My 5 year old has flown a few times in the past couple of years without any problems but this time started having cold symptoms the day we left. During the final descent of the second leg of our trip, on a smaller plane, he complained that his ears hurt and I tried giving him gum, fruit snacks, water, etc. but he refused everything and eventually vomited once. Then he said his ears felt better and by the time we cleaned up and reached baggage claim he was completely back to his normal self.
He was fine all week and then the exact same thing happened on the way home today on the first flight- only this time he had tried some of the things I offered him and still vomited. I bought "earplanes" in the airport after reading about them online during our layover, but he slept most of the flight and all during the final descent so no problems.
Has anyone experienced this before? I think it has to be from the ear pressure but I didn't know it could lead to vomiting (not pleasant on the plane for anyone!) What else could we do in the future to avoid this?
Thanks!
Thanks for the responses, gals! I'm HOPING that the head cold is the reason behind it and this doesn't happen again. I caught a cold during our trip too and it was my first time flying with one - it was no fun.
I don't know if the ear pressure causes the vomiting or not. But those "barf" bags in every seat pocket are there for a reason. I suggest that it's expected that some people will vomit.
Here is a web site that discusses "airplane ear." Vomiting as well as other symptoms such as vertigo are caused the difference in air pressure in the middle ear and the cabin.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/airplane-ear/DS00472.html
Take him to the doctor to check for a "silent" ear infection. I had this once -- had no idea that I had an ear infection. I got nauseous on a large plane, then on the second plane (a really small one where the pressure probably wasn't as controlled as the larger plane), I got very dizzy. After we landed I felt fine, but my ear drum ruptured later that night. The doctor I saw diagnosed an ear infection with pressure that had built up on the flights. He said that quite a few people have ear infections they don't even know about... could be the case with your son.
My dad has a chronic condition that he has a prescription for to help him with flights. If I ever have a flight coming up and I am starting to get sick, I go to the doctor a day or two before the flight to get medication rather than letting it run its course. Any type of sinus or ear infection is horrible to fly with due to the pressure, not to mention the fact that you are sick on top of it.
My son used to get sick every time we traveled. I thought it was just a coincidence that he always got the flu on vacation. We finally figured out it was motion sickness. After that, he got a half dose of dramamine whenever we drove or flew. No more sickness after that.
