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Ear pain during air travel

How common is ear pain during air travel?

Many people get pain in their ears when they fly. But whether people get ear pain depends on the type of aircraft they're flying in, how high the plane flies, and whether their ears are already blocked.

One study found that 1 in 5 adults got some ear problems when they traveled by air. And twice as many children (2 in 5) had pain in their ears.

Source:
Stangerup S-E, Tjernstrom O, Klokke M, et al.
Point prevalence of barotitis in children and adults after flight, and the effect of autoinflation.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. 1998; 69: 45-49.

Sources for the information on this page:

Stangerup S-E, Tjernstrom O, Klokke M, et al.Point prevalence of barotitis in children and adults after flight, and the effect of autoinflation.Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. 1998; 69: 45-49.

This information was last updated on Oct 26, 2007

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