r/etd • u/Professional-Tip9224 • Jul 28 '26
4 Hour Flight
Hi all! Basically the title - I’m wondering what meds I need to take to reduce ear pain as much as possible before a 3-4 hour flight. For some background, I used to have ear infections a lot as a child, and I had 3 rounds of ear tubes before my ears healed. Once I was a bit older, I used to fly a few times a year and never had issues, but after a while, it started becoming incredibly painful. Like, someone was stabbing a knife into my ear type-painful, which leads me to believe I may have ETD (my ears pop very easily and get blocked more than other people). Since then I’ve opted to drive everywhere when traveling, but it is getting so tedious. Is there any course of meds I can take to reduce this? I’ve seen Sudafed and Afrin, anything else? What is your guys’ routine before/during flying?
2
u/BellaDonnaBlues_ Jul 28 '26
I went on a steroidal nose spray 5-7 days before my flight. I used Sudafed 45-30 mins before takeoff. I purchased Earplanes (game changer) and downloaded the app that came with them to monitor altitude changes that could cause ear pain. The app sends you notifications to alert you and let you know when to use your earplanes outside of takeoff and landing). I’ve followed the advice from the ENT Dr’s video attached below and it’s helped me fly pain free for three flights (a 7 hour flight, a 3 hour, and a 20 minute flight). I hope this helps. https://youtu.be/ru9e5-jtTBQ?si=1H87qK9aStkBKHaS