Plane — Left Ear Started Screeching During Descend

Hi

I have not posted for a few months and the past few months my tinnitus has been quiet mild compared to when I first got it, but I have just been on a plane ( first time since getting tinnitus) and my left ear is screeching like mad. It started when the plane start to descend. The last 20 minutes of the flight. I got this pressure feeling in my left ear and the noise is now unbearable screeching. No longer pressure feeling but really high pitch noise. I can hear it above everything and its really ruining my holiday. Is this common after going on planes for the tinnitus to be exacerbated so much? Something related to air pressure?

I would be grateful for any responses, advice etc.

Thanks so much

Cheers
Xenia

 

Mine always spiked after flights. It improved after three weeks, or a month but it never went down to the level it was before the flight (close though). I stopped flying after six flights with the same outcome. But that's just my experience.

 

Oh man, I hope this is not common. Did you take any decongestants like Sudafed before the flight?

 

Hi Elinor

Thanks for your response. I am sorry you went through it too. Its not pleasant.

 

hi xenia, I have been a numerous flights since my tinnitus started. The changes in air pressure cause the ear to feel full, which will cause the tinnitus to sound louder for some time. In some instances it has taken me several weeks for the ear pressure to release even when I thought it was normalized. So be patient in sure it will go back to how it was.

also if your worried they make ear plugs for just that, earplugs that will regulate the pressure changes during a decent or an ascension. I don't recall the exact name of the product but a quick Google search will point you in the right direction.

 

What you experienced is the same as what I did. Your eustachian tube didn't equalise which put pressure on your ear drum. This leads to dulled hearing and can also give you ear pain. The dulled hearing makes tinnitus more prominent; I know because mine went crazy. It's not actually the tinnitus going up though but more your hearing that is going down. The less you can hear the more you will hear your tinnitus.

The cause was most likely mucous settling into your eustachian tube/s causing a blockage. When flying, it's important to use decongestants or steam inhalation prior to flying if your sinuses are bunged up.

The pressure changes that your ears go through on the descent is the main concern I have with flying. But even so, I still haven't suffered any permanent damage. I will just be more vigilant in future.

 

@Ed209 @cullenbohannon

Thank you to both of you for your replies. I really appreciate it.


The noise has decreased now thankfully but the descent really made it play up. I had to catch another plane to get back home and on this second trip I had a lot of ear pain and definitely hearing was dulled for quite some time after landing but thankfully the tinnitus noise was not as bad as that first flight I took which caused screeching tinnitus for days.

Thanks again for your tips

 

@Xenia, I got fluid in my left ear from a flight in 2008. I haven't flew since. I hope your noise stays low. Yeah, Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) before descending helps and maybe chewing gum. Valsalva or EarPopper could help too.

 

definitely take pseudoephedrine before your next flight -- and not the crappy knockoff OTC stuff they've replaced it with (phenylepherine), it's crap. You want pseudoephedrine, 30-60 mg. It is behind the counter at the pharmacy and you'll have to show ID to get it because idiot white trash use it to manufacture methamphetamine.

 

I always thought a large dose of guaifenesin (with lots of water) would be good. My reasoning is guaifenesin thins out the mucus which would make it easier to equalize when there is a change in pressure.

I have flown many times in the past year, but I always get a little nervous during takeoff and landing. I open my jaw and wiggle it until we reach altitude every time. Then I put on earmuffs.

 

I don't know why but that comment just made me burst out laughing so thanks for that,I needed it.

 

Do you wear earplugs? I always wear airplugs and haven't had problems until now. However, I'm taking my first flight since my huge spike from antibiotics so hope all goes well. Glad your spike went back down to baseline. If you don't wear plugs when you fly I would definitely start!