A related discussion,
Clogged Ear Remedy? was started.
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
A decongestant like Sudafed
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
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.