Ear Discomfort and Pilots

[TheCosmicFrog]

I'm sure this has been asked multiple times, but I couldn't find a thread about it.

Since so many of us (including me) suffer from ear discomfort relating to air pressure on flights, surely many of the pilots on PPRuNE do too.

So how do you guys cope with these pains?
Do you notice it less while piloting?
Since it's always worse with illness, what happens when you are sick?
Are there any tricks of the trade?

I badly want to work as a pilot, but fear that ear popping and pressure pains will marr my career and cause me to dread each day.

Thanks for any help!

[bucket_and_spade]

I'm new to the job and have never really noticed a problem - you're right in that if you have, for example, a head cold, it can be difficult to relieve the pressure by the usual chewing or swallowing (works fine for me). That's why even a mild common cold can cause pilots to pull a sicky when, in another job, it wouldn't be an issue.

I suppose some people are more prone to discomfort than others - I never feel discomfort, just the sensation that the ears need to be cleared. Having said that, I hardly ever notice even that to be honest.

How bad is the discomfort? Your physiology might mean you find it that bit harder to equalise pressures...

B&S :)

[TheCosmicFrog]

To be fair, I don't really get it that often or too intensely, but according to mom and dad, neither of them get any pain or discomfort whatsoever, so it just worried me a bit.

I do, however, suffer from "ear crackling" all the time. Most people get this when they have a headcold, but for some reason every time I swallow my ears crackle. I've actually become accustomed to it at this stage. I still worry that this will somehow cause me to fail a medical examination. Do you think I should worry about this? does anybody else's ears crackle when they swallow?

[Sole]

My ears crackle on occasion, find its usally when my glands are slightly up which i can only guess is that the body has had to increase antibodies to stop infection spreading...
Medical tomorrow so ill find out :D

Sole

[Intruder]

The problem in airliners is not nearly as bad as when flying military fighters with O2 masks. The equalization of internal O2 saturation causes the same type of ear discomfort as on descent, but for many hours after the flight.

The relief is the same, in any case. The Valsalva technique (pinch nose closed, close mouth, and try to exhale briefly and sharply through the nose) works well for me; repeat as often as necessary.

[TheCosmicFrog]

Thanks, the Valsalva Maneuver is a lifesaver for me!

But the thing is, I don't like when my ears pop so I'm not too happy about swallowing constantly...

[IrishJetdriver]

Ears popping is caused by a restriction in the eustation tube running between your ears and your throat. It will swell when you get a cold and cause a blockage, the effects of which can be considerable. I have flown pressurised aircraft for years and have never needed to go sick with blocked ears. I suspect that the tubes have been exercised by regular exposure to differeing pressure and as such are maybe more flexible.

Taking an anti-inflamatory tablet (i.e nurofen) say 1 hour before flying (or descending) may well help alleviate the problem. If you are a professional pilot you should't really fly if you need to take medication to control a symptom.

I always consider how i would be if I experienced an explosive decompression. I believe that incapacitation would be the result of blocked ears.

[Milt]

Sinus pain is much worse than that of ear drums approaching rupture.

Sinus pain is like a red hot needle penetrating your eyebrows. It's fairly rare and likely if you fly with a bad cold and do a rapid descent. It may be relieved somewhat by regaining altitude (reducing air pressure) and then flying a slow descent.

Does anyone know what damage may result if the pain is not releived such as with explosive decompression?

[IrishJetdriver]

I would hazard a guess at agonising pain followed by ruptured eardrums, which I guess sorts the problem out. However I believe you can't fly for at least 6 weeks afterwards.

[adverse-bump]

stop being a puff, it doesnt hurt

[TheCosmicFrog]

I came on here looking for some intelligent responses, not someone telling me "it doesn't hurt".

[OFSO]

Dear Cosmic Frog: my wife lands either at Girona (GRN 468') Spain or Perpignan (LFMP 144') France every three-four weeks, always in a FR 737-800.

She invariably suffers ear pain during landing and for a few hours afterwards at Perpignan but never at Girona. Oh and at the 'other end' - Stansted - she doesn't get pain either.

Will try the nose technique, she says.

RaF

[TheCosmicFrog]

Great, glad to hear it!

Would love some more seasoned pilots to come and post here though, like the first few guys :)

[dany4kin]

As a scuba diver pressure on ears is something I've experienced so to add my 2 cents....

I used to have trouble when descending into deeper water where I couldn't 'clear' my ears using the Valsalva technique, pinching the nose and exhaling against the obstruction. With the large pressure differences experienced in the water, failure to clear the ears on descent will result in eardrum rupture (not before lots of pain etc!)

I was told by my instructor that I was not clearing often enough, allowing too much pressure to build between clears and causing myself problems. Now on descent I clear with almost every other breath, not allowing the feeling of pressure to build. On the way up, with pressure reducing, the ears normally clear themselves.

So, I would suggest perhaps clearing the ears quite frequently throughout the descent, starting as soon as the descent begins. It doesn't need to be a violent process, just breath in, pinch your nose and gently try to breath out of your nose, gradually increasing the force. You should feel a kind of 'click' maybe a 'squeak' as the pressure difference is equalised, and you may notice your hearing will suddenly improve too. Obviously pain is natures' way of saying something is wrong, so if it hurts while you're doing this, you may be blowing too hard, or too much and pushing the eardrums out too far. Olbas pastilles can be useful for helping to temporarily clear out your tubes as it were (if you can stomach them!)

Hope the above helps.

[ITCZ]

First of all, if you are thinking of a career as a professional pilot, it is a good idea to go and do a Class 1 Aviation Medical at an approved aviation medical examiner's surgery (=doctor, = flight surgeon).
*
I had a number of minor concerns when I started out - oh, so long ago! - and spending a few dollars for an appropriately trained doctor to tell me (a) if I was physically up to the standard and (b) what areas may become problems in the future, was money well spent.
*
*
Like CosmicFrog I dwelled on some minor issues that grew into hurdles in my own mind. The doc basically said no major problems.
*
*
Otic issues: I am susceptible to colds and hayfever. Always have been. Despite warnings, I made one or two attempts to fly unpressurised twins and 'get the job done' for my boss despite a headcold or difficult to equalise ears. *Learned pretty fast to just cancel the flight in future. *Painful, distracting and dangerous for my health and for my passengers.
*
*
My employment contract allows me to take up to 6 days Upper Respiratory Tract Infection days per annum, in addition to cumulative sick leave. *If I get a cold and feel a blockage coming on, I ring in sick and claim the URTI day. *No loss of pay, and the company calls in the reserve pilot. Despite a susceptibility to ear blockages and head colds, I have never had to use all 6 days in any year.
*
*
You probably are noticing the crackling in your ears only because you desire to be a pilot. Go get them checked out. My ears are crackling now as I type, come to think of it. *Crackling is not a problem, trapped gases are a problem. If you equalise by Valsalva or swallowing atction, not a problem.
*
*Tricks of the trade...
Headcold or cannot equalise ears? Ring and advise unfit for duty.
Flying and ears feeling stuffy or likely to block? Attempt to equalise using Valsalva frequently. Very frequently. *Drink lots and lots of fluids to rehydrate. Avoid coffee and tea - try hot water flavoured with lemon. Tell other crewmembers. Plan long slow descents.
Also be alert to errors in depth perception and judging speed. Seem to remember a 727 accident in central america in the 1970's where a contributing factor in a runway overrun was the handling pilot had a head cold and flared high.
Good luck with your career.

[TheCosmicFrog]

Thank you so much to both of you!

ITCZ, is the Class 1 Medical half as bad as it's made out to be; do most people walk out of it happy with their physical condition?

I've already had an ECG and Chest X-Ray as well as Snellen(?) Chart tests on both eyes, 20/20 both times luckily.

I'm quite cautious, maybe over-cautious! I take eye vitamins every day as well as eye lubrication drops just to prevent any unwanted infections or deterioration etc.

[beachbumflyer]

I would tell not to fly with a head cold. I've known people who had an
eardrum rupture because they were flying with a head cold. I almost had an eardrum rupture a few times for flying with a head cold. Now I don't
fly with a head cold after the second day the head cold began.

[ITCZ]

ITCZ, is the Class 1 Medical half as bad as it's made out to be; do most people walk out of it happy with their physical condition?
I'm in Australia, which has slightly different rules from IE which is under JAR rules. I can get an aussie Class 1 initial issue or revalidation at an approved Designated Medical Examiner. So I can make an appointment, hop in the car, spend AU$150 and half an hour and be done.

JAR FCL 3 require you to go to IAA examiner at Dublin...
AeroMedical Centre,
Mater Private Hospital,
Eccles Street,
Dublin 7
Tel: 01 885 8615

I have no idea how much that costs.

You can get a Class 2 done by a Dr Kieran Whyte, 42 Father Griffin Road, Galway, Telephone: 091 522011.

He may be closer and possibly cheaper, but I don't know if he can give you any insight as to your suitability to hold a Class 1. He would certainly be working off the same JAR FCL 3 rules for initial examination - as you will see from the extract I found, it seems to be the same examination, with higher standards required of the Class 1 applicant.

However..... I would be quite surprised if a sixteen year old lad like yourself was disqualified.

Why not go see the fellow in Galway? He might give you a clean bill of (aviation) health!

Go to....
http://www.jaa.nl/licensing/manual/14%20-%20ORL.pdf

and read..
3.5 Examination of the tubal function
3.6 Guidance regarding assessment.

[TheCosmicFrog]

ITCZ, you are the most helpful forum poster I've ever stumbled upon, and that says a lot considering I work for a forum site! Thank you so much.

I'm a 15 minute walk from Fr. Griffin Rd., so me and my best mate might just go there and check it out. My friends's aunt has haemochromotosis so he got himself checked out. Luckily he was okay as far as his blood goes!

I was always curious as to what's involved in any general Class I. In Australia, what do you usually get tested for? Presumably they don't hook you up to a machine and make you run on a threadmill anyway :P

[Dan Winterland]

People who fly frequently find it easier as time goes on due to the eustation tubes easing as they are used more often.

But if your ears are a bit sticky, chew 'Airwaves' chewing gum in the descent. I always carry some. The chewing exercises your eustaion tubes and the menthol eases the inflammation.

Works for me.

[TheCosmicFrog]

Brilliant thanks, I know the ones. I'll be sure to buy a packet!

[ITCZ]

ITCZ, you are the most helpful forum poster I've ever stumbled upon, and that says a lot considering I work for a forum site! Thank you so much.
My pleasure! There are many myths about how one enters aviation. My entry was delayed due to misinformation. A helpful person put me straight and now I enjoy the job, and am making a good living from it.

One of these days I might find myself in Galway. You can buy me a pint if/when I turn up ;)
I was always curious as to what's involved in any general Class I. In Australia, what do you usually get tested for? Presumably they don't hook you up to a machine and make you run on a threadmill anyway :P
There seems to be little difference from the JAR FCL 3 standards. I am not sure to what degree.

Treadmills aka Stress ECG are for those pilots determined to be 'at risk', eg Body Mass Index > 30.

[TheCosmicFrog]

Sure, the pint's on me!

I only found out recently that, under certain circumstances, pilots are allowed wear contact lenses, is that common these days?

[TheCosmicFrog]

Good news on the ears front guys. On both of the flights I took home from Florida, I had no pain or discomfort at all. I sucked on loads of those menthol candies and took two Ibuprofen tablets just in case, but I don't think they were needed :)

[tejas171]

hello guys, i want to pursue aviation and i have worked really hard for it . i was obese and lost 20 kgs to become a pilot. but i dicovered that when the airplane is landing i suffer with a lot of pain in my ears. it also gives me headaches . i have also tried using earplugs but it didnt help much. i am thinking that it might become a barrier in my way to become a pilot.please suggest a solution for my problem