Flying tomorrow, very worried!!

[susabelle]

Hello,

I'm flyng tomorrow, ORD to FLL for an early spring break vacation.

I am just gettting over a nasty sinus/flu bug and still have some sinus and nasal congestion, I also have high blood pressure, so my doctor is having me take extra BP meds so I can use afrin (nasal decongestant) on the plane if I need to. He also prescribed a very small dose of ativan, which has helped me greatly in the past when I fly.

I asked my doctor if he thought I would be ok, and he said that there's always the possibility of a "popped eardrum" if you fly with sinus congestion! Not exactly what I was hoping to hear!

I have allergies, so I normally always am a little congested, and landing (descent) is usually painful and unpleasant for me when I'm not sick, so I'm thinking that it will be even worse tomorrow, and after being sick for the last week and a half, I'm just tired and worried about the whole thing. Not a great way to start a much needed vacation!

Any thoughts or input from you wonderful people would be appreciated! I just want the darn flight to be over with already, and for my head not to explode!!!:mg:

Susan

[Barb-SAN]

I asked my doctor if he thought I would be ok, and he said that there's always the possibility of a "popped eardrum" if you fly with sinus congestion! Not exactly what I was hoping to hear!
Any thoughts or input from you wonderful people would be appreciated! I just want the darn flight to be over with already, and for my head not to explode!!!:mg:Susan
Hi Susan, and :welcome2:

I'm not sure that there's much we can add...you've already consulted with your Dr., which is the smart thing to do. You've gotten his advice about the risk of flying with sinus congestion, and medication. Presumably he's prescribed the correct dosages of those three medications, and has considered any drug interactions.

It would seem that the decision of whether or not to fly is now in YOUR hands. Obviously, the conservative decision is to postpone your trip until you are well, or cancel it altogether, and take your "vacation" resting at home.

Or you can fly and take your chances with a "popped eardrum", and hope that it doesn't happen, and that you will feel better for your vacation. Did you Dr. tell you what you should do, worst case scenario, if your eardrum does pop? Would you need to see a Dr. at your destination then for treatment?

I wish we had a crystal ball here to tell you which decision is best...but alas....about all I can offer you is "good luck whichever way you decide". :)

[Barb-SAN]

Hello,I'm flyng tomorrow, ORD to FLL for an early spring break vacation.


I am just gettting over a nasty sinus/flu bug and still have some sinus and nasal congestion...
Another factor to consider...is the health of your fellow travelers, and if you will be exposing any of them to your "nasty sinus/flu bug" in the close confines of the airplane. I know I would definitely NOT be happy to be seated next to someone who was ill, especially if I caught it and then was sick for MY vacation. :(

Here's the current U.S. influenza map, which you can see shows that the flu is widespread throughout most of the country now. One can assume that airplane travel by sick passengers helps to spread the flu.

[susabelle]

I'm absolutely not contagious any more, according to my Dr. I just have some lingering congestion which is always a little worse for me because of my allergies.

I was hoping that someone would have some practical advice for me, such as using those little ear-plug things to minimize the pressure changes on my ears.

I'm definitely not trying to ruin anyone's vacation, and would not consider traveling if I were still contagious.

[Barb-SAN]

I'm absolutely not contagious any more, according to my Dr. I just have some lingering congestion which is always a little worse for me because of my allergies.


Well, I don't know how the Dr. can be SURE of "not contagious" without doing tests...but am aware there's a sort of rule-of-thumb about how long one is contagious during/after various illnesses.
In any case, I thought you were looking for some ideas to consider in your decision-making process (to fly or not). I'm merely pointing out that the decision to fly when (or if) ill could impact others besides yourself. There can be elderly and/or immunocompromised passengers on the plane with you for whom getting the flu would be much more dangerous than a ruined vacation.
I was hoping that someone would have some practical advice for me, such as using those little ear-plug things to minimize the pressure changes on my ears.
It would be safest to discuss that with your Dr., if you are hoping to do something to minimize the chances of ruptured eardrums. He's just seen you, and is much more qualified to address that. And, again, if he thinks there's a serious risk of that happening, it would be useful to know what you should do about treating it afterwards.

[susabelle]

As the mom of a special needs child with serious immune issues, I can assure you that I have no interest in passing any germs on to anyone.

Per my Dr., since I've finished my course of antibiotics, have no fever, and am not coughing, I don't pose a danger of infecting anyone.

I was just really looking for some friendly, "this helped my ears feel better when I flew with congestion" type of responses.

I thought this was a friendly forum!:confused:

[Barb-SAN]

I was just really looking for some friendly, "this helped my ears feel better when I flew with congestion" type of responses.
I thought this was a friendly forum!:confused:

Any thoughts or input from you wonderful people would be appreciated! I just want the darn flight to be over with already, and for my head not to explode!!!:mg:I'm sorry if you have misinterpreted my honest thoughts and input as being "unfriendly". That was not the intent. :)

[Kimmar]

I'm told you can use earplugs to help with the pressure you are likely to feel. Get the soft foam kind that go right into your ear and learn how to put them in correctly. Then put them in *before* your flight takes off and don't take them out until you land. It's supposed to help keep the pressure the same.


I also think your doctor would have warned you if a popped eardrum were "likely" not just possible. I'm sure he wouldn't want to see that happen to you either.

Have fun on your vacation! Is this your only issue with flying?

Also, just from having years of experience with her, Barb is one of the most helpful people you will ever want to meet. I'm afraid that you are "reading" her wrong and missing out on her intent. She's a wealth of flying knowledge and ever happy to help.

Just sayin'...LOL

[Barb-SAN]

Also, just from having years of experience with her, Barb is one of the most helpful people you will ever want to meet. I'm afraid that you are "reading" her wrong and missing out on her intent. She's a wealth of flying knowledge and ever happy to help.

Just sayin'...LOL
Thank you, Kimmar, for the public support. :type::)

I think it's challenging to figure out how to best respond to people here, especially people who are posting for the first time, and perhaps haven't been reading any of the archives to get a sense of "who we are here". I always consider that I'm addressing "the issue" as much as responding to the person writing, and realize that many other people may also be reading and participating in the discussion. In this case, "the issue", in my view, is "traveling (or not) while sick".

Thinking back about this particular thread, I was actually feeling more "analytical" than "emotional" when writing my posts. (So, "friendly" or "unfriendly" wasn't the "intent"....but rather I just wanted just toss out some ideas for consideration when making a "fly-don't fly" decision).

It didn't seem like "cancelling the trip" was being considered, even though it was for "vacation" and not "an audience with the Queen".

I suppose we could have a discussion about what kind of "support" people are looking for. I tend to offer what I find helpful myself (which is analytical "trouble-shooting", new ideas, different perspectives, facts, resources, links to more information). I don't find "poor you, pat on the head" responses from others very helpful when I'm dealing with a problem of my own.

But, I do understand some people would rather just vent their problems/frustrations rather than discuss a solution. Not sure how that impacts others who are reading those "venting" posts...if it adds to THEIR fear of flying.

I think I try to "talk back" to scary thoughts from the comfort of home, hoping I will remember them if I am confronted with something similar in the future when preparing for one of my own flights. I hope there are at least some people here who find that thought process helpful.

Thoughts, anyone? :)

[navel_gazer]

I always find your comments and advice helpful, Barb--and I appreciate your responses to my posts. You're very thoughtful and thorough. :)

Susabelle, I have chronic sinus issues. I am flying this Friday (JFK to STT) and I am getting over a sinus infection (not contagious, as my sinus issues are due to allergies/structural problems and not illness). On the advice of my ENT specialist, I will be taking decongestants leading up to my flight and using saline rinses. 1/2 hour before the flight I'll use Afrin to clear my nasal passages and prevent pressure on my ear. My ENT said the risk w/ flying is more for discomfort than damaging the ear.

He also said as an ENT, his concern with sinus sufferers flying is less with pressure than with germs in the air on the plane (i.e. if you are prone to sinus issues, you are more likely to pick up a bug on the plane). The ear plugs won't hurt though, so they are worth a shot (I asked about them, too).

I'd follow the advice of a Dr you trust; that's what I'm doing. I know it's scary to fly when you have sinus issues, so I hope your flight went well and you had a nice trip!

(Ironically, on my trip to STT last year I sat next to a woman who was coughing, sneezing, and blowing her nose and seemed incredibly sick. Was I ever annoyed! ;) So I see Barb's point.)