Is it safe to fly with clogged ears?

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.



Flying with severely clogged ears or a heavy cold is potentially dangerous and should be avoided if possible. The risk lies in Ear Barotrauma, which occurs when the Eustachian tube is blocked (usually by mucus or inflammation) and cannot equalize the pressure between the middle ear and the airplane cabin during takeoff and landing. This can lead to intense pain, dizziness, and in severe cases, a ruptured eardrum or permanent hearing loss. If your ears feel "full" or you can't hear well before you even board, the rapid pressure changes during descent can cause the eardrum to bulge or bleed. If you absolutely must fly, doctors recommend using a strong nasal decongestant spray 30 minutes before descent and using the "EarPlanes" pressure-filtering earplugs. However, the safest course of action is to delay your flight until the congestion has cleared to prevent a painful and potentially long-lasting medical complication that could ruin your trip.

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Should your ears “plug up” when taking off, hold your nose and swallow. This will help suck excess air pressure out of the middle ear. 45 minutes before the aircraft is due to land again use the nasal spray every five minutes for 15 minutes. Chew gum to stimulate swallowing and opening of the eustachian tube.

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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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They reduce pressure buildup in your ears and can ease your pain as the pilot takes the plane in for a landing. If you plan on travelling off for a sunny vacation this summer and suffer from ear pain on long flights, your hearing solutions experts in Calgary recommend you use airplane earplugs.

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Wax Removal Prior to Flying: Wax accumulation can cause blocked ears when flying. This is because a build-up of wax aids in additional pressure within the ear canal, and consequently in the eustachian tube, which causes pain.

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Changes in air pressure during flying can cause ear-drum pain and perforation, vertigo, and hearing loss. It has been estimated that 10% of adults and 22% of children might have changes to the ear drum after a flight, although perforation is rare.

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Slow down the pressure changes using Ear Plane Ear plugs. You can purchase these from pharmacies; For severe and permanent eustachian tube dysfunction, have middle ear ventilation tubes inserted before the flight.

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Many symptoms ease as soon as your eustachian tubes can manage air or water pressure changes. In some cases, you may need medication to manage congestion or inflammation. In that case, it may be a few days before your ears feel normal.

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Can a patient have irrigation prior to flying? Yes, flying is not a contraindication to ear irrigation. Once the wax has been removed, you should advise the patient to keep their ears dry for 2-3 days to allow the ear canal to produce more wax, which is its natural protection.

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Sit away from the engine.
Seats in the front rows are farthest away from the engine and therefore better for your hearing. However, if you have to sit farther back in the plane, choose an aisle seat as they are several decibels quieter than window seats.

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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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