perhaps the biggest issue that i encounter with flying is “airplane ears” — a term for barometric pressure-related ear pain usually on descent. i have had it myself a few times. my ear pain lasted several days no matter what i tried to do. when i couldn’t hear for a few days i even visited the audiology department of the university to see if i ruptured my eardrum. i didn’t. several annoying days later my painful ears returned to normal. when our eustachian tubes fail to regulate that middle ear pressure pain or at least pressure will develop. we try to swallow (they usually take your drink away before landing) chew gum (if we have it) or hold our nose and blow called a valsalva maneuver) but this doesn’t always work. if you have a long-standing history of airplane ears you might take a decongestant before flying but this too doesn’t always work. at the american academy of pediatrics national conference several years ago i was introduced to the earpopper an electronic device to correct this barometric pressure issue. you simply put the battery-powered blower in one side of your nose plug the other nostril and push the button as you swallow. this earpopper sends air up the eustachian tubes and equalizes the painful pressure. it works. it can even help kids with middle ear fluid ear fullness due to colds/allergies and those adventuresome people who like to scuba dive. the device is not cheap (about $200) but neither is a trip to your doctor. if you have a child that is on the verge of getting tubes because of middle ear effusion (fluid) then this little device may delay or even eliminate the need for surgery. tube insertions although covered by most insurances costs several thousand dollars. i hadn’t thought much about the earpopper recently until i got a call from anya clowers rn who wrote the little book "jet with kids" – a brave woman who has traveled to over 16 countries with her child. she had been reading my blog reading the posting on my ears nose and throat community board and tracked me down. she is an expert on airline safety when it comes to kids. two enjoyable hours later we covered the gamut of flying with kids from picking the best airline seat restraints to using the earpopper. she loves this device and doesn’t leave home without it. we talked about airlines making my dirty dozen list as one of the most unsanitary places. you can just about count on kids getting sick when you travel. not only do kids practice third world hygiene they do not have the immune system that can withstand bombardment from the new pathogens they are likely to encounter on the way in the plane or once they arrive at the destination. every community has their own variety of circulating germs and it is those new germs that cause havoc a day or so after you arrive. parents need to just expect that kids will be getting sick and stop belly-aching (no pun intended) when the inevitable illness emerges.
what can i expect when traveling on planes with my young children?