Pain in the Ear(s)

There are few worse things than flying while you are sick. If you have any sort of sinus related issue, it just gets more horrible. Then there's having an ear infection while flying. It's just not fun.

I have been flying quite often as of late, and in one week, I was on a plane five different times. Four of those times, I also suffered from an ear infection. The pain was awful. In addition to the pain, my ears were completely stuffed up and everything was muffled. This lasted for two and a half days. I was beyond uncomfortable, and really bothered by my hearing.

On the day of my fifth flight, I could hear a little better, and there was significantly less pain, but I was highly worried about flying again. Luckily, I had read somewhere online about special ear plugs that you can purchase for about $7 at the airport.

This was the best $7 I have ever spent. This got me a pair of special ear plugs, known asnEarPlanes.

While I could still feel a change in pressure, my discomfort was significantly less, and my plugged up ears didn't fill up even more. I followed the directions on the box, and since my flight was only one hour, I put them in just before takeoff, and kept them in until after we landed and the cabin door opened.

I just wonder why my doctor didn't tell me about the EarPlanes. She knew I was flying, and all she recommended was that I take Sudafed (to help dry up the fluid) and Motrin (for the pain) 30 to 45 minutes before my flight.