I have a small dilemma here. I just started getting a cold a few days ago. Yesterday, on my way home both of my ears plugged up and hurt so bad I couldn’t even sleep! After a few hours and a decongestant my ears popped enough to relieve the pain and I finally got to sleep. Now today I have plugged ears but no pain. I KNOW that this is not a good sign since I’m supposed to be flying to DC in 3 days. I’m actually considering driving instead. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Emergency head decongestion strategies from a lifelong sinus sufferer:
- guaifenisin–buy the Mucinex tablets and take the max dose
- Water–if you’re not spending your life in the bathroom, you’re not drinking enough. Hot herbal tea is even better.
- Decongestants–keep at 'em if they don’t keep you awake
- Chew gum ALL THE TIME, starting TODAY and continuing until you get off the plane–something about the ongoing chewing motion seems to help keep the Eustachian tubes clear. Trust me on this.
- I find super-spicy food helps me, too, but I don’t know how easy that is to arrange right before your flight.
- Hot towels on the face used to work but now trigger migraines. If that doesn’t affect you, wring out a hand towel in very hot water (if it doesn’t just about scald your hands it’s not hot enough) and drape it over your face until you feel your head open up a bit.
For me, three days is generally enough time to clear my ears if I go for the scorched-earth approach outlined above. Your mileage may vary. Good luck!
And if you get there with your ears and head stopped up, I know some really good osteopathic manipulation treatments. I use them on Zane (and several others) all the time. I would love to show you how it can work!! 
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And if you get there with your ears and head stopped up, I know some really good osteopathic manipulation treatments. I use them on Zane (and several others) all the time. I would love to show you how it can work!!
Even me, the devout pragmatist knows the manips that Linda is referring to work very well.
For me, the question would boil down to: do I want to be miserable for a few hours in the air sipping a cocktail or would I rather extend my misery over a couple of days, esp when I was the only one capable of doing the driving? I don’t even need to do the math to derive my personal answer!
Don’t fly…I’m a former commercial airline pilot and I pushed my luck once going to work with a head cold. The climb to altitude is not a problem. The problem is the descent when the cabin starts to increase the pressure to match that at the destination airport elevation.
The best way to describe the pain is that it feels like someone is stabbing you in the neck. It’s very nearly an incapaciting level of pain.
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Don’t fly…I’m a former commercial airline pilot and I pushed my luck once going to work with a head cold. The climb to altitude is not a problem. The problem is the descent when the cabin starts to increase the pressure to match that at the destination airport elevation.
The best way to describe the pain is that it feels like someone is stabbing you in the neck. It’s very nearly an incapaciting level of pain.
I ended up flying anyway. It’s weird, I didn’t have any plugged sinus’, only plugged ears. I bought some of those special ear plugs called earplanes. They must’ve worked. However, it’s now been almost a month and I STILL have plugged ears.
