So yesterday I went flying home for Thanksgiving on a 4 hour flight. I sat in the back of the airplane, and wore a pair of tight fitting earplugs that make a reasonable suction when you push them in far enough into the canal. I have used these same earplugs every time I have flown with no problems resulting from use.
What usually happens is that during the ascent, my ears do pop and release pressure behind my earplugs to let the air out. This time this did not happen, although I occasionally temporary removed my earplugs and swallowed to equalize the pressure.
My hearing and T seemed to be fine up through the first half of the flight. As always, my tinnitus gets worse whenever I use earplugs, but this time it just gradually built throughout the flight and was screaming at the end, absolutely screaming! (8/10), particularly in the left ear. My hearing also noticeably decreased in my left and right ear during the flight and I could not hear myself breathing as loudly after a while.
When I landed and took my plugs out, holy crap I was sooo dizzy and vertigo afflicted, with very loud crackling tinnitus in both ears. I also had lost a cookie bite's worth of hearing gone, especially in the left ear, and my own voice sounded like static when I tried to pronounce high pitched consonants like s and th. About a half hour later, when trying to speak, my head felt like it was going to explode, and I became so faint that I almost passed out multiple times.
I suspect that I suffered from middle ear barotrauma, and that my Eustachian tube had also been impacted significantly from the flight so that I had a very clogged feeling. But could I have also suffered inner ear barotrauma? I am really scared that wearing my earplugs so tight on the plane was not the best choice...
As an update, my hearing has come back completely in my right ear with tinnitus greatly reduced. The left ear has also partially recovered, but I feel as if I have still had some losses in the upper middle and lower high frequencies. Cannot tell in the very high frequencies.
Also, the left ear has had numerous problems already, with a lot of tinnitus, more rapid hearing loss, and a feeling of constant fullness, so I am not surprised that it was affected.
What usually happens is that during the ascent, my ears do pop and release pressure behind my earplugs to let the air out. This time this did not happen, although I occasionally temporary removed my earplugs and swallowed to equalize the pressure.
My hearing and T seemed to be fine up through the first half of the flight. As always, my tinnitus gets worse whenever I use earplugs, but this time it just gradually built throughout the flight and was screaming at the end, absolutely screaming! (8/10), particularly in the left ear. My hearing also noticeably decreased in my left and right ear during the flight and I could not hear myself breathing as loudly after a while.
When I landed and took my plugs out, holy crap I was sooo dizzy and vertigo afflicted, with very loud crackling tinnitus in both ears. I also had lost a cookie bite's worth of hearing gone, especially in the left ear, and my own voice sounded like static when I tried to pronounce high pitched consonants like s and th. About a half hour later, when trying to speak, my head felt like it was going to explode, and I became so faint that I almost passed out multiple times.
I suspect that I suffered from middle ear barotrauma, and that my Eustachian tube had also been impacted significantly from the flight so that I had a very clogged feeling. But could I have also suffered inner ear barotrauma? I am really scared that wearing my earplugs so tight on the plane was not the best choice...
As an update, my hearing has come back completely in my right ear with tinnitus greatly reduced. The left ear has also partially recovered, but I feel as if I have still had some losses in the upper middle and lower high frequencies. Cannot tell in the very high frequencies.
Also, the left ear has had numerous problems already, with a lot of tinnitus, more rapid hearing loss, and a feeling of constant fullness, so I am not surprised that it was affected.
Member
. Following some advice I found on here I chewed gum during ascent and descscent and was fine on the return journey to London. I arrived in Miami from London on Monday and again no problems, I've come to the conclusion T is a very contrary customer and a complete law unto itself. Hope you are managing to have a great day, Happy Thanksgiving.
