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Over one third of people suffer ear pain during air travel |
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Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
Ear pain is a common problem during air travel according to a new survey, but a few simple tips can help overcome it.
Air
travel is part of most people's summer vacation and it's not always a
trouble-free experience from a health point of view (to say nothing of
the stress of delays and overcrowding!). Deafness Research UK has
carried out a new survey to find out the most common problems
associated with air travel.
Over one third complain of ear pain during a flight,
while the second most common problem, reported by 18.8 per cent, is
swollen feet or ankles. Nearly 15 per cent have experienced stress,
anxiety or 'air rage' during air travel. Deafness Research UK has
accordingly issued a series of tips to help flyers with ear pain. They
explain that most ear pain is because of changes in cabin pressure that
occur when an aircraft descends. These make the eardrum press inward
and result in pain and discomfort. Swallow regularly - by sipping
water, sucking a sweet, or chewing gum - during the descent and this
will normalize pressure in your ears. Young mother Geraldine Googe, of
London, says the tips helped her eight year old daughter overcome her
dread of air travel. Previously she had cried with ear pain as the
plane came down but now sucking a sweet gets rid of the discomfort and
calms her down. Using a nasal spray to reduce a blocked nose also
proved very helpful.
Source
Deafness Research UK 7th August 2006
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