Problem with ears
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Technique?
Loose Rivets:
Quote:
That's interesting, but the only comment I would make about the above is, when all this concoction is loaded into your head, you have to hold your nose and blow -- not sniff.
Please: Are you saying throw this concoction up your nose, then hold and blow??
It does make sense, but wouldn't it cause OVER PRESSURISATION of the Sinus?
Chr's
H/Snort.
Quote:
That's interesting, but the only comment I would make about the above is, when all this concoction is loaded into your head, you have to hold your nose and blow -- not sniff.
Please: Are you saying throw this concoction up your nose, then hold and blow??
It does make sense, but wouldn't it cause OVER PRESSURISATION of the Sinus?
Chr's
H/Snort.
Psychophysiological entity
Well, if you notice any cranial leakage Stop Blowing!!
Seriously though, you certainly do not want to trap any significant pressure and be left with a residual sinus headache. Often these are caused by day to day changes in atmospheric pressure, so quite a small diff can be tedious if it is locked in.
Let pain be your guide, as the physios say. But whatever you do it would be doubtful that you would achieve the pressure diff of totally blocked sinuses at a typical cabin altitude round 35,000 feet. On the above mentioned flight, I had no lasting injury, and there was no bleeding despite spending 2 hours in the cruise in severe pain. we landed in Tunis and I had no pain at all for a blissful 30 mins. On the way home we were worried about fuel and pushed up a bit higher. It totally disabled me.
I was also concerned that it would suddenly equalize and leave me with a huge pressure diff while on the ground;at least as it was, I knew the pain would stop on landing.
So, I'm suggesting that you listen for the little squelching noises and use them as an indicator of when to stop. Proceed slowly, you only need a tiny fraction of the mixture to start to work its way in. If all's well, be a bit more adventurous next time.
Seriously though, you certainly do not want to trap any significant pressure and be left with a residual sinus headache. Often these are caused by day to day changes in atmospheric pressure, so quite a small diff can be tedious if it is locked in.
Let pain be your guide, as the physios say. But whatever you do it would be doubtful that you would achieve the pressure diff of totally blocked sinuses at a typical cabin altitude round 35,000 feet. On the above mentioned flight, I had no lasting injury, and there was no bleeding despite spending 2 hours in the cruise in severe pain. we landed in Tunis and I had no pain at all for a blissful 30 mins. On the way home we were worried about fuel and pushed up a bit higher. It totally disabled me.
I was also concerned that it would suddenly equalize and leave me with a huge pressure diff while on the ground;at least as it was, I knew the pain would stop on landing.
So, I'm suggesting that you listen for the little squelching noises and use them as an indicator of when to stop. Proceed slowly, you only need a tiny fraction of the mixture to start to work its way in. If all's well, be a bit more adventurous next time.
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So, I'm very encouraged by all this - but I'm still a little uncertain about how to proceed.
Loose rivets
I can get the saline solution up into my nose and it runs down my throat and I can even get it into one nostril and have it run out of the other by tipping my head sideways, but I can't think how to get it up into my sinus cavities too.
Is it just a case of lying on your back and pouring the stuff up your nose? I read somewhere that you can feel the liquid filling up your cavities but all I can feel is it running out....I think I'm doing something wrong?
Loose rivets
I can get the saline solution up into my nose and it runs down my throat and I can even get it into one nostril and have it run out of the other by tipping my head sideways, but I can't think how to get it up into my sinus cavities too.
Is it just a case of lying on your back and pouring the stuff up your nose? I read somewhere that you can feel the liquid filling up your cavities but all I can feel is it running out....I think I'm doing something wrong?
Psychophysiological entity
Yep, I hang with my head upside down off the end of the bed. Not a pretty sight.
I guess being able to control the spluttering will be proportional to how much time one has spent swimming under water.
Unlike the above poster, I find swimming in a chlorinated pool very good for clear nasal breathing, but I do react to some chemicals, so it's just a matter of luck how you react I guess.
I guess being able to control the spluttering will be proportional to how much time one has spent swimming under water.
Unlike the above poster, I find swimming in a chlorinated pool very good for clear nasal breathing, but I do react to some chemicals, so it's just a matter of luck how you react I guess.
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Evening all, interesting stuff, makes me feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one suffering. The last ENT 'specialist' I saw on Monday following a CT scan, acted like I was wasting his time. The CT scan showed no more inflammation in my sinuses than 'normal'. 
What's normal?
I've had the camera up the nose twice; almost as painful and unpleasant as flying with my sinusus blocked.
My job involves three or four flights a day in a B200, not up front unfortunately, then spending a couple of hours on the ground before flying again.
The last flight I tried was an OPC, about an hour in total, and was okay for 40mins or so but then I got a bad headache, lots of sinus pain and it actually felt like my head was distorting to a rugby ball shape. Sort of pressure feeling corner to corner. We landed soon after, and I went into shock. Not happy.
I've just stopped eating dairy to see if that helps, and I think it is a little; four days in now, and the last two days I feel a little better. I'm on the antihistamines too, so maybe its those.
I've got some Nasonex, but it doesn't seem very effective. I was on Betnesol drops before, and that settled things within a few days when unbearable back in June. I found them quite unpleasant to take too, and I couldn't really tell how many drops I was putting in each nostril. In the end I decided the tipping my head upside down off the edge of the sofa twice a day gave me more headaches just when I didn't need it (i.e. having got up with a bad head, then going to bed with a thumping head again). Things seem to be settling down, and I haven't had a really bad day for a while now.
I do wonder whether I still have some virus on me; this all started with an ear infection which cleared after antibiotics, but the sticky ears feeling never cleared. I could always clear the pressure in my ears, but it was a real struggle sometimes. My eustacion tubes are really 'clunky'; they thump and clunk and I clear them, whereas they always used to clear with just a light click. From time to time I'm still going hot and cold, and have real wobbly moments. Two days ago I had no energy whatsoever, I was just flattened, felt utterly lousy.
Anyone else suffering with sinusitis or rhinitis showing these virus type symptoms?
Sorry, I've gone on a bit. Hope you're not
What's normal?I've had the camera up the nose twice; almost as painful and unpleasant as flying with my sinusus blocked.
My job involves three or four flights a day in a B200, not up front unfortunately, then spending a couple of hours on the ground before flying again.
The last flight I tried was an OPC, about an hour in total, and was okay for 40mins or so but then I got a bad headache, lots of sinus pain and it actually felt like my head was distorting to a rugby ball shape. Sort of pressure feeling corner to corner. We landed soon after, and I went into shock. Not happy.
I've just stopped eating dairy to see if that helps, and I think it is a little; four days in now, and the last two days I feel a little better. I'm on the antihistamines too, so maybe its those.
I've got some Nasonex, but it doesn't seem very effective. I was on Betnesol drops before, and that settled things within a few days when unbearable back in June. I found them quite unpleasant to take too, and I couldn't really tell how many drops I was putting in each nostril. In the end I decided the tipping my head upside down off the edge of the sofa twice a day gave me more headaches just when I didn't need it (i.e. having got up with a bad head, then going to bed with a thumping head again). Things seem to be settling down, and I haven't had a really bad day for a while now.
I do wonder whether I still have some virus on me; this all started with an ear infection which cleared after antibiotics, but the sticky ears feeling never cleared. I could always clear the pressure in my ears, but it was a real struggle sometimes. My eustacion tubes are really 'clunky'; they thump and clunk and I clear them, whereas they always used to clear with just a light click. From time to time I'm still going hot and cold, and have real wobbly moments. Two days ago I had no energy whatsoever, I was just flattened, felt utterly lousy.
Anyone else suffering with sinusitis or rhinitis showing these virus type symptoms?
Sorry, I've gone on a bit. Hope you're not
Buttonpusher
Add me to the list too, After 20 years in jetliners I seem to get a serious sinus infection at this time of year every year, after reading Loose's post about state of mind and sinus problems, I realize that I'm due for a check-ride and a Class one physical pretty much in the same month. I don't know if they are related, but seems to make sense, I too use a saline solution and it does help me breathe better. BTW exercise seems to move the stuff around and out too. Very interesting reading...
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Taking It Up The Nose:
Wot would we do without some brevity:
Jokes aside, for me and only speaking for myself, as I SENSE from what I read that others could well suffer from depression as I did, due to Sinus.
I say this because for years since 95, I would suffer, it affected me in every way, in the cockpit (sick and tired of always taking Panadol-Nurophen-sydomol-voltaren) just to be able to work, then doing all the correct things like seeing a specialist, and being told only mild Rhinitis! F----me I don't ever want to suffer a serious form!
When I use the word depression, it is in the sense that you wonder if you are loosing it! I certainly began to doubt myself solely due to the way I was feeling.
Especially as my rotation was always from one Hemisphere to the other, season to season! then to a hot dry climate in the desert, then back again in reverse order.
I would get shi--y, my attitude would suffer, my family would suffer when I came home after 5 weeks.
It just became difficult to cope,( good days to bad days) one starts out good ends up bad, starts out bad ends up good.
I am not a Doctor, and am not (completely) mad, but this ENT guy I saw,(THE GOOD B'STARD) HE SET ME FREE, I have a life again, and I have started flying again and I am enjoying it, and I intend to do it even better than before, I still love it, where as it had got to the point of resentment as "my lover" was F---ing me up.
And I don't have shares in the pharmaceutical ( Spelt wrong) companies any longer.
It has been three years since I THREW MY TOYS OUT OF THE COT, I knew I was not well enough to fly,( Nothing wrong mild rhinitus) as long as I do as I have indicated in the previous post, I don't have an issue with it any longer.
This is just me, we are all different and I would hate to put anyone wrong, but if this helps anyone then I've done a bit more for my fellow man.
Chr's
H/Snort
Jokes aside, for me and only speaking for myself, as I SENSE from what I read that others could well suffer from depression as I did, due to Sinus.
I say this because for years since 95, I would suffer, it affected me in every way, in the cockpit (sick and tired of always taking Panadol-Nurophen-sydomol-voltaren) just to be able to work, then doing all the correct things like seeing a specialist, and being told only mild Rhinitis! F----me I don't ever want to suffer a serious form!
When I use the word depression, it is in the sense that you wonder if you are loosing it! I certainly began to doubt myself solely due to the way I was feeling.
Especially as my rotation was always from one Hemisphere to the other, season to season! then to a hot dry climate in the desert, then back again in reverse order.
I would get shi--y, my attitude would suffer, my family would suffer when I came home after 5 weeks.
It just became difficult to cope,( good days to bad days) one starts out good ends up bad, starts out bad ends up good.
I am not a Doctor, and am not (completely) mad, but this ENT guy I saw,(THE GOOD B'STARD) HE SET ME FREE, I have a life again, and I have started flying again and I am enjoying it, and I intend to do it even better than before, I still love it, where as it had got to the point of resentment as "my lover" was F---ing me up.
And I don't have shares in the pharmaceutical ( Spelt wrong) companies any longer.
It has been three years since I THREW MY TOYS OUT OF THE COT, I knew I was not well enough to fly,( Nothing wrong mild rhinitus
) as long as I do as I have indicated in the previous post, I don't have an issue with it any longer.This is just me, we are all different and I would hate to put anyone wrong, but if this helps anyone then I've done a bit more for my fellow man.
Chr's
H/Snort
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The sinus problems can actually be fairly easily rectified - it is the ears that are the problem.
You can go for what they call FESS - facial endoscopic sinus surgery. It involves burning away excess flesh from the passageways so that when they get inflamed, there is still enough room for the air to get in and out. It can help the ears too by helping mucus drain but from what I have heard it doesn't really. Once the gunk is in the eustachian tubes it is hard to get out.
I too have found that exercise can help - I understand it is because working out causes the body to release adrenalin - this kind of "fight or flight" response helps open up the tubes a bit as the body tries to get more air in. I have been told that decongestant tablets work in a similar way.
Also you can try expectorants - they work in a different way - they thin the mucus instead - normally designed to help chesty coughs etc. but seem to help some people (not me though). Best check, but the CAA seem to be OK with "non drowsy" expectorants.
Drinking lots of water helps a bit - I have read similar things on this site too - it helps thin the mucus.
You can go for what they call FESS - facial endoscopic sinus surgery. It involves burning away excess flesh from the passageways so that when they get inflamed, there is still enough room for the air to get in and out. It can help the ears too by helping mucus drain but from what I have heard it doesn't really. Once the gunk is in the eustachian tubes it is hard to get out.
I too have found that exercise can help - I understand it is because working out causes the body to release adrenalin - this kind of "fight or flight" response helps open up the tubes a bit as the body tries to get more air in. I have been told that decongestant tablets work in a similar way.
Also you can try expectorants - they work in a different way - they thin the mucus instead - normally designed to help chesty coughs etc. but seem to help some people (not me though). Best check, but the CAA seem to be OK with "non drowsy" expectorants.
Drinking lots of water helps a bit - I have read similar things on this site too - it helps thin the mucus.
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Yes thanks, I have tried Earplanes - they just didn't work although I have heard of people who swear by them. They work by slowing the rate of change of pressurisation although in my case, I can even feel a rate of 100fpm so they can't really help.
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I am probably going to get ridiculed for this, but here goes. Are you drinking enough water? How is your urine output?
I have a long history of sinus/nasal issues, and eventually I realized that they coincided with a lack of trips to the restroom--if you catch the drift. When they start to reoccur an increase in water intake inevitably resolves the problem in a day or so.
I have a long history of sinus/nasal issues, and eventually I realized that they coincided with a lack of trips to the restroom--if you catch the drift. When they start to reoccur an increase in water intake inevitably resolves the problem in a day or so.
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742 - you're right, I do find that helps but in my case, not quite enough. I think it thins the mucus a little and helps it drain out.
If I drink around three litres of water a day the symptoms are less intense but still there.....I saw this mentioned on one of the threads here and have since found quite a bit of stuff on the web that suggests it works for a lot of people too...
If I drink around three litres of water a day the symptoms are less intense but still there.....I saw this mentioned on one of the threads here and have since found quite a bit of stuff on the web that suggests it works for a lot of people too...
