this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2023
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One time I took a solo 1.5 hour flight and on the descent I suddenly felt a tingling on the top of my head and down my face, which quickly turned into a feeling like someone chopped an axe into the top of my head. I felt an excruciating pain on the top center of my head , behind my eyes and down my face and was trying not to react in front of all the other passengers. The pain was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. By the time we landed and I got off the plane the sharpness of the pain subsided but I had a bad headache for 2 days after. I thought I might die honestly and it spun me into such a bad anxiety attack. I did some searching and only found one post ever of something similar happening to someone else and it was from sinus pressure. I wasn’t sick at all or stuffed up so it was surprising. So now when I fly I pop Sudafed and blow my nose frequently and basically have a panic attack on the descent because of my fear of it happening again.
I've had it a few times, the first time was the worst because I had no idea what was going on. Didn't have it again for about 10 years and at the time I was flying regularly so I'd take a nasal spray for the descent and also try to breathe out my ears (hold nose and mouth and blow). Only a couple of occassions since that there's been a little, but I do get anxious at times.
Stop holding your nose and blowing, to clear your ears. You can burst your eardrum this way. I have a perforated eardrum, myself (though not from this), and getting a subsequent inner ear infection in that ear is the most painful thing I have ever experienced. Worse than the burst appendix or broken ribs.
Instead, try holding your nose and closing your mouth and swallowing a few times. With a big gulp of water might help. Should eventually give you enough pressure to clear the blockage, without risking your health.