Flying with a cold: the most important rules for scratching your throat & Co.

The Easter holidays are just around the corner and many have already booked their holidays for a long time. Every year more than 50 million Germans travel by plane.

Shortly before the trip, the euphoria usually increases immeasurably, your last vacation was too long ago – and zap, you catch yourself right before you start your journey a big cold . And now?

Despite having a cold, coughing and earache, a flight would actually still be possible. However, there are some rules that you should follow at an altitude of 10,000 kilometers.

Change in pressure in the aircraft

Anyone who flies an aircraft is within a few minutes at an altitude of several kilometers above the surface of the earth. During the flight there is a low oxygen pressure, it is comparable to 2400 meters above sea level on Earth.

As a passenger, you usually do not notice anything – the only sign of the rapid change in altitude is a slight pressure on the ears. While in healthy people the pressure equalization usually takes place passively and completely alone, air travelers with a cold have to actively do something about it.

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Support the pressure equalization

Even with a slight infection it can happen that the ear trumpet swells and closes. If you have a slight cold, the pressure compensation no longer works regularly, but only two to three times a day.

Frequent swallowing can help against the typical pressure on the ears – especially when taking off and landing. Chewing gum and sucking candy also support pressure equalization through frequent chewing and sucking movements.

Blowing out also helps: you hold your nose and try to exhale through it at the same time. This opens the eustachian tube and a slight cracking in the ear indicates that the pressure equalization was successful.

Use nasal spray

Anyone who notices that they can no longer equalize pressure due to a cold, but will have to fly in the near future, can prepare. ENT experts recommend the combination of decongestant and cortisone-containing nasal sprays. These should be used about 30 minutes before departure and, on long flights, half an hour before landing decongestant effect can be better used there. In addition, you should drink a lot during the flight to keep the mucous membranes moist.

The length of the flight is not decisive, as the plane usually stays at the same altitude during the flight. This means that the pressure on the ear no longer changes. However, the burden on long-distance flights could still be higher if there are intermediate stops and thus several take-offs and landings.

Pain after the flight

Anyone who flew with a cold and still has severe earache after the flight should consult a doctor. This is especially true if the pain has not subsided after two days. A doctor should also be consulted if you have poor hearing after the flight.

Ultimately give up the flight

Anyone who has severe swelling of the ear trumpet, for example in the course of an otitis media, has returned from a flight not advised. If the pressure equalization does not work, the time in the plane can be a torture.

Very severe ear and headache during take-off and landing are the result. For this reason, it is better to avoid traveling by plane. In the worst case, the eardrum can bleed or tear.

Children in particular suffer extremely from the pain. The ear trumpets swell up faster in young children because they are narrower than in adults.

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