Why Flying With a Sinus Infection Hurts. First, if you're sick, and especially if you're coughing, you probably shouldn't be flying. Not only is it better for you to stay home and rest, it's also better to keep from spreading your illness to others.
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Avoid overuse, however, because nasal sprays taken over three to four days can increase congestion. Use decongestant pills cautiously. Decongestants taken by mouth might help if taken 30 minutes to an hour before an airplane flight.
If you fly with a head cold or seasonal allergies, Dr. Pinkston said it's possible you may significantly stretch your eardrum because your Eustachian tubes wouldn't be working properly to equalize pressure. If the stretching of the eardrum is considerable, these problems may occur: Capillaries in the ear break.
What causes sinus pain while flying? The body reacts to changes in pressure, and pressure changes several times during the course of a flight. When pressure changes quickly, your ears and sinuses must adjust fast to avoid additional pressure and pain from building up to an intolerable level.
With a doctor's approval, adults can take a decongestant. “If it's a short flight, take it [the decongestant] before leaving,” House says. If it's a long flight, eight hours or so, you might take it an hour or so before the scheduled landing.
Use saline nasal spray before and after the flight. The plane air is so dry and that dries out your mucus membranes, which reduces your resistance to infection, but keeping these membranes moist with saline spray may help.