Should a Person with Ear Infection or Cold Fly in an Airplane?
Should a Person With an Ear Infection, Sinusitis or a Cold Fly in an Airplane?
As a general rule flying with an ear infection, a cold, certain allergies or sinusitis is NOT a good idea. This is because the pressure in an airplane changes with altitude changes. Ascending and descending result in pressure changes that are manifested in your ear. If the tube that connects your middle ear with your throat, the eustachian tube, is blocked than the pressure on either side of your eardrum can't equalize and the potential exists for ear pain, possibly severe pain or even rupture of the eardrum.
The Parts of the Ear and the Tube That Gets Blocked
If you buy a light for looking into the ear, an otoscope, and look into someone's ear, you will see a long narrow chamber or tunnel. That's the outer ear canal. The disc like membrane you see at the end of the tunnel is the ear drum, the tympanic membrane. Behind the eardrum , is another chamber, the middle ear. In order for you to hear normally, the ear drum has to be able to vibrate like the membrane on a drum. If there is something, such as fluid pushing on the ear drum from the inside than it can't vibrate properly and you don't hear as well.There is a long tube that connects to the middle ear, the eustachian tube. To hear well and for the ear to function correctly the eustachian tube needs to be open so fluid can drain from the middle ear. People with ear infections, colds and some allergies may have that tube blocked. If it's blocked the fluid builds up in the middle ear.
and you may want to look at this interesting article for doctors that appeared several years ago
Obviously, the thing to do when you have a cold, ear infection or ear problem is SEE YOUR DOCTOR. Ask your doctor about steps such as
