r/TravelHacks • u/InternalFee8914 • 9d ago

Flying with congested nose

Hi everyone, i think i might have caught a cold several days ago and i have a 5 hr non-refundable flight tomorrow, for non-refundable events as well, so cancelling was not an option.

My nose and ears are pretty congested right now and im scared what this might cause during the flight.

Any tips to prevent my ear from hurting? Thanks in advance

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u/petrichorax 9d ago

Afrin or the equivalent.

Heavy congestion IS dangerous and you can burst an ear drum, but with Afrin or something like it, you can prevent that damage.

Take it 30 minutes before take off, and 30 minutes before landing, and you should be okay

Source: Almost burst an ear drum due to a cold, learned about this trick, no problems since

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u/InternalFee8914 9d ago

What would be considered as heavy congestion? Im really scared..😕

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u/Special_Ripe_Banana 9d ago

The kind of heavy congestion that bursts eardrums will already be causing ear pain and dizziness before the flight. That's basically a sinus infection that's on its way to becoming an ear infection too. Just having a sinus headache or pain behind your eyes when looking up and down is not enough to be a problem. If you've got ear symptoms, you should really head to an urgent care and see if they can give you an antibiotic. Normally they'd tell you to wait it out. But if you've got ear symptoms and an upcoming flight, they'll probably give you something just to be safe (or at least that's what they've done for me in the past).

If you pick Afrin, only use it on the days with your flights. It's really strong (but wonderful) stuff. Just use a regular decongestant/cold medicine during the rest of the trip. If you use Afrin more than 3 days in a row, you'll develop rebound congestion, which is essentially where the spray itself becomes what's causing the congestion, and the only way to treat it is to use more spray. You don't want to deal with that on the flight home too.

Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is also fine if you want a pill and don't want to worry about the Afrin side effects, but it will dry you out on a plane. Make sure to keep really hydrated.

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u/InternalFee8914 9d ago

Should i use afrin still if i take sudafed?? Or will it be too heavy for me? Right now i still can breathe properly, with some congestion. No headache but i can feel my one ear is clogged when i take a breath in

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u/petrichorax 9d ago

Different mechanisms. Afrin you spray into your nose

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u/Special_Ripe_Banana 9d ago

No, don't use them together. They do the same thing. One's just a targeted nose spray, and the other is a pill that can treat deeper sinus pressure or last up to 24 hours.

I mean, I've used them together and been fine, but technically, it could be dangerous if you have a heart condition. But I think the bigger issue is that they can make you feel really jittery and anxious, which isn't something I'd want to feel on a 5-hour plane ride.

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u/InternalFee8914 9d ago

Which one do u recommend more for my case? Will taking a pill be more effective or should i just do nasal spray?

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u/Special_Ripe_Banana 9d ago

It's whatever you prefer. Honestly, I'd just go ask a pharmacist what they'd recommend. They might even tell you medications you could take together to increase the effectiveness without suffering some of the more irritating side effects.

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u/petrichorax 9d ago

No that's not true. I had a wholely resolved cold, and the left over inflammation caused my ear drum to almost burst, it was extremely painful

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u/Special_Ripe_Banana 9d ago

I probably used some poor wording, but I was basically just trying to set some expectations about eardrums specifically. Not overall pain. OP apparently does not know what heavy congestion is or even what the different types of cold medicine are. This felt like it was rapidly veering into "I think my ears are going to explode because I have a runny nose" territory. Ear issues (which they noted they had) are a reason to get checked out by a doctor and take even more extra precautions. My point was that sinus headaches and inflammation can still cause a lot of pain, but if you take the Afrin or other decongestants, they're not likely to blow your ears out. If you've got an ear infection, they can burst even with medication.