Before I talk about airplane ear and how it can affect your baby or toddler, I want you to take a trip down memory lane with me. Think about your carefree years when, as a young adult, you would take flights to destinations both near and far for leisure or work. Those were the days when you would actively seek out a window seat far away from the restrooms. Your only goal being to minimize interaction with others.
Window seats offered a safe retreat amid a sea of people. There was no one climbing over you to get to the bathroom while you slept. No passive aggressive fighting for armrest space, while crammed between two strangers. No painful knee or elbow swipes from the refreshment cart.
This was when children were the furthest thing from your mind… Except when you saw infants or toddlers in the waiting area at your gate. Then you would offer up a silent appeal to the sky gods, asking them to please, please have the little cherub situated as far away from seat 12A as possible. Why? Because you still remembered the screaming of the last inconsolable child on a flight.
Isn’t it funny how self-absorbed you can be when you are young? It never occurred to me that the reason for such airborne pint-sized distress could be found in my own past; the dreaded airplane ear.
My Experience with Airplane Ear
You see I was that child. The one with never-ending ear infections. Countless doctor visits, ear surgeries and a tonsillectomy certainly helped, but still left me with sensitive ears. Particularly on planes. “Hold your nose, close your mouth, and blow,” I was told. “Swallow,” I was told. “Try and yawn,” I was told. Unfortunately, these suggestions would often fail to address airplane ear. And, as the mounting pressure grew, I would often be reduced to a puddle of tears. I distinctly remember, on one trip, an extremely nice flight attendant offering me two plastic cups to put over my ears. It definitely alleviated some the pain, but I was then at an age where I found such a public display of weirdness mortifying.
Eureka
Imagine then the “aha” moment I had when, after the birth of my first child, I began researching best practices for flying with an infant. One of the most important tips I discovered was that you should always feed your baby as the plane takes off, as well as when it begins its descent. This is to help alleviate the pressure inside their inner ear.
You see, one of the reasons why babies and toddlers will let a plane full of people know that they are unhappy is because the pressure inside their inner ear quickly surpasses the pressure outside. A condition known as – you guessed it – airplane ear. In young children, the pain this pressure causes can last a long time if it isn’t stabilized.
Putting a Plan into Action
Determined to make sure this didn’t happen to my own two-month-old son, I put the advice to work. Armed with bottles, as well as myself, I carefully got everything ready in advance so that, the moment the plane’s wheels lifted off the runway, I could begin feeding him. And you know what? It worked!
I did the same thing as we approached the Tampa airport; making sure to start the feed as soon as I felt the first inkling of a descent. You see it is important to begin feeding right away, because the change in pressure can be very rapid. This, in turn, can result in you starting too late.
Last Words
As the years have gone by, I’ve never forgotten to include airplane ear prevention as part of my pre-flight prep. Back in the day, this included having a pacifier with me in case my baby didn’t want to feed. When my kids were toddlers, I would give them something to drink during take-off and landing. And, when they got older, I would make sure they each had a water bottle and a lollipop to suck. Now that my eldest is a teenager, I’ve switched out the candy for gum.
My last piece of advice is to be aware of congestion. There is a reason why some ENT’s suggest adults, who are congested, take Sudafed (or something similar) before flying. If your baby or toddler has a stuffy nose, it’s going to be even more important to help them address changes in ear pressure. Help them suck and swallow. Just don’t give your child any decongestant medicine without consulting with their pediatrician first!
Happy Travels!
