Can flying mess up your sinuses?

Can flying mess up your sinuses?

During air travel, the cabin pressure needed during ascent and descent can cause pain and pressure in the sinuses, face, and ears. Many have experienced “popping” in your ears or some other side effect of this cabin pressure while flying.

How do you get rid of sinus pressure after flying?

You can try to remedy the sinus pain when landing by taking the following steps:

1. Keep your mouth closed.
2. Close your nostrils with one hand’
3. Very gently, try to exhale out of your nose slowly.
4. Continue until the pressure is lessened.

Does Afrin help with flying?

In order to maximize the ability of the eustachian tube and sinus passageways to work, we will give you a few helpful hints: Spray Afrin nasal decongestant spray twice into each nostril one hour prior to flying. Begin taking a decongestant, like Sudafed, one hour before the flight.

Why do I always get a sinus infection after flying?

The main culprit is the air pressure in the cabin, which often changes too fast for a blocked or infected sinus canal to sustain. When this imbalance happens, the tubes in our ears and sinuses cannot equalize the pressure, causing symptoms similar to a sinus infection, such as flare-ups and sinus pain.

How do you treat Aerosinusitis?

Relieve pressure by chewing gum, yawning, sucking on candy, and breathing with your mouth open. Avoid sleeping while the plane is landing to make sure that you are swallowing enough. Take a decongestant pill or nasal spray before the flight. Do not let a baby sleep during descent.

How do you get air out of your sinuses?

Home Treatments

1. Use a humidifier or vaporizer.
2. Take long showers or breathe in steam from a pot of warm (but not too hot) water.
3. Drink lots of fluids.
4. Use a nasal saline spray.
5. Try a Neti pot, nasal irrigator, or bulb syringe.
6. Place a warm, wet towel on your face.
7. Prop yourself up.
8. Avoid chlorinated pools.

Is it normal to be congested after a flight?

Changes in air pressure inside an aeroplane can have an effect on the pressure in your sinuses and ears. If your nose is congested before you travel then you may experience sinus pain and increased nasal congestion after a long-haul flight.

Can you rupture a sinus cavity?

Rarely, the sinus may rupture and cause pneumocephalus with facial or oral pain, nausea, vertigo, or headache. Rupture of a maxillary sinus can cause retro-orbital air with diplopia due to oculomotor dysfunction. Compression of the trigeminal nerve in the maxillary sinus can cause facial paresthesias.

Does Afrin open Eustachian tubes?

As a reminder, though a decongestant spray like Afrin is VERY helpful to resolve eustachian tube dysfunction, do NOT use this spray daily for more than 3 days as people do get addicted to this medication (a condition known as rhinitis medicamentosa). Steroid and anti-histamine nasal sprays can be used indefinitely.

What to do if you have to fly with a sinus infection?

If you must fly with sinus issues there are some steps you can take to reduce the blockages and avoid the pain.

1. Take either oral or topical decongestants before the flight to avoid blockages.
2. Take over the counter pain medications to reduce the pain from the air pressure.
3. Chew gum or swallow frequently to “pop” the ears.

What is the best sinus decongestant?

Our picks

• Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion Ultratabs.
• Best OTC sinus decongestant for a headache. Advil Sinus Congestion and Pain.
• Afrin No-Drip Severe Congestion.
• Little Remedies Decongestant Nose Drops.
• Sudafed PE Day and Night Sinus Pressure Tablets.
• Cabinet Nasal Decongestant Tablets.
• Mucinex Nightshift Cold and Flu Liquid.