Flying & Tinnitus

Sorry for the delay in replying...have been really busy the last few days

 

It's been a few years since I've been on a plane...my ears are usually only affected after long flights, any idea where I can get these ear plugs ( or earplanes) in Ireland .Also,I usually chew gum while the plane is taking off and landing,I was told that stops your ears from popping years ago and tried it, turns out that it works fine although I didn't have my T back then

 

Boeing 747 ? It's big and not so noisy.

You can buy cheap but good 3M 1100 foam earplugs from Amazon. You can still chew while landing and taking off, so you adjust the pressure even with plugs.

 

Thanks,yeah you couldn't really call them small planes

 

Thank you all for the great advices at this thread; I have my first flight tomorrow - after T joined my life I am worried and thought to wear ear plugs; but I think the best way is to use a decongestant spray as I always suffer from blocked nose it is only 1h flight so fingers crossed T will not get worse ... Thank you all again for the tips & let's hope one day a cure to come and get all free from our T buddy

 

@christinefisher How did it go?

 

Luckily I did not notice any spikes.. the flight was short and before boarding I used decongestant spray and I was also chewing a gum in order to keep air coming via my mouth and nose.. I chose seats at front also.. So I guess these worked and kept T at usual level.. Thank you so much for asking and thinking of me

 

has anyone had any issues with flying?

 

During my first month with noise induced T I flew 14 hours too Thailand from the uk, didn't bother me but I did think the plane was a bit loud.

I wouldn't have any problems flying its the destination that would be the problem

Depends on how you acquired your T, if it an ETD issue or similar then maybe flying could be an issue, if it is noise induced then use muffs and sleep.

I'm thinking about a week on my own in the Maldives. Might do me good to sit on the beach for a week and drink rum.

 

Hello Mike.

Some people on here have issue when it comes to flying, especially longer flights. The altitude and cabin pressurization seems to play a roll for some in creating discomfort for awhile during and after a flight.

I personally never had any issues. If this is going to be your first flight since coming down with tinnitus then you may be concerned but no one can answer if it will bother you or not.

I'm sure others will chime in here and offer ideas and suggestions.

Keep well.................

Mike

 

OK.. pretty nervous about flying, hoping people could put up their stories. what has helped, how it felt, what hurt, etc.

 

I'm 15 days since onset of my noise induced T and I'm going to fly on Thursday. I don't have any "airplane plugs", only the foam ones which I believe doesn't work well for flying. Any suggestions? The flight is approximately 2 hours.

 

I'm so nervous about aggravating my T. Does anyone got some advice?

 

So already I'm afraid of flying. Now with this I'm scared it will make it worse. I'm not concerned as much about the noise aspect of it. I'm concerned about the altitude changes etc. Can't that part make it worse? Has anyone had a flight make T worse?

 

Keep away from loud noise. Wear noise reducing earplugs at clubs and other venues where music is played. I advise not to listen to music through headphones even at low volume. Try to stop worrying which comes with time and enjoy your life because you only have one to live and it goes so quickly.....

 

I've had this worry as well. I have an appointment with an ENT coming up Monday and I am specifically going to ask how to best manage flying/altitude changes.

 

I was stupid and had normal earplugs on me on the flight home, which is a no-go since it can block the pressure inside the ear and cause barotrauma. Luckily I dont think I got it since I have no pain or any muffled hearing during, after or now. But my T spiked quite well of 2-3 weeks (no spike on the way there) but it could also be because of the constant loud environment that I was in for 4 days (work conference overseas with 200+ people), also being tired and having a stiff back didn't help. I think the spike have settled now, but it was rather scary in hindsight that I didn't read upon that earplugs (normal one, the flying specific one is okay) is not good for departure and landing. I was mostly worried about the noise (hence the normal earplugs) since the plan was small and loud, measured up around 80+ db all the time and the flying one didn't seem to block very well to be honest. Always easy to be smart looking back but at the time I tried to protect my hearing but ended up risking barotrauma that could also lead to worsen T.

 

I have fluctuating T and hearing loss. As I've mentioned elsewhere I fly quite a bit, maybe three return transatlantic flights a year and the same around Europe. I can honestly say I have never experienced any real problems with flying. I got back to London from Miami on 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, despite having a business class sleeper seat I slept for three hours at the most, since arriving home the five hour time difference has played havoc with my body clock and my sleep pattern is all over the place, hence my T has noticeably increased, not helped buy a party in a noisy venue last night, cocktails and a glass or three of Champagne ;-) .............experience has taught it is not the flight itself that has caused the T increase but the sleep deprivation caused by the time difference. I flew to Newark on 20th December and due to high winds had the unusual experience of an aborted landing at 15ft from the ground, so two descents on that flight, on Black Friday we flew to Fort Myers, and back to London from Miami this Sunday, no problems at all with any of the flights. Unless I am specifically trying to sleep I never use earplugs, I do have Bose Noise cancelling headphones but only wear them if watching a film, on many flights I just read a book and don't switch my screen on at all. I have never measured the noise on an aircraft and don't really understand people's need to do this, I actually like aircraft noise!! it's a perfect T masker, in fact in the early days when T used to bother my at night I used a YouTube aircraft noise recording to help me sleep. The only 'precaution' I take when flying is to chew gum as soon as the plane begins the descent, but I have been know to forget to do that as well. I always feel sad when I see people on here expressing anxiety around flying and want to reassure them, T intrudes so much in our day to days lives we must try hard not to let our anxieties rob us of the opportunity to get out and about, live our lives and see more of this wonderful world we live in.

 

I understand your reasoning, I have some real issues with the noise since mine is noise induced. My brain is wired to go all nuts as soon as something appears to be loud (hence the measurements so I can either take precautions or stop worrying) and it is against my better judgement. I don't want it to take such a big part of my life but it is what it is. I think the noise is way to loud (depends on the aircraft model) for me, but it might not be for others.

 

Saturday I am going on a flight for 2 hours.

Just had a check up for my ears at the doctor.

He saw some old fluid behind my eardrum. He said to use nose spray 4 times a day.

I feel some pressure and sometimes a little bit pain.

Is it safe to fly? Should I use EarPlanes?

I feel my ears pop when I blow through nose.

Just worried about it.

 

Go on your flight Sandra and try not to worry as you are likely to cause yourself more stress. I don't advise wearing headphones even at low volume. However, I understand that it might be a little boring. In the case of listening to music, give your ears frequent breaks and keep the volume as low as possible.

Michael

 

I am flying soon, too, and intend to use earplanes. They seem fairly comfortable, not too unlike other flanged earplugs. And from what I've read, they should help with the pressure.

My ears have always popped when I blow my nose. I never realized that was unusual. If I were you, I'd keep using the nasal spray, but try not to worry.

 

Does your ear also feel bocked?

Today went to the doctor again and he said there is just a little bit of fluid en it will be safe to fly. There is also no infection. But i feel some pain in that ear but maybe its because my focus is on it.

 

Not all the time.

A little fluid is okay, in fact I think it’s normal to have a small amount every now and then.

I think you’re on to something about focusing on ear pain. Sometimes I think my ear feels very irritated. The more I think about it, the worse it feels. Yet, there’s no pain when I wake up in the morning and I don’t notice any pain when I’m busy.

I know it’s not easy, but try not to worry. I’m going to try to do the same when I fly soon!

 

[QUOTE = "Tinker Bell, post: 278068, lid: 24916"] Niet de hele tijd.

Een beetje vloeistof is oke, in feite vind ik het normaal om van nu en dan een klein beetje te krijgen.

Ik denk dat je iets aan het doen hebt om te concentreren op oorpijn. Soms denk ik dat mijn oor erg geïrriteerd voel. Hoe meer ik erover nadenkt, hoe erger het voelt. Toch is er geen pijn wanneer ik 's ochtends wakker word en ik zie geen pijn wanneer ik druk ben.

Ik weet dat het niet makkelijk is, maar probeer je geen zorgen te maken. Ik ga proberen hetzelfde te doen als ik snel vlieg! [/ QUOTE]

Thank you so much for your answer. I will do my best.
Just one quastion haha. When i swallow i hear it crackling in my ears. I have this a very long time.
is this normal?

 

I don’t know if it’s normal, but I hear crackling too in my ear with hearing loss and tinnitus. Sometimes I wonder if I notice it because I’m paying such close attention to my ears.

 

This is great news! I will fly to Japan in few weeks and the plane is the airbus 330. Even when it is a 10 hour flight it shouldn't damage my hearing. I will also use earplugs and earmuffs/headphones so I will be definitely fine. Where were you sitting?

 

Hi, I have had tinnitus for the past 11 years. I haven't flown in 7 years and it has stopped me doing things and visiting family. Can anybody help me and tell me their experiences. I am terrified of getting on a plane and dealing with the after effects with my tinnitus. I have a few noises in both my ears and they can change at anytime which is why I'm so scared. Please help

 

Since my Tinnitus became louder, enough to be a problem at the beggining (I don't pay that much attention to it anymore).. I have flown, maybe 10 times and nothing bad has happened.

I only use earplugs now and then while the airplane is flying, to let my ears rest, more related with ear exhaustion because of all of the sounds (turbines, people, kids), but I use earplugs to feel tranquil and rest, more than fear of my Tinnitus.

By the way, I have just made a business trip this week. I'm back home. Nothing happened. Taking into consideration that I drunk alot of tequila.

Have a nice travel.

If it helps. My Tinnitus is moderate, and in the worst days it can be more than that. I can ear it over the sound of the engines inside of an airplane.

For general advise, is to take care of your Eustachian Tubes if you have a cold, or a sinus infection, clear them up before the flight.

 

Hey guys,

I have to take an airplane to visit my boyfriend's family. Haven't been on one since getting T, and I have heard that people develop tinnitus from airplane rides, so I'm not thrilled. But I can't exactly refuse to ever ride a plane again, as much as I'd like to, so I'd love some advice for fellow T sufferers who have taken plane rides. Just let me know the best ways to protect my ears. I feel like I can't enjoy the trip at all, what with two trips - one there and one back - to worry about.

Thanks,
Alyna