Especially on a longer flight, many bridge the time in the air with a nap – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Only during two specific phases should you avoid sleeping on the plane.
Namely during take-off and landing. Because there are certain people who actually risk consequential damage. Ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. medical Armin Mechkat explains the reasons to TRAVELBOOK.
“The middle ear is an air-filled space whose pressure is adjusted to the outside pressure. Since the ambient pressure changes when an airplane takes off or lands, a pressure difference arises,” explains Dr. Mechkat. The auditory tube opens to equalize the difference in pressure. If the equalization does not happen, the uncomfortable pressure in the ears occurs, which some passengers feel when taking off or, especially, when landing.
When sleeping on an airplane, pressure equalization is sometimes not possible
When you are asleep, it can happen that you do not notice when the pressure equalization in the inner ear is not taking place. However, this problem tends to affect people who are generally sensitive to changes in external pressure or who are particularly susceptible to acute illnesses such as an ear infection, explains Dr. Mechkat. As a rule, the pressure differences are compensated for automatically, for example by swallowing.
If the pressure is not equalized, in addition to a feeling of pressure in the ear and pain, there can even be bleeding into the middle ear or the eardrum. “In the worst case, the eardrum or a thin membrane in the inner ear ruptures, which can result in acute hearing loss,” says the doctor. A strong feeling of pressure, combined with pain and bleeding, is dangerous because it can lead to permanent hearing loss.
How to deal with the pressure
There are a few tips on what you can do to counteract the unpleasant feeling in your ears: It helps to move your lower jaw forwards and backwards or to consciously equalize the pressure. This is achieved by holding your nose, closing your mouth and then blowing in a controlled manner. It also helps if you drink something, swallow something, chew gum or yawn. If you often have problems with equalizing the pressure, you can also use decongestant nasal sprays or drops as a precaution.
“If the pressure in your ears doesn’t go away within 24 hours, you should see a doctor,” says Dr. Mechkat. If, in addition to strong pressure, you also have acute ringing in your ears or vertigo, you should see a doctor immediately after landing.