A pilot has issued a stark warning to anyone who travels on a plane with a cold - and it's not just about spreading germs.
There's no bigger mood killer than waking up on the day of your holiday and realising you've come down with a rotten cold. After all, who wants to spend their time off sniffling and shivering?
Unfortunately, none of us can be expected to cancel pre-booked plans over a the sniffles, which means that you'll inevitably find yourself on a plane with a cold at some point - it's just part of life.
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However, for anyone who does find themselves travelling while under the weather beware, as one pilot has just revealed a pretty grim side effect which can happen.
Taking to TikTok, pilot and popular content creator, Captain Jaimes García, explained that travelling with a cold can cause more damage than just spreading germs to the people in nearby seats.
And apparently, it's all down to changing cabin pressure wrecking havoc on your ears.
"If I have a cold, those eustachian tubes [a pair of tubes which connect the middle ears to the throat] become inflamed; they can't equalise those pressures, and that's when you feel ear pain," he explained (via The Mirror). "This causes barotrauma."
What is ear barotrauma?
According to WebMD, ear barotrauma is a condition which causes a 'clogged-up', painful sensation in the ears while flying, particularly when the aeroplane is either ascending or descending. This is due to the fact that there is a difference in pressure between the middle ear and the outside world, causing it
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Symptoms can include:
- ear pain
- a stuffed feeling in your ears
- a muffling sensation
Most people may experience a mild form of barotrauma which resolves on its own, however, in more severe cases, it can lead to complications - especially if a person is already dealing with congestion due to a cold.
"If it's very severe and you're very congested, your eardrum could even rupture. It's very serious," Captain García added.
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As you can imagine, complications of severe ear barotrauma aren't pretty and can lead to dizziness, a burst eardrum and even hearing loss, which would certainly put a dampener again on your holiday.
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If you do find yourself struggling with barotrauma - and as someone who recently flew with a cold, I can tell you it's pretty grim - Captain García recommends using the age old remedies to pop your ears.
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"Passengers make only one trip but still need to be careful – take something to decongest, chew gum, and do exercises to equalise pressure," he added.
Brenna Cooper