Allergies or getting a cold and I'm flying! What to do?

Not self explanatory:
When are you flying?
Can you postpone?

Get plenty of rest, drink a lot of water, and consider wearing one of those masks.

Zinc! aka lots of Cold Eeze and Vitamin C (I like TJ’s with Rose Hips). I work with an amazing group of doctors and this is what they always tell me when I feel like I’m getting sick. Also, rest. Someone makes a personal air purifier that goes around your neck… you may want to look into that. It seems perfect for a plane ride.

Just saw the allergies thing… I saw a Natropathic doctor because my allergies are out of control and I’ve tried EVERYTHING. He recommended those Vitamin C with Rose Hips to take daily to help with the allergies but you should also try a sinus rinse. I like the Neil Med bottle one – neti pots scare me but I have both. I think they’re like $15 bucks at Walgreens and totally worth trying. :) Feel better @janbb

Dear @janbb ..as someone who travels for a living (lots of flights each year) I’d say not to worry unless you know you have particularly bad issues with sinus/ears.

I travel all the time and have wicked (indoor) allergies and seasonal allergies. I’ve also traveled rather sick with a cold (sorry! can’t be helped sometimes…and besides, the other 99% of the time that I’m healthy there are always people coughing all on every flight…)—honestly, it’s public transport and it’s going to be filled with other people just as sick or sicker than you. I’ve never had any troubles with a ruptured ear drum or any such..but if you tend towards ear troubles, I can see where you might be more concerned.

Here’s what I recommend:
1. Emergen-C—lots of frequent air travelers swear by it. (Ask your favorite sales guy, flight attendant or pilot) It won’t cure a cold-but may shorten the duration. This has helped me where other products have not (e.g. Zinc has never had a noticeable positive effect for me.) Again, this is less to make your cold/allergy better and more to insure you don’t pick up a secondary bug while traveling. Air planes and airports are very germy places. They turn aircraft around so quickly and with so little cleaning in between..and then you’re packed in so tightly with lots of others…it’s unavoidably germ-y. Best to get plenty of sleep, eat well and boost your immune system a bit to help you prevent additional illness.

2. On the actual day of the flight you need four things:
a. bring plenty of tissues in your carry-on
b. buy a decongestant to dry you out a bit (for me Advil D Cold & Flu works best)
c. and if you can stand it, try Afrin. It’ll keep your airways open—even when they might be prone to swell with the changes in air pressure.
d. If you have a cough or sore throat bring hard candies to suck on. This will keep you more comfortable and help minimize your coughing.

Safe travels and hope you feel better soon.

@geeky_mama Great advice! Can I take a decongestant and use Afrin? My ears do clog.

Absolutely – that’s exactly what I do. I take the Decongestant about an hour ahead of my flight and bring the Afrin along in my purse and use it just before we taxi for take off.
Afrin is only a ½ fl.oz, so it’s permitted thru security.

OK – I have Afrin and Advil but didn’t know I can use both. I also have Benedryl.

@janbb If your ears are at all full (or sinuses bothering you) I would not travel without sudafed. It will keep your ears unplugged for take-off and landings. Be sure and take a water bottle onboard though because it dries you out.

I second Emergen-C. I usually take one right before and right after the flight.

I load up on Advil cold and sinus just before the flight, and if a have a day or two grace before flying I do all the other stuff as well…Zinc, Emergen-C, Airborne, etc etc. Anything that my wimpy little whiny self will tolerate! Feel better, Little Penguin!

Oh, I second @JilltheTooth‘s suggest—I also like Airborne. Airborne & Emergen-C are the only 2 sorts of immune booster OTC items that have worked for me personally..but then, your mileage may vary. ;)

The air on a plane is much cleaner than the air in the airport, your car, your home, etc….So it will benefit you to be in the such air. The pressure is what makes things worse. Chew a few pieces of gum to keep your ears from clogging more and do what you would do at home. Get some cold medicine, take it on time, drink plenty of fluids and drink lots of water. Sit in an aisle seat so you can get to the bathroom quickly for sneezing fits, bathroom breaks, etc. There is not miracle cure that exists just because you are flying and flying will not make your cold worse…If it is allergies, they should clear up once on the plane. Like I said, the air quality on a commercial plane is really good, contrary to popular belief. The air is not recycled and it runs through a series (not just one) of many, many HEPA filters. DO not invest in a small wearable air cleaner….They are a scam. Also….If you are sick, purchase some breathing masks so you don’t spread it around.

Geeky mama has the answer. Energy-C. It might not cure your cold, but it will give you energy with the electrolytes in it.

Be sure to carry a handkerchief onboard.

The other passengers will thank you.

Mainly concerned about ear congestion and comfort so all those suggestions are good.

Wait… You’re flying in an air plane? Or you’re flying from too much medication?

You must get a decongestant and antihistamine combined drug. A good one, the kind that is kept behind the pharmacy counter now, but still considered over the counter. Also buy afrin. The risk is the congestion, inflammation and pressure in your ears can burst an eardrum. It can also be painful to fly, especially when descending, but again the biggest thing you want to avoid is damaging your ear. Especially if you are connecting, the second landing, when already uncomfortable can be really uncomfortable.

I recommend against cold and flu meds that include cough medicine and pain killers. Take your advil separately, and for just a cold you probably don’t need cough medicine, and when you have the flu, you generally are not congested. Those medicines overmedicate people, and I already am recommending you take as much medicine as allowed that is warranted for the flight.

Most of the anthistimine/decongestant medicines on the market are every 4–6 hours. Read the directions carefully. Make sure you take just one pill if that is the recommendation, or two if that is the recommendation. The two hour point it probably when you will be most medicated so if you can time that with landing that would be ideal. By 4 hours the drugs will be leaving your system, so have the meds in your purse, including the afrin if you are delayed.

Vitamin C and zinc is not worth crap on an airplane. If you believe it helps you get over a cold faster, I am not going to argue that on this Q, but certainly you must be practical about your health and comfort for at least the few hours you are on the flight.

Went to a pharmacist and got Advil D and instructions. Have Afrin as well. I am particularly concerned since I am flying again this week.