Measures to protect children from high air pressure in the plane
Experts recommend giving older children gum to chew 20 minutes before landing. D.A.
The German Association of Otolaryngologists said that parents who take their children with them on flights should take some measures to protect them from high air pressure while traveling by plane.
She explained that parents should give the infant a feeding bottle about 20 minutes before landing, to protect the infant's ear from the pain caused by high air pressure during flight.
The association indicated that during the landing, the infant's eardrum is compressed inward, which leads to high pressure in it, but sucking the infant in the feeding bottle leads to the opening of the Eustachian tube, which connects the pharynx and the middle ear, which works to equalize the pressure and relieve pain.
For children with a cold, the Association advises parents to use the nasal spray before take off as a preventive measure, noting that during a cold, not only the mucous membranes in the nose, but also the Eustachian tube are swollen, which increases the pain in the eardrum.
It is sufficient to use the nasal spray once before take off, if the flight takes up to three hours, but if the flight time is longer than that, it is better to use it during the flight as well.
The association stated that in some cases high pressure causes fluid accumulation and bleeding in the middle ear, advising parents to give their older children chewing gum about 20 minutes before landing or foods that need to be chewed well.