Hey all, I am back from my board break. How is everyone?
I was very worried about flying after I developed tinnitus, as my tinnitus came from barotrauma that occured on a Transatlantic plane flight. First rule of flying: Never, EVER fly when you have a severe cold or congestion.
So I am pasting in below an extensive post I did earlier this year, regarding a procedure I put together for me with my doctor for flying. I have flown twice since. No problems when I followed this plan. They were, however, both non-stop flights. In general, when planning a long trip, the fewer descents you have to make, the better. I am willing to pay more now for non-stops. The below post also includes a link to a long flying thread on TT.
@iAzra: I noticed you have posted on this topic before. In a nutshell, Earplanes don't really protect you much from noise. And yes planes are loud in the cabin. I measured it on my last flight and it was above 90 db (not that my cell phone decibel meter is the best, but still. Confirms what many others have said about plane noise). That 90 db wouldn't be so bad except you are sitting in the plane for hours. But foam plugs can cause problems on the ascent and descent (most descent) because of pressure changes. This is particularly true if you are sensitive to pressure or have eustachian tube problems.
So: Use the Earplanes on the ascent if you have tricky ears, and definitely use them on the descent. DO NOT use regular plugs in on descent, even if you don't have Earplanes. Read the below post completely, which talks about when you need to take them out and put them in. When you get to cruising altitude, take out the Earplanes and put in regular plugs. I use noise cancelling headphones as well. You also could use noise cancelling headphones on ascent and descent, if you want.
Also: In the States, you can buy Earplanes in just about any drugstore, no need to order. You can even get them at airports, although I would go prepared.
And I took a recent trip to the North Carolina -- and found Earplanes are great for car trips when you are driving up and down mountains. My ears have become much more sensitive to pressure since T.
Good luck! Sorry for the long post but hope it is helpful.
FYI: I mention below getting an E.tube function test before flying. I did not do this the second time I flew, but I did see my ENT a few days before my flight. He said the test was not necessary because my sinuses appeared clear and I had not been having any cold or allergy symptoms. So I was fine without doing the test. But if I thought I had a cold or sinus infection, I would have insisted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the rest of my original post:
There is an extensive thread already here at TT on flying:
Flying: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/flying-tinnitus.1001/page-2#post-21420
FYI: I flew recently and was scared witless, given I got tinnitus through barotrauma on a long flight. Robert Fahey, on this thread, gives a great piece of advice that I followed: Keep your mouth WIDE open during the descent, as it forces open your eustachian tubes. Yeah, you look pretty silly. You can explain what is happening to the person sitting next to you or not.
Also: I went to the ENT a week before my flight and had both my E.tube function and my sinuses checked, to make sure I didn't have a hidden infection. I then dried my head out completely with Sudafed (decongestant) beginning 36 hours in advance. Dose yourself per directions on the package (I took one pill every 12 hours). Then, I used Afrin nasal spray about 30 minutes before take off and again as descent began.
And: I used Earplanes plugs, as someone else here suggested. Follow the directions on the box; read them in advance. You take the Earplanes out when you reach cruising altitude and then can pop in foam plugs or use noise cancelling headphones to cut the noise from the plane. Put the plugs back in about 30 minutes/one hour before descent. Again, follow directions on the box. However, I think it did say to put them in an hour before descent, which doesn't make sense on a short flight. My flight was two hours and I put them in about 30-40 minutes before descent.
Do not take the Earplanes out until the plane lands, is at the gate and the cabin door is opened, which is when the plane will completely equalize. Don't freak out if your ears hurt while the Earplanes are in... they are just a little uncomfortable. If you have small ear canals, like I do, buy the ones for kids.
Finally, if you really are freaked out about flying, consider asking your doctor for just a couple anti-anxiety meds to calm you down. A .25 mg Xanax did it for me; it's not enough to knock you out and asking for only two pills, one for the flight over and one back, should not cause the physician any worries. Or you, for that matter. Or if you are a natural meds person, find a natural relaxing supplement.
By the way: The above routine might be more than you need if you are not pressure sensitive, as I am. But I will tell you it worked for me.
Member
