Is something similar to these available in Taiwan? if so, where can I buy them?
"EarPlanes Adult Size (2 pair)
Suffer from ear pain when you take off and land? Insert comfortable EarPlanes into your ears before the plane leaves the ground and reinsert them before you begin your descent. The result? Relief from the pain brought on by rapid changes in cabin pressure. Made of soft, silicone rubber on the outside, with exclusive CeramX filters inside. Each pair is good for one round-trip (two flights). 1 oz/pr"
You might want to try piching your nose and blowing before takeoff and seveal times during the flight. You need to equalize your ears, just as scuba divers do to offset the pressure imbalances…
Most airports stock conventional ear plugs (usually the same ones that sell travel nicknacks like padlocks and pillows) Airplanes are pretty popular. I’ve never looked at the Taipei airport though.
Most chemist shops sell conventional ear plugs, I’d stick a pack of these in your luggage just incase you can’t get the Earplanes. I never travel anywhere by plane with out my trusty plugs!
Regardless of brand name, has anyone seen silicone earplugs for sale in Taiwan? The soft, round, moldable type, for noise reduction, swimming, etc. Something along these lines - macksearplugs.com/product2/details.htm
I am not sure if the places above carry the exact same product or not. The ones from Magellans may be specifically designed to relieve the pressure from an airplane. I need something that really works, the last time I flew I nearly screamed and vomited it was so painful, I had pain from my lower neck to the above my ear. My ear is still plugged up from that flight and that was almost a month ago!
Mack’s pillow soft plugs aren’t going to work for sure, they are a completely different design. Though I have some of them and they work well for sleeping.
[quote=“AWOL”]they are identical to my speedo swimming ear plugs. so, maybe try the sports stores?[/quote]Earplanes AREN’T identical to standard swimming plugs. They look similar but inside they have a kind of valve that lets the pressure equalise gradually. (They’re also a fair bit pricier!)
I seem to remember that I’ve seen them for sale somewhere here, but can’t remember where. I’ll keep an eye open and post here if I see sany.
[quote=“JeffG”] My ear is still plugged up from that flight and that was almost a month ago!
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Have you seen the doctor? I caught a cold in Thailand and suffered for a long time because of the flight back - didn’t realise I had it. The doctor had to clear the blockage with some strong medicine he poured into my ear and I laid there for about fifteen minutes. Might be worth checking out. My GP was rubbish, so I ended up going to the ENT department at the hospital.
I’ll second Limey’s idea. Something isn’t right if you can’t clear your ears/pressure with the val salva manuever. The link below is a definition, but there are lots of other links if you search Google.
You might have a lingering middle ear infection. That will leave your eustachian tubes full of gunk and blocked. The symptoms you describe are consistant with this problem.
Get checked and do a run of antibiotics (keflex). Don’t let the doctor give you three days worth either…Insist on at least ten days worth.
I imagine you’ve already experienced the ‘danger’. Splitting pain, discomfort and nearly vomiting sound bad enough. Go see an ear doc, dude, they’re dirt cheap here.
To fly in this condition? For an example of what can happen, just shoot off a PM to JDsmith…
Yes, you could end up with a round window fracture, or a ruptured eardrum. Both can give you a bad case of vertigo, which is probably not an ideal thing when you are flying.
Forget the plugs…Get to a doctor and don’t fly until it’s cleared up.
I forgot to mention that I had just caught a cold a few days before I flew last time. Over the past few years I have actually not experienced such pain as I did this past month, and I am guessing it was because I caught a cold.
I went to a doctor when I came back they gave me some anti-biotics to kill an infection and that was about it. I am still having a slight problem with hearing out of my right ear. It is much better than it was last month.
