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View Full Version : Question for Cableforums Resident Doc Salu!


TheBlueRaja
11-04-2006, 14:19
Hi Salu,
Im beginning to feel a bit like a hypochondriact here, but i wanted to ask you something.

I fly quite a bit and when i do on rare occasions i get a massive pain in my forhead around my sinusses as we come back in for landing (its preassure related as my ears feel like they need popping at the same time). It feels like it originates at the top of my nose and then spreads out over the top of my eyes and its really painful.

I was flying back home last night after a short flight when i felt it again as we started to decend. It feels like the back of my nose is going to explode and my eyes start to water, it feels like if i was to put preassure to the sides of the bridge of my nose at this point that something really nasty would happen. I wouldnt have been surprised if something had burst in the back of my nose and blood went everywhere. (Although it didnt).

As i decend i have got into the habit of holding my nose and blowing air into it to clear and repressurise my ears, which up until now has helped. This has happened once before a good while ago and it was worse that time, i remeber the pain vividly and was on the brink of asking for an attandant to ask to take the plane back up. (Yup i was that desperate) - That hurt like hell and this time it wasnt as bad but what the hell is causing this.

I still have a dull pain today above my eyes but that is faiding.

I think i may have an inner ear problem at the moment, i say that because i have had what feels like a small fluttering in my ear for a few days and i was going to go to the doc about it. I add this as it could be related but im not sure. No balance issue or anything like that though.

I did goto the doc after this happned for the first time but he was no help and i cant even remember what he said.

Any suggestions (other than dont fly?) ;)

Thanks

Derek
11-04-2006, 14:28
My mum had something similar happening to her a few years back.

I'm pretty sure her Doc said it was sinus related. On one flight she heard a 'pop' during landing and since then she has been OK. I'll check and see if she was given anything for it or told just to do the usual ear blowing, swallowing thing.

Taf
11-04-2006, 14:29
Sinus blockage or glue ear perhaps?

I used Sudafed in the RAF to clear me up for a flight... luckily the non-drowsy formula had just arrived!

Chewing gum also helped me keep the eustachian tubes clear (they connect the middle ear to the back of the throat, allowing pressure equalisation). Mentholated gum worked best....

MovedGoalPosts
11-04-2006, 14:31
OK, I'm not a doctor, but I see a similar effect from time to time amongst Scuba Divers. Some days your sinuses are just so gummed up, especially if you have an infection that the pressure changes (pressure inside a plane increases as you get closer to the land) can't equalise inside your head. It's not something that can be forced, and the pain is typically unbearable. That you say you have an inner ear infection, suggests this diagnosis.

TheBlueRaja
11-04-2006, 14:33
Im thinking its is a blockage, but holding my nose and blowing seemed to clear the preassure on my ears during the decent, only the pain remained and did not ease!

---------- Post added at 13:33 ---------- Previous post was at 13:32 ----------

OK, I'm not a doctor, but I see a similar effect from time to time amongst Scuba Divers. Some days your sinuses are just so gummed up, especially if you have an infection that the pressure changes (pressure inside a plane increases as you get closer to the land) can't equalise inside your head. It's not something that can be forced, and the pain is typically unbearable. That you say you have an inner ear infection, suggests this diagnosis.

I would agree, but im no Doc, which is why i asked the man who is! :p:

I dont want to think what it must be like to have the bends.

Ramrod
11-04-2006, 14:34
My bet would be on your sinuses as well.......

bopdude
11-04-2006, 15:29
Im thinking its is a blockage, but holding my nose and blowing seemed to clear the preassure on my ears during the decent, only the pain remained and did not ease!

---------- Post added at 13:33 ---------- Previous post was at 13:32 ----------

OK, I'm not a doctor, but I see a similar effect from time to time amongst Scuba Divers. Some days your sinuses are just so gummed up, especially if you have an infection that the pressure changes (pressure inside a plane increases as you get closer to the land) can't equalise inside your head. It's not something that can be forced, and the pain is typically unbearable. That you say you have an inner ear infection, suggests this diagnosis.
I would agree, but im no Doc, which is why i asked the man who is! :p:

I dont want to think what it must be like to have the bends.
I used to get exactly the same thing when diving in ( typically ) summer with hayfever symptons, I couldn't clear one ear so had to stay put at the depth until I could ( if I could ) I would go with the croud here and say, 1 no doctor & 2 sinuses

Salu
12-04-2006, 11:32
I does sound more like a pressure equalisation problem more than a sinus one. There is a recognised condition called eustachian tube dysfunction which could cause your symptoms.
Tell me a bit more about your history...

Do you have any other ear problems, childhood history of glue ear or frequent infections?
Any other medical problems?
Do you have any allergies? Hayfever, allergic rhinitis?
Have you had a sore throat or cold recently?
Do you smoke?
Do you suffer from "indigestion" (gastro oesophageal reflux)
What is the ratio to you suffering from this when you fly to when you don't? in other words how many times have you flown compared to how many times have you had this problem?

Sudafed might be of help if the problem was infrequent but you shouldn't take it everytime you fly, if you fly regularly as you could make the problem worse as it has a rebound effect, meaning it can worsen the problem if you over use it.
It would be worth someone looking in your ears but ETD in isolation would not be seen on otoscopy.

TheBlueRaja
12-04-2006, 23:38
Thanks Salu,

Do you have any other ear problems, childhood history of glue ear or frequent infections?

No

Any other medical problems?
High Blood preassure

Do you have any allergies? Hayfever, allergic rhinitis?
Nope

Have you had a sore throat or cold recently?
Yes - bit of a cold.

Do you smoke?
Gave up about 2 month ago (due to the high blood preassure scaring the bejezzus out of me) - it was nothing heavy though.

Do you suffer from "indigestion" (gastro oesophageal reflux)
Yes, (Heartburn) but i've cornered that to an issue with a particular soft drink and fresh orange juice funnily enough and have cut that out which seems to have helped a lot.

What is the ratio to you suffering from this when you fly to when you don't? in other words how many times have you flown compared to how many times have you had this problem?

Hard one to answer this, i fly perhaps once or twice a month at the most and can always feel it start on the way down, truth is though it rarely gets really painful, in fact i would say this is only the second time in as many years it has happened, it had approached a "moderate but not too unpleasent" level of pain on a flight a couple of months ago though. I can feel the preassure behind my nose build on most flights but its usually nothing, although i worry as i have no idea how bad its going to get.

Sudafed might be of help if the problem was infrequent but you shouldn't take it everytime you fly, if you fly regularly as you could make the problem worse as it has a rebound effect, meaning it can worsen the problem if you over use it.

Noted!

It would be worth someone looking in your ears but ETD in isolation would not be seen on otoscopy.

Engrish? :D

homealone
13-04-2006, 00:17
Thanks Salu,

It would be worth someone looking in your ears but ETD in isolation would not be seen on otoscopy.[/I]

Engrish? :D

etd = eustachian tube dysfunction

and Salu means you cannot detect it by just looking in your ear ;)

I once did a total of 11 airports in one day, with corresponding take offs & landings - short haul, obviously, but my ears really hurt at so many pressure changes, many mints got sucked that day :D

TheBlueRaja
13-04-2006, 00:35
I once did a total of 11 airports in one day, with corresponding take offs & landings - short haul, obviously, but my ears really hurt at so many pressure changes, many mints got sucked that day :D

Trolly dolly eh :p:

homealone
13-04-2006, 01:50
I once did a total of 11 airports in one day, with corresponding take offs & landings - short haul, obviously, but my ears really hurt at so many pressure changes, many mints got sucked that day :D

Trolly dolly eh :p:

one landing was in a 'Twin Otter', The pilot left the curtain shading the cockpit open, perhaps deliberately, as we dived at 45 degrees towards the snow covered postage stamp, which was our destination, flared out, and made a perfect landing :Yikes:. Baggage handling consisted of 'just leave it over there', it was still there when we got back - Norway is a nice country ;)

Salu
13-04-2006, 11:39
Thanks Salu,

Do you have any other ear problems, childhood history of glue ear or frequent infections?

No

Any other medical problems?
High Blood preassure

Do you have any allergies? Hayfever, allergic rhinitis?
Nope

Have you had a sore throat or cold recently?
Yes - bit of a cold.

Do you smoke?
Gave up about 2 month ago (due to the high blood preassure scaring the bejezzus out of me) - it was nothing heavy though.

Do you suffer from "indigestion" (gastro oesophageal reflux)
Yes, (Heartburn) but i've cornered that to an issue with a particular soft drink and fresh orange juice funnily enough and have cut that out which seems to have helped a lot.

What is the ratio to you suffering from this when you fly to when you don't? in other words how many times have you flown compared to how many times have you had this problem?

Hard one to answer this, i fly perhaps once or twice a month at the most and can always feel it start on the way down, truth is though it rarely gets really painful, in fact i would say this is only the second time in as many years it has happened, it had approached a "moderate but not too unpleasent" level of pain on a flight a couple of months ago though. I can feel the preassure behind my nose build on most flights but its usually nothing, although i worry as i have no idea how bad its going to get.

Sudafed might be of help if the problem was infrequent but you shouldn't take it everytime you fly, if you fly regularly as you could make the problem worse as it has a rebound effect, meaning it can worsen the problem if you over use it.

Noted!

It would be worth someone looking in your ears but ETD in isolation would not be seen on otoscopy.

Engrish? :D

Well, of course the usual advice is to consult your GP but my guess (without seeing you) is that you've probably got some inflammation around your tubes probably from the recent cold/? inherent predisposition, ? worsened by your reflux. You'll just have to monitor it and note when you have colds compared to when you fly to see if there is any correlation. You may find some ibuprofen would help before you fly too but only just after you have had a cold as opposed to every time you fly.

PS otoscopy means looking down an otoscope at your ear canal.