I had a cold last week and I needed to take a flight. At one point during the flight my head felt like it was going to explode due to the pressure and I did the trick of holding my nose, closing my mouth and blowing. Unfortunately from what I have since read, I blew as hard as I could...way beyond the recommeded 'gentle' level recommended. My flight was over a week ago and my cold has mostly gone away, but it feels like my ears are constantly popping. I have tried gum, yawning, a decongestant (Day-Quil), trying to flush it out in the shower and nothing has seemed to help. Should I contact my doctor? I am not sure if I am being paranoid or if I actually caused damage to my ear.
2007-01-23 03:24:20 · 8 answers · asked by pmd1426 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
I've been flying for years and it is really hard to damage your ears with the pinching the nose thing. The popping you are having now is really nothing and once your sinuses completely clear up it will go away. And of course if you still have this problem in a few days go to the doctor as it can't hurt to do so.
Next time you fly start chewing gum before the plane takes off. But here's the thing. As the plane leaves the runway start doing the nose pinch thing here and ther even if you don't feel pressure. That way when there is any pressure differential you will clear it. It is easier to clear it then rather than waiting when you are all the way up and you have lots of pressure to clear.
And whatever you do stay away from those earplugs the other answerer mentioned. They don't work and have been shown to do more harm than good in some cases. Studies show people get them, their ears clear naturally and then they think it's the plugs. Total ripoff.
2007-01-23 03:42:48 · answer #1 · answered by jackson 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you have fluid in your ea which is most likely being caused by an ear infection. You need to go to a doctor so they can help figure out what caused the infection so they can treat you and get rid of it. If you have allergies and you go to the doctor they will probably attribute it to allergies and put you on zyrtec. The zyrtec will reduce allergy related symptoms, such as fluid in the ear. My guess is, however, you have a regular old EAR INFECTION. Your ear may not hurt or ache, symptoms which are commonly associated with ear infections, but symptoms vary from person to person. Some people have no sypmtoms and don't even know anything is wrong until the doctor informs them what is going on. If you do not have allergies, the doctor will probably give you tetracycline or something close to it. TETRACYCLINE is for infections of all kinds, ranging from ear infections to urinary tract infections. As the tetracyline clears the infection, the fluid will drain from your ear and your hearing should return to normal. If you have been experiencing any other kinds of problems, as unrelated as it may seem to this issue, make sure to tell a doctor to ensure a proper diagnoses of the problem. If the problem persists after the doctor has diagnosed you and after you have finished your treatment (i.e. when you finish all the tetracycline or zyrtec), make sure to contact your doctor again and schedule another appointment. I hope that helped clear up your concerns!
2007-01-23 03:55:44 · answer #2 · answered by Just Plain Old Me 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's probably just fluid in your ears left over from your cold. It will go away, but it does take a long time and it's very annoying. There really isn't anything to be done unless you have pain in your ears which might signal an infection.
In the future, you might want to try a product like EarPlanes, which are ear plugs. They help keep your ears from popping.
2007-01-23 03:27:50 · answer #3 · answered by leaptad 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
probably didn't damage your ear, but you should call your doctor since it seems like this is going on too long. The shower may have made it worse since you may now have water trapped in your ear. A gentle warm air from a hair dryer may help that, but still call the doctor.
2007-01-23 03:29:11 · answer #4 · answered by Signilda 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they don't clear immediately with careful ear inflation (Valsalva), the feeling of blockage is due to pressure changes in the inner ear, most likely Meniere Spectrum Disorder. They are best left to clear up on their own.
2016-03-28 22:43:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would take some sudafed for a couple days and if it doesn't help clear the fluid out of your ear canals, then I'd go to a doctor.
2007-01-28 16:56:28 · answer #6 · answered by RobynGee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
put some warm olive oil in your ear.
saline your nose
get some camphor chapstick and rub behind your ears.
2007-01-23 03:56:19 · answer #7 · answered by sunflare63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yawn! (3 times)
2007-01-23 03:26:55 · answer #8 · answered by csyniqal 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋