RELATED PAGES
Ear Pain
Change Your Ticket
Ear Infection
Airport Noise
Bill of Rights

DEAR DIANA

I have very sensitive ears and recently flew with the remains of a head cold. A few days after landing, my usually very acute hearing was affected and muffled hearing persisted until my return flight, when my ears suddenly cleared en route.

After landing, I was once again able to hear normally. But several days after my return home, the muffled hearing resumed.

I wanted to ask your advice about clearing my ears now -- without having to take off on another airplane! I read your advice in Jet Smarter about using steam-heat, but that seemed to apply to pain, which I'm not experiencing.

Kathy

P.S. I have already told lots of people about your books.

DIANA RESPONDS

I am sorry to read about your muffled hearing.

Every time I have had muffled hearing, it involved only one ear. But you say you are experiencing it in both ears. Because it involves both your ears and because it has occurred twice in a delayed reaction, I surmise that there may be an underlying cause.

DEHYDRATION

Perhaps the cause is dehydration. Dehydration is almost inevitable after flying due to the extremely dry cabin air. Symptoms of prolonged dehydration affect our ears, eyes, skin, and digestion. In fact, every function of the body can become impaired in one way or another when we get dehydrated.

So, please make sure you are sufficiently hydrated now:

1) Drink as much water as you can until your ear problem clears up.

2) Avoid dehydrating drinks like coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks.

3) Carefully re-read the chapter "Dehydrating Air" in Jet Smarter.

THE AIRPLANE ENVIRONMENT

It's a fact that the flying environment with rapid pressure changes, dry air, low oxygen, noise, pesticides, radiation, ozone, and more, combined with all the normal stresses of travel such as missing our daily routines of eating and sleeping, can cause many subtle health problems.

INFECTIONS

Ear problems can also be triggered, I've found, when we have an infection, even a low-grade infection, for example, in a tooth. You need to look into this.

On the emotional level, there are many causes of stress and sometimes a very personal one such being in a situation when someone is over-critical and continuously hurting our feelings, can affect our hearing.

If your ears are not 100 percent healthy when you fly, you can have problems. It's always important to take care of your ears as soon as you can after flying, so here are some strategies to help you get the relief you seek.

STEAM HEAT

You can try the steam-heat remedy that I have used on the plane (both for myself and for passengers when I was flying) in both Jet Smarter, and on Flyana.com. I have found that clearing the ears with steam is not just for pain -- and that it definitely helps to relieve muffled hearing, as well.

To use the steam remedy at home, perhaps try this. Place a paper towel in the bottom of a cup. Add boiling water. When the paper towel is saturated, pour off all the water. Be sure to drain off all the hot water. Then, quickly bring your ear to the steam. Enjoy giving yourself a mini ear sauna, as many ear problems clear up immediately this way. Practice this at home, so if you need it when you fly, you'll feel as confident as I do with this remedy -- and if you're careful to pour off all the hot water, there should be no problems.

Another thing I do at home with steam involves breathing: I boil one clove of garlic (chopped in small pieces), then inhale the garlic's steam. Garlic has anti-bacterial properties, and breathing garlic steam can be effective for throat and ear infections.

TOXINS

Ear problems can also be caused by accumulated toxins. Our bodies can get overloaded with toxins after we spend time in the toxic in-flight environment.

In addition to drinking a lot of water during and after every flight, here's what I try to do to address the problem of onboard toxins:

1) Breathe good quality air (as much as possible).

2) Take long walks in Nature.

3) Take hot baths (with baking soda and/or seaweed or sea salt).

DETOXIFICATION

Detoxification may be something you will want to look into for the long term. Health problems can be painful and scary as they lead us down and around new avenues, which we may not have previously even considered traveling. I know this first hand.

If you are interested in learning how I like to detoxify, I recommend that you read my book, NONI: Aspirin of the Ancients. In sum, I believe it's important to detoxify slowly and gently, so as not to cause more problems for ourselves.

ATTITUDE

Last but not least, I'd like to mention the importance of positive thinking. As we walk together along the healing path, I find that it truly helps to regularly give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.

In addition, here is an affirmation I use when I feel assaulted by stress or worry. In those moments, I find it helps to say this affirmation over and over to myself.

I give thanks and do my best. I have faith that the Almighty Pilot takes care of the rest.

With loving regards,
Diana Fairechild