Sharp shooting pain above right eye whilst landing..

[Scoobster]

I haven't really queried this before as I thought it was a one off but now I am slightly phased by this as I have a Class 1 medical coming up and am anxious for things to run smoothly!

In my current office job I travel as a Pax which can be shorthaul and long haul. In July I took a vacation to Egypt and about 15 mins before landing and and 5 mins before touch down I experienced this excruicating pain just above my 'right eye'.

There was no pain in my ears but an extremely shap shooting pain just above of where the eye socket begins, as though someone had taken a pin and pushed it from outside into arteries above my eye socket. It was so bad that I was clutching my eye.

This same pain also repeated itself when I was a pax on board a Ryanair Flight to Dublin whilst descending for landing. It didnt last as long as last time.

I think my ear did pop though.

Any ideas what could cause this? Pressurisation?

Thanks

[Loose rivets]

Search through this lot, then search longer than the few months that I selected if you need more.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/search.php?searchid=2049178

[Scoobster]

There are no search terms when clicking on the link.. its invalid.

I tried searching but it was really like finding a needle in a haystack as I am unsure which category it would fall under e.g. presurisation etc..

[BOAC]

!NB Warning! - non-medic here. I would SUSPECT, from your description it is a sinus problem. They are cavities in the bone all over the head, including above and below the eye. Google for Sinus and search PPrune as well. The change in pressure which affects blocked sinuses/ears increases dramatically the lower you descend and obviously peaks as you land.

Here's one thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=239180&highlight=sinus) which you can read.

The usual caveat applies - best get a doc to check if it continues.

[Scoobster]

Thanks - Its a bit tricky as I fly as a pax quite regularly and it doesnt happen all the time, if it is a sinus problem then surely it should affect me when I am not flying either?

[Loose rivets]

Well, that's strange. I did test it, but who knows what goes on in the inner workings.:confused:


Try

Search / Advanced search / highlight Medical & health / set anytime (top of list) / type sinus (in top left box )

Let us know. LR

[kiwi chick]

I would go with sinus problem too - all connected, when descending ears may not feel it but sinus cavities can.

Well, that's what happened to me once before anyway. :)

[bushy]

Yes, that happened to me once only, many, many years ago after I had sat in an aeroplane (unpressurised) for five hours at 10,000 ft and then descended. It did not ever occur again although I spent some years skydiving, and 15,000 hours over 33 years flying mainly unpressurised aircraft.
However, I still remember that one occasion. It was not nice.

[7120]

BOAC is correct. Its known as sinus barotrauma or barosinusitis. In your case the frontal sinus (air space in bone above your eye) was involved and yes it's bloody painful.

On descent trapped air in the sinus at low (cabin) pressure cannot equalise with ambient pressure. To fill the void swelling of the lining of the sinus (mucosa) occurs. This acute swelling +/- bleeding leads to pain.
Decongestants usually do the trick or don't fly if you have sinusitis/cold.

Full link here: http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic595.htm

All pilots need to be aware of this.

[pulse1]

I suffered from this for about a year and it did not appear to be related to a cold. The worst case was during my one and only flight in a Jet Provost when we dived from 11000' to low level and I was in agony, couldn't even get to rub it because of the helmet.

My doctor recommended Otrivine (non prescription decongestant) and I never had a problem when I used that immediately before a flight.

[Scoobster]

Thanks for all the replies folks.

I will look into this in more detail with the links. Yes it was bloody painful, one minute I was laughing and joking and the next minute tears were streaming out of my eyes!

So just some more trivial but necessary questions (which I should really attain from the links! but nonetheless :} )

Would I be right in assuming that I must have been suffering from a cold, when I went to Egypt (mid-july on a piping hot day!) and to Ireland in August??

This did not happen in May when I went to Chicago, so again can I assume that this is 'not' a frequent occurence?

More importantly does this affect a Class 1??

What view do the JAA take?

Should it be declared? (The reason I ask this is because I do not know if it is a 'condition' or more of a 'here now, gone tomorrow' kind of thing.

Cheers

Scoobster

[pulse1]

can I assume that this is 'not' a frequent occurence?


I used to suffer on a flight in one direction and not in the other. For example, I went to Basle one day with no problems. On return the next day, at about 100' coming into Heathrow, I suddenly felt this excruciating pain above my eyes. I suspect that it is a lot to do with the ROD and the altitude of the airfield. Other times I have suffered in the descent at quite moderate altitudes, possible because of a high ROD. On a flight to India I suffered during the first descent into Dahran, slightly on the next one into Dubai and not at all going into Bombay. On the return journey a month later I had no probelms at all.

The main thing is that decongestants solve the problem. I haven't had a problem now for over twenty years although I have often flown with a cold.

[Scoobster]

So with that said there should be no problems with regards to an initial class 1medical..?

Is it detected by docs?

Or should I stop asking these questions :}

[BOAC]

The advice, as always, is to seek medical advice, but it does NOT need a cold to give you an infected sinus or two, and yes, it is excruciating!

The Class 1 would only be a problem, in my non-medical opinion, if you had a sinus problem which was not treatable

[Scoobster]

Thanks - Well, I think I might just go to the doctor and ask for a referral to have it checked out.

It has not been picked up on any of my previous medicals, mind you I didnt even know I had this until my trip to Egypt!

Cheers

[scooter boy]

Scoobs,
As a Doc and a pilot I can tell you it is almost certainly one of your frontal sinuses giving you grief.
These connect to your nasal cavity through a wee tube that blocks off from time to time.
If you happen to be descending then the pain from the expanding air trapped inside can really grab your attention - it has done mine once or twice.
I would recommend you leave it well alone unless it is a perpetual problem, it is possible to cranialise the sinus (nasty op - last resort) but I would live with it unless it is always troubling you.

SB