed

[Concerned lady]

I can relate to how uncomfortable that clogged-ear feeling can be!

Here's something (non-invasive) that helped me, when I had something similar. You can call your ENT, first, to ask if this would be OK:

Take a cotton terry-cloth wash cloth (or small towell), and wet it thoroughly, with very warm (not too hot) water. Quickly, wring out the wash cloth. (Wringing out the wash cloth will prevent water from getting inside your ear.) Hold the very warm, moist wash cloth against the outside of your ear, until the wash cloth cools off. Repeat this, several times, to provide moist heat to your ear, for a few minutes.

This seemed to help me, each time I did this, temporarily.

Call your ENT, and ask if it would be OK to continue using the Pseudophed, to help open up your Eustachian tubes.

I suggest you call your ENT to see if you can get in sooner, due to a cancellation of another patient.

If you want to compare notes, you can email me at ***@****.

Sincerely, Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[Concerned lady]

I forgot to mention, that you can fold the wash cloth, to make it thicker, so that the heat will last longer, each time you apply the moist heat to your ear.