Flying with a cold

[sukigirl]

I was just wandering if anyone else has come across the same problem.
I know we are not really supposed to fly with colds but many people do and have just a little discomfort on descent. However if i even have the slightest sniffle when i fly i am in so much agony on descent it reduces me to tears. in 6 years i have caused a pin prick perferation, caused baratrauma to my right eardrum and had to be of for 3 weeks and even once got stuck in new york for an extra 2 nights cos i flew with a cold and caused an infection in my ear.

I know the reaction of many is that i shouldnt be in this job but this only happens if i have a cold, any other time i have no trouble whatsoever. I have discussed this with my gp who has said i quite likely have a smaller than usual tube in my ear which means it doesnt function as well as it should when i have a cold and thats why i get so blocked up. She also reiterated that i mustnt fly like this.
So i try everything to keep healthy but realisticly in this job its inevitable to catch a cold from time to time.

The other problem of course is my companies sick policy, i dont know if other airlines are the same but to have more than 3 sickness in 12 months results in stage one of getting towards discaplinary level. I have had trouble in the past with managers, one told me that i should consider eating properly and taking vitamins to prevent colds, she didnt even know anything about my life style which i like to think is fairly healthy. Needless to say this manager has never been cabin crew.

I have been of for 6 days now as i have a cold and have blocked ears and sinuses, tho they are starting to clear, but all the sudafed in the world doesnt seem to help. my concern is where i stand legally if i am pulled into the office for this as this is my 2nd occurence of sickness in the last 12 months and have heard that many managers are questioning why crew are phoning in sick just for having a cold. Sorry this is such a long post but would appreciate any views on this subject.

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

oh dear you dont work for Jetstar do you? haha

colds in 'normal people' are a non event.. they can still go to work properly and not take sick time. in us, we cant fly and therefore use more sick leave per year.
first of all.. you may have a cold.. but its not your cold keeping you from flying duties.. its your ears... (URTI). Make sure you get medical certificates for each day stating that you have an URTI for blocked ears etc so the company know.
Second time in a year is kinda good.. i get it more :(

i wouldnt worry too much. Aside from practically LIVING on sudafed (psuedoephedrine) to keep ears and nasal passages unblocked.. and being generally healthy, there isnt much else you can do.. its natural and if you are prone to having your ears block up a little more than some others is no reason for them to think about firing you... its URTI leave with a completley valid reason especially for this industry. :)

[greenslopes]

Be very careful of using any drug i.e sudafed cos if tested the psudoefedrin(sic) will provide the tester with a lovely positive sample and you will lose your job. Much better to take the day off .

[TightSlot]

By continuing to fly, you are risking serious and irreversible injury to yourself and amongst other things, your hearing. Any kind of decompression might lead to serious and lasting damage.

The company sickness policy will eventually pull you up and terminate your career in the air. Colds are unavoidable, and your sickness record will gradually deteriorate over time (as may your hearing).

You should take immediate steps to change your career.

I'm sorry that this may not be what you want to read: Genuinely sorry. It is, however, good advice.

Good Luck!

[flybywire]

Please do not go flying until you're well and until your eras clear without any prompting again. PLEASE for the sake of your ears and for the sake of your job, if you care about it!

I know what sickness procedures are, and I am suffering because of it at the moment (I've had a problem with my unborn baby and have called in sick twice in the last 2 weeks,I am currently off sick therefore I am definitely into stage 2 now!) however I do not care anymore! My baby is the most important thing to me and I have to make sure that he/she's fine. Work can wait.
Think of the consequences of yet another broken eardrum....pain, blood and if it is a really bad you you risk losing your hearing.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is the truth. I am like you, I cannot tolerate being "sick" from work but yet I have to learn that sometimes the sense of duty must come after my health.

Take care of yourself, spoil yourself a little bit, take advantage of these days off to eat healthly and sleep to gain back the energy that your body is craving for. Do not try to anticipate your return, if you're still weak you can take longer to heal and you are more vulnerable to other infections/bugs. When you're 101% fit again then you're ready to go back! :ok:

Good luck and a big hug :)

FBW

[flybywire]

my concern is where i stand legally if i am pulled into the office for this as this is my 2nd occurence of sickness in the last 12 months and have heard that many managers are questioning why crew are phoning in sick just for having a cold. Sorry this is such a long post but would appreciate any views on this subject.

Can I just add: 2 episodes in 12 months isn't yet the first stage, or is it? The situations doesn't look so bad to me yet, however it's advisable for you to have your ears checked by your doctor - there may be something that needs more time to clear, and I've seen this in my airline many times. Usually the company offers a position on the ground while the CC member is recovering.

If your company questions why cc phone in sick "just for having a cold" they definitely need a quick course of Aviation Medicine, immediately!! Do not let them bull you, instead try to explain the situation to your doctor (who might prescribe some tests/medicines) and to your manager.

[sukigirl]

Hi Everyone, thankyou so much for your kind replys and advice.
Tightslot i appreciate your comments but as i said in my origional post i have already discussed this with my GP who has assured me that I do not need to give up flying and am not doing any damage to my ears unless i continue to fly with a cold. As long as i dont do that she says i will be fine. She also sympathised with me as she said that it wasnt uncommon and as a keen scuba diver herself she suffered the same problem.
I had a medical when i joined the company who said my ears were fine.
FBW your right im not yet at stage one but am now on edge that i dont go sick again before the 12 months are up. I hope you are well now FBW and good luck to you to :)

[flybywire]

FBW your right im not yet at stage one but am now on edge that i dont go sick again before the 12 months are up. I hope you are well now FBW and good luck to you to :)

Sweetheart, if you're sick again you'll just have to go sick again! Do not let them bully you, I know it's hard but I don't believe that you're doing something on purpose to be sick, or are you? So many people throw in those nasty "sickies" your airline should have a system that recognise those people who are honestly sick and those that just want to go to Wimbledon/gay pride/sunday roasts etc. and are in fact feeling better than ever!!

[sukigirl]

Your absolutley right and i know this, but i am the sort of person who just worries, likes to do a good job and never wants to get into trouble or be 'told off' (my husband calls me goody two shoes.) So i will always worry.
As you can tell im not the sort of person who could just throw a sickie.:=

[flybywire]

Your absolutley right and i know this, but i am the sort of person who just worries, likes to do a good job and never wants to get into trouble or be 'told off' (my husband calls me goody two shoes.) So i will always worry.
As you can tell im not the sort of person who could just throw a sickie.:=

I know.........you'll just have to join the club of people like us then ;) :E

[sebby]

Gee dont worry.... it is more expensive for them and detromental to have u go sick downline!

You have extra sick days in your company dont you than a standard job (we do)... ?

They are there for the taking and as long as the company doesnt see a pattern (fridays etc).. u will be fine.

You first!! :ok:

[Runaway Gun]

Just don't risk it, and don't fly if you are unsure.
You will harm your sinus and ears for a very long time.

So what's one or two days off sick, as opposed to six months at a time.

[apaddyinuk]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE dont even think of flying with a cold....even if your airline has such strict sickness policies as mine!!! Its just not worth the risk!

[G_STRING]

Think twice

Imagine what is happening to your body when you fly with a cold

Before takeoff, the pressure outside, and inside your head/ears is equal.

After takeoff, the pressure outside reduces; under normal circumstances, (without a cold), the eustacian tube allows the pressure inside your head to equalise with the now reduced pressure outside. If the eustacian tube is blocked, it cannot do this, so there is a pressure differential. After takeoff, on ascent, this will mean that the pressure inside your head is greater than the pressure outside, so your eardrum will push outwards.

The greatest problems arise on descent, however; the pressure in your head, (if not equalised by the eustacian tube), will now be less than the pressure outside, causing the eardrum to push inwards, and possibly rupture.

Don't do it - it is simply not worth the risk

[sukigirl]

Im just wandering where we stand legally, i have heard some crew say that we can be hauled into the office if they see a pattern of colds on our sickness history even if we have notes from a doctor.

But I dont think its it that unreasonable to expect that the average crew member gets approx 2-3 colds a year given our working environment. does anyone have any union knowledge on this?

[Barkly1992]

I have a colleague (not in aviation) who flew as a passenger on a RPT service in Australia with a cold and on descent burst an eardrum - very painful up until this happened and the cabin crew could not help him.

He was supposed to go on an important job for us and could't. We made arrangements for a latter effort and then he got an infection in the ear and spent a week in hospital. We are now running a month behind and he is just getting over it - but won't be able to fly until early September.

[jennihopkins]

ok, here is my advice for getting over a cold as quickly as possible so you dont have to take too much time off work.

Echinacea - you can take up to 6 a day and they help to boost your immune system. I find them very effective in getting rid of colds quicker than usual. As soon as you feel a cold coming on start taking them. Do not take them all year round or you will become immune lol!

Vitamin C and Vitamin E - if you already take a multivitamin in the morning, then take the vitamin C supplement at night as you use up vitamin c during the day. Take vitamin E to help your skin and immune system.

Marshmallow - this can be brought from most health food shops (in holland and barratt its about £9.99) and this helps the mucus membranes. It can make you feel quite phlegmmy (sp?) but will really help your ears when flying either at the start or at the end of a cold.

Lots of water and orange juice and don't stress! hard not to stress when you are having to take time off work for a cold. i'm the same would never usually dream of taking time off work for a cold, but i guess it is different when you are flying. hope this helps!!

Jenni