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.
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.
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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
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.
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.
"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