Poll: Would You Rather Take a 1-Hour Flight or a 5-Hour Bus Trip?

Hello all! I would like to ask you feedback regarding this question.

Would you rather take a 1 hour flight or would you take a 5 hour road bus trip regarding tinnitus and hearing damage?

Thank you very much and best regards!

 

1 hour flight all the way, road noise is awful.

 

1 hour flight for sure. Just take a nice pair of earmuffs and use them during the flight if you are concerned about the noise.

 

Seeing as bus rides are not that noisy, I would rather take the bus

I have taken bus rides several times since getting T, without ear plugs. The buses where I live are quite silent.

 

If I were new to tinnitus and also had hyperacusis then I would choose the 1hr flight. As things stand now, I am fully habituated so either one wouldn't be a problem and I would not use earplugs.

Michael

 

Being stuck in a spot and not being able to move...1 hour flight is a lot better...can we make it 30 minutes

 

A bus trip for me since I enjoy looking at scenery even if it not too scenic but hopefully yours (if you do plan on taking a trip) will be.

 

The bus. Suffer from really bad ETD when flying but sometimes unavoidable:-(

 

Wow ! Thank you for the poll guys I think a 1 hour flight may be better, I agree that the bus noise is awful, my concern is with the pressure and ear damage, but I agree there is nothing to worry about that.

 

All my flights caused a lot of barotrauma and made my T permanently worse. I'm done with flights for life. Staying on the ground, no matter what. But that's just me.

 

Yeah, I can understand that if you have chronic ETD issues.

 

You need treatment for your tinnitus and hyperacusis. If you haven't been seen at ENT yet then I suggest you get referred. If tests show everything is fine with your auditory system, then see a Hearing Therapist for tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment and management.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Hi new to the page. I have noticed from several posts that I have read that most people are going to ENT for T and other problems. May I recommend for some to go beyond and see an actual Ear Specialist. ENT are good however, in my experience they are like a family Dr when you need a cancer specialist. Years ago, when I kept have frequent sudden hearing loss, vertigo, T and a variety of other things. I believe that I can relate largely to most people here. My wife and I had been going to ENT for years and seemed like I was just getting band aid treatment. My ENT back then actually referred me to a specialist as was not getting anywhere under him. Also, another thing I have noticed is no one has mentioned avoiding taking aspirin and aspirin products. I notice T being worse when I take versus really watching my intake there of.

 

How can you have barotrauma in those modern well pressurized aircrafts ?
I remember flying as a kid in the early 1970's on various first generation jet planes and yes back then experiencing pressure changes was common although I never heard of people having permanent damage from these - but today ? How can that even be possible ?

 

Regular jets are ok. However, turboprop planes are much louder, and many of the flights that are under 90 minutes involve turboprop planes. I would prefer a 20 hour flight crossing the ocean to a one hour turboprop flight...

So if your flight involves a turboprop plane, it might make sense to take a bus.

 

It's possible and it happened, but ETD was definitely a key factor.

 

5 hour bus trip. I can't pop my ears since i have TMJ and tinnitus and i'm scared i will get barotrauma.

 

The reason an aeroplane is pressurised is so it can allow us to breath at mid-high altitude. This has no bearing on how the eustastion tube operates. Pressure still needs to be equalised between the middle ear and the outside environment during climb and descent and if the eustastion tube is blocked this can’t happen. Read the following for more information on barotrauma.. I have had this many times.

What happens in our ears when an aircraft climbs?
As the aircraft climbs the air pressure inside the cabin gradually decreases until it reaches the level at which it will remain for the rest of the flight (at cruising altitude). Because this air pressure will be lower than it was at ground level it means that some of the trapped air must be allowed to escape from the inner ear. If it doesn’t, the slightly higher pressure will cause the eardrum to bulge outwards. If all goes well, the overpressure air in the inner ear simply escapes via the Eustachian tube. It’s easier for this tube to exhaust air than to suck it in, which is why hardly anyone has problems with their ears when an aircraft is climbing.

What happens in our ears when an aircraft descends?
As the aircraft descends the air pressure inside the cabin will gradually increase, so the rising air pressure will push the eardrums inwards. To counter this, the air pressure on the other side of the eardrums, in the inner ear, must also increase. To enable this to happen air must be sucked in through the Eustachian tube.

What is happening when you have problems with your ears during a flight?
If you are suffering from a cold or hay fever, the mucous membrane in the Eustachian tube can become swollen and impede the flow of air through it. Consequently, when the aircraft is descending the air pressure behind the eardrum, in the inner ear, will remain too low and will not be able to counteract the increasing cabin air pressure that is pushing the eardrums inwards. Initially you will feel this as pressure and later as pain. Furthermore, because the eardrum will be under constant pressure, it will no longer be able to vibrate freely. So you won’t be able to hear properly either.

 

1-hour flight for sure