Does flying while sick hurt your ears?

“If you've got inflammation blocking your means of equalizing the pressure, that's going to hurt,” he said. That pain can continue even after your flight as inflammation prevents the pressure from equalizing, Adalja added. It can also lead to trouble hearing, vertigo, and in rare cases, damage to the eardrum, Wu said.



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Avoid flying when sick The common cold and other upper respiratory tract infections that cause congestion and ear infection are risk factors for airplane ear. If a person can avoid traveling during this time, it may help prevent ear pain.

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If your ears feel full and blocked or you keep getting the sensation that they aren't able to pop properly, then flying is probably going to make this worse. It is especially important for children to avoid flying with an ear infection as they are at higher risk due to having narrower Eustachian tubes.

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It is recommended that if you have a cold that you do not fly; this should be enforced by airlines in the case of aircrew, and aircrew are required to self-report any symptoms of cold, flu, or similar.

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If possible, don't fly when you have a cold, a sinus infection, nasal congestion or an ear infection. If you've recently had ear surgery, talk to your doctor about when it's safe to travel. Use an over-the-counter nasal spray.

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If you have sinus pressure during flights then you should bring along a decongestant spray (Oxymetazoline or Phenylephrine), found in the nasal aisle at the drug store, and use it approximately one hour before a flight of any duration.

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Ear barotrauma can happen more frequently if you have congestion from a cold or allergies. Congestion may block or inflame your eustachian tubes, making it even harder for them to manage air pressure changes.

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If you start to notice this pressure building, you can try some of these strategies:
  1. Take an antihistamine if needed before your flight. ...
  2. Yawn or swallow during takeoff.
  3. Try chewing a piece of gum or candy during takeoff, if yawning and swallowing don't work for you.


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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.

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In order to maximize the ability of the eustachian tube and sinus passageways to work, we will give you a few helpful hints: Spray Afrin nasal decongestant spray twice into each nostril one hour prior to flying. Begin taking a decongestant, like Sudafed, one hour before the flight.

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It's important to check with your doctor before you fly whether it's safe for you to travel. If you have a flare-up of your condition, with increased cough, sputum and breathlessness, your doctor may well recommend delaying travel until your symptoms are back to their normal level.

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The window seat is much noisier. Not only are you getting the sound blast from the jet engines and propellers, but there's also the rushing air from outside. The best place to sit is toward the front of the plane, anywhere past the wings. This will give your ears the best chance of protection.

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