Preventing a sinus infection after flying with a cold

December 21, 2018 3:03 PM

I have a bad cold. I'm getting on an airplane tomorrow. Almost every time I fly with a cold, I end up with a sinus infection. Is there anything I can do to lessen the likelihood of that happening? Do you have any other tips for flying more comfortably with a head and chest full of mucus? (My doctor forbids me from taking decongestants due to high blood pressure.)

Bonus points for declaring whether you would have categorized this under "health and fitness" or "travel and transportation." I honestly couldn't decide.

posted by mudpuppie to Health & Fitness (24 answers total)

Is your nose running or stuffed up? I flew once with a head cold and had horrible pain in my ears on the ascent. The flight attendant told me that sometimes when people have colds their eardrums burst on the descent. My ears weren't popping. I managed to survive the descent, but couldn't hear properly (and my ears still didn't pop) for *days* afterward. I don't think I would fly with a bad cold again, though maybe your situation is different. If you feel like you can fly, I would drink a lot of hot water/tea for the steam. Saline spray might help (the kind w/o decongestant, of course).
posted by pinochiette at 3:18 PM on December 21, 2018

Neti pots help a lot with congestion. You can pretty much neti as often as you want to, and it really loosens up the crap that takes residence up in your sinuses.
posted by BrashTech at 3:22 PM on December 21, 2018 [9 favorites]

Drink ridiculous amounts of fluid, despite the bathroom issue. Thin mucus is less likely to get all thick and gummed up in there and planes are so dry.
posted by warriorqueen at 4:07 PM on December 21, 2018 [6 favorites]

Are all decongestants forbidden, or just sudafed? Can you use a topical decongestant like Afrin? I'm pretty sure oxymetazoline doesn't cause increased blood pressure.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:18 PM on December 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

Can you take Mucinex/guaifenesin? If I couldn't take a decongestant, I'd do everything I could to get stuff loose and moooooving before the doors of the plane close, even if it means flying with a full box of Kleenex and a trash bag in my lap.

Also hydrate very well, take whatever anti-inflammatory you can. Get a whole routine going 24 hours in advance.

I ruptured my eardrum flying, and it healed fine with no problems but that's not true for everyone. And it certainly wasn't fun, though at least the excruciating pain stops once it ruptures.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:21 PM on December 21, 2018 [6 favorites]

Neti pot before and after. Oxymetazoline during. (But if you haven’t used either, read the directions. They both can have nasty side effects if you do them wrong.)

And yes, tons of water.
posted by greermahoney at 4:25 PM on December 21, 2018

Decongestants are exactly the wrong way to go. That will help the symptoms, but risks prolonging the cold. That’s why the cold leads to the sinus infection. The dry air acts as a decongestant, trapping all the gross plane germs from the air in your sinuses.

I’m a big fan of steam. Saunas, hot showers, tea, Neti pots.. I recently bought the As Seen on TV MyPurMist gizmo, which is overpriced but also exactly what my finicky sinuses need in cold weather/cold season. (Too early to recommend)
posted by politikitty at 4:27 PM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Mucinex will also help your mucus stay thin and less likely to cement in your sinuses. Start taking it now if you can.
posted by quince at 4:56 PM on December 21, 2018

I am a chronic sinustis sufferer and have been in your exact situation.

One thing that helps me is a quiet breathing meditation. I block one nostril by putting my hand over my face like I'm thinking and place a finger to close one side of my nose. I breathe in through my mouth and exhale gently through the open nostril. I do that for a few minutes and then switch sides.

Breathing out (but not in) through one nostril seems to let my sinus tissues relex and helps drainage. And the focus on gentle in-breaths and out exhales relaxes me (this is a yoga breathing technique.)

Bring two handerchiefs or lots of tissues.

"health and fitness"
posted by ITravelMontana at 4:56 PM on December 21, 2018 [3 favorites]

+1 for mucinex...with which you need to drink plenty of water.
posted by wryly at 5:14 PM on December 21, 2018

Wearing a mask helps keep your sinuses from drying out. I would also drink enormous amounts of liquids, maybe bring some herbal tea bags so you can ask for hot water and have nice things to inhale/drink.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:14 PM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hot drinks, scarf at the neck and hat, aerobic exercise like walking, ambient temperature warm. These are a few of my favorite things---well, ones that work for congestion. I would also wear silk vest under layer.
posted by effluvia at 5:31 PM on December 21, 2018

Some things I do:

1. Mucinex, like everyone else said
2. 48 oz water bottle / as large as you can manage. Bring it through empty and refill at the gate, or pay the $$ for a giant bottle airside -- you need to stay hydrated, and beverage service is not nearly enough.
3. Herbal teas marketed towards respiratory health, especially one containing peppermint oil / menthol. Regardless of what you think of herbal remedies, menthol / peppermint are pretty obviously good at loosening your sinuses.
4. Pressing down under both armpits. I can't find a reputable source for the life of me -- I first read it in a newsletter that my school nurse sent, but it supposedly simulates lying down on both sides at once. The side you lie down on usually gets stuffed up, but since you're lying on both sides, your brain gets confused and drains both sides. It might be completely bogus, but if it works, great, and if not, it's harmless!

posted by batter_my_heart at 5:36 PM on December 21, 2018 [3 favorites]

A neti pot won't work very well if your sinuses are fully stuffed up. It may be user error or it may be just me, but I find opening your sinuses first helps a lot. Otherwise, the liquid may instead run down the side of the pot/your chin/down the back of your throat instead of the other nostril. I say this having used one every day for the past four years. I love neti pots, but there has to be passage through your sinuses and nostrils before you use them. Otherwise you aren't doing much but dribbling water down your chin. If my sinuses are stuffed, which they almost always are upon waking, I take a shower that generates lots of steam and then use a neti pot. (Never use tap water BTW.) I would recommend you do the same.

Also, buy Ester-C. Take 1,000 milligrams just before your flight. This stuff really, really helps your immune system fight bugs. It is also formulated to be gentle on your stomach.
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 5:38 PM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Further to Hubris's suggestion, I neti when I'm feeling stuffed up, using tap water that's been boiled hard for 10 minutes and then cooled to a comfortable temp.
posted by kate4914 at 5:57 PM on December 21, 2018

Tiger Balm can be great on the temples or under the nose to help gently relieve sinus pressure.
posted by Little Dawn at 6:00 PM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

A trick I was taught years ago was to very nicely for a cup of ice at the top of descent (before the galley gets packed down for landing). Slowly sucking on the ice helps keep your ears clear and maybe the coolness helps some of the swelling that can make things even worse? Or maybe it’s placebo? But it does remind you to swallow and keeps you hydrated.
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 6:25 PM on December 21, 2018 [3 favorites]

Everything everyone else has already said, plus sinus massage. Under the cheekbones, the sides and under the nose and above the bridge of your nose, between your eyes.
posted by Jubey at 6:43 PM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Afrin, definitely. Also guaifenesin + hydration. Also Arm& Hammer saline spray + lots of tissues. You can use the saline spray as many times as you want during the flight, unlike a net pot.
posted by mmf at 7:09 PM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

get earplanes (the latest version is much more comfortable than the original) and put them in as soon as you sit down.
posted by brujita at 8:53 PM on December 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

Seawater\saltwater sorry to unblock sinus.
Plenty of water to drink
Mask to keep the airways from drying up. If you can get hold of one, an M3 polition mask works best.
You need to suck on something on the way down.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 12:22 AM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have the same problem, although I seem to have survived my East Coast to LA and back without an overnight stay from two weeks ago. My doctor told to to use Afrin just before boarding.
posted by COD at 5:24 AM on December 22, 2018

I prescribe Coricidin HBP as a decongestant for people with high blood pressure. It isn’t great but it does have an antihistamine in it that will dry you out somewhat, plus some acetaminophen which will help with malaise.
posted by killdevil at 12:52 PM on December 22, 2018

This won’t reach you for tomorrow, but consider the Humidiflyer for future trips. Basically just a plastic mask with very light filtration that uses your breath as humidity. It’s the secret of all opera singers, who reeeaaaally need ways of keeping their nasal passages from drying out on long haul flights. Also gonna second the Netipot, and more hydration than you feel is reasonable.
posted by fast ein Maedchen at 1:38 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]