The holidays are just around the corner and many have already booked their vacation for a long time. More than 50 million Germans travel by plane every year.
The euphoria usually increases immeasurably shortly before the trip, your last vacation was too long ago – and zap, just before you start your trip you catch a big cold. And now?
In spite of having dandruff, coughing and earache, a flight would actually still be possible. However, there are a few rules that you should follow at an altitude of 10,000 kilometers.
Change in pressure in the aircraft
Anyone who flies an airplane is within a few minutes at an altitude of several kilometers above the surface of the earth. During the flight there is a low oxygen pressure, it is comparable to 2400 meters above sea level on earth.
As a passenger, you usually don’t notice anything – the only sign of the rapid change in altitude is a slight pressure on your ears. While in healthy people the pressure equalization usually takes place passively and completely alone, air travelers with a cold have to actively do something about it.
Support the pressure equalization
Even with a slight infection it can happen that the eustachian tube swells up and closes as a result. If you have a slight cold, the pressure equalization no longer works regularly, but only two or three times a day.
Against the typical pressure on the ears – especially when taking off and landing – frequent swallowing can help. Chewing gum to chew and sweet sucking also supports pressure equalization through frequent chewing and sucking movements.
Blowing out also helps: you hold your nose and try to exhale through it at the same time. This opens the eustachian tube and a slight crack in the ear indicates that the pressure equalization was successful.
Use nasal spray
Anyone who notices that they can no longer equalize pressure due to a cold, but will have to fly in the near future, can prepare. ENT experts recommend the combination of decongestant and cortisone-containing nasal sprays. These should be used about 30 minutes before departure and, on long flights, half an hour before landing.
Drops work better than Nasal spraysbecause they flow into the pharynx to the eustachian tube and their decongestant effect can be better used there. In addition, during the Drink a lot in flightto keep the mucous membranes moist.
Incidentally, the length of the flight is not decisive, as the plane usually remains at the same altitude during the flight. This means that the pressure on the ear no longer changes. However, the burden on long-distance flights could still be higher if there are intermediate stops and thus several take-offs and landings.
This is what you should do if you have pain after the flight
Who flew with a cold and also after the flight severe earache should consult a doctor. This is especially true if the pain has not subsided after two days. A doctor should also be consulted if hearing is difficult after the flight.
Refrain from flying if you have a severe cold
Anyone who has severe swelling of the ear trumpet, for example in the course of an otitis media, is not advised to travel by plane. If the pressure equalization does not work, the time in the plane can become a torture.
Very strong ears and headache during take-off and landing are the result. For this reason, it is better to avoid traveling by plane. In the worst case scenario, it may even cause bleeding or one Torn eardrum come.
Children in particular suffer extremely from the pain. The ear trumpets swell up faster in young children because they are narrower than in adults.