The temperature suddenly turns warm and then turns cold, and there are not a few people who catch colds. Many patients still have severe colds.
A few days ago, a netizen posted that he had severe ear pain after taking a plane after catching a bad cold, and was diagnosed with acute otitis media.
This incident attracted the attention of many netizens, and many netizens also shared that they had similar experiences.
In this regard, Ni Rongsheng, director of the Otolaryngology Department of Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital, explained that the function of the Eustachian tubes in the ears will indeed decline after a severe cold, and this is an important reason for affecting the eardrums.
Yangzi Evening News/Ziniu News reporter Lu Yanlin
A few days ago, netizen "Qin Da Yu" posted on the social platform that he started to have a fever on the third day of the Lunar New Year and took a flight back to Beijing on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
On the plane back to Beijing, I felt a huge pain in my ears due to the change in air pressure. "It was definitely not the discomfort caused by ordinary flying. I had ear pain that night and wanted to go to the emergency room." "Qin Dayu" said that he immediately went to the emergency room the next day. I went to the hospital for treatment and was diagnosed with acute otitis media. “This is the first time I have experienced this hot knowledge in person.”
“If it’s serious, it can cause perforation. This comes from the experience of a former flight attendant.” “I just experienced it during the Spring Festival. Swallowing and opening my mouth didn’t help.” “I didn’t know before. I happened to catch a cold and flew on a plane. I woke up on the plane and suddenly felt... It’s like my ears are covered, it scares me”… In the comment area of the “Qi Da Yu” post, “patients” who had similar experiences gathered together.
So why is it that flying with a severe cold can cause ear pain or even otitis media? Is there any scientific basis for this?
In an interview, Ni Rongsheng, director of the Otolaryngology Department of Nanjing Jiangbei Hospital, affirmed this "hot knowledge".
He said this is related to a lumen in the human body called the Eustachian tube.
"One end of the Eustachian tube is in the nasopharynx behind the nasal cavity, and the other end is in a cavity called the tympanum behind the eardrum." According to experts, the Eustachian tube is a very thin tube that connects the nasal cavity and the ear. Its main function is Regulating the pressure in the tympanic cavity also has the function of drainage. If there is fluid in the tympanic cavity, the fluid can be drained out.
Normally, the Eustachian tube is in a "closed" state, and becomes "open" when you yawn, swallow, or pinch your nose to blow air.
"When we fly, especially when taking off and landing, we will feel stuffy in the ears. This is because the air pressure outside the eardrum changes. Therefore, actions such as swallowing saliva and yawning at this time make the Eustachian tube open. It also helps regulate the pressure inside and outside the eardrum. So the Eustachian tube plays a big role when flying, and the same goes for diving."
When suffering from a severe cold, the patient's nasal cavity is mostly blocked by a lot of secretions, causing the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube leading to the nasopharynx to be blocked by secretions. The inflammation of the nasal cavity may also cause the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube to swell and become blocked.
"In this case, the function of the Eustachian tube is reduced or even lost. Whether it is yawning or swallowing, its tube cannot be opened, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside is large, which may cause damage to the eardrum, ranging from otitis media to otitis media in severe cases. Perforation of the tympanic membrane," Ni Rongsheng explained.
Therefore, experts concluded that the statement "Patients with severe colds should try not to fly" does have some basis.
"If you must travel, you can take some cold medicine containing turbinate-shrinking ingredients in advance, or take some medicine to help clear nasal secretions. You can also flush the nasal cavity to improve it." Ni Rongsheng reminded that if you have obvious symptoms after taking a plane If you have ear pain, or even if there is no pain, the "stuffy" feeling in the ear still does not relieve one or two hours after getting off the plane, you should seek medical treatment in time.
"If you don't pay attention in time, the air behind the eardrum after the Eustachian tube is blocked will be slowly absorbed, causing negative pressure to produce exudate, and may also lead to adhesions, which is even more troublesome."