Flying really congested?

[manlymatt83]

I was sick last week and was supposed to fly home on Wednesday. I'm feeling better in the sense that I really just have a bad cold now. It's now Sunday and I've been waiting for it to go away, but it hasn't, and I really need to get home.

I'm pretty congested -- one nostril entirely blocked, the other mostly blocked, and my ears are pretty blocked as well. I read that if you fly congested you can damage your hearing, but I don't know what else to do.... I'm not really coughing anymore or anything like that.

Someone mentioned ear planes. Do they work well? Any other suggestions? Is it that easy to pop an eardrum flying? Anyone here fly congested?

 

[deadlyapp]

I've done it once and it was excruciating. My ears didn't pop until a few days later.

 

[manlymatt83]

I've done it once and it was excruciating. My ears didn't pop until a few days later.

How congested were you?

 

[eldorado99]

just take the train man. If it's for work get a note from the doctor.

 

[deadlyapp]

How congested were you?

pretty bad. I flew down to texas with a cold starting up and then flew out with it in full swing. I hadn't been getting any sleep because I couldn't breathe.

 

[Kadarin]

You should *really* get some decongestants and antihistamines first. Deadlyapp is right; it will be excruciating.

 

[chin311]

Yeah, I traveled once really congested when I was in my teens and didn't think twice about it. MISTAKE. The pain was brutal after take off and before landing.

I'd find an alternative, wait until it lightens up, or see if you can drug yourself through it.

Good luck

 

[EagleKeeper]

congestion reduces the flow canals for air in your ears/nose.

Pressure changing means no equilibrium of pressure from inside the head to the outside.

Until the pressure bleeds to equalize, you will suffer!

 

[HardcoreRobot]

ive only had sinus pain flying once, but i think it can be attributed to damaging them while diving a few days prior.

i know it can be painful, but id probably pop some BTC sudafed and roll the dice