EAR PAIN is the most common medical problem when flying a survey
commissioned by Deafness Research UK has discovered. 34.3% of those
scrutinised have experienced ear pain during a flight. The second
most common condition is swollen feet or ankles (18.8%) and 14.9% have
experienced stress, anxiety or "air rage" during a flight. Only 28.6%
of people have never experienced a medical problem while flying. The
charity, chaired by Lord Ashley the former MP, is launching a new
series of tips to help flyers overcome ear pain or discomfort. A
leaflet, called In-Flight Ear Health, is now available and gives
practical tips on preventing ear discomfort including guidance for
hearing aid users and parents of children with glue ear. It will be
interesting to see with the introduction of the Boeing 787, and
further on Airbus A350 XWB with their cabin altitudes more tuned to
what we expect at sea level, whether this makes any difference to
airborne ailments.
http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk