Is it ok to fly with labyrinthitis?

Are you feeling dizzy, nauseous and uncoordinated lately? Perhaps, it’s due to labyrinthitis. But now you’ve got an upcoming flight – should you cancel your travel plans or just hope for the best? Read on as we investigate whether flying with labyrinthitis is a good idea.

Understanding Labyrinthitis

Before anything else, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about this sickness. So what is Labyrinthitis anyway?

Labyrinthitis, pronounced la-brinth-eye-tis, is a condition characterized by inflammation of the inner ear known as the labyrinth. The inner ear has vital functions such as aiding in balance control and hearing so individuals with this condition exhibit symptoms like dizziness or vertigo. In most cases though luckily it’s nothing serious and subsides within a few weeks.

How Does Flying Affect Labyrinthitis?

We’ve established what labyrinthitis means but how could airplane flights worsen its effects?

As airplanes ride much higher than 35,000 feet above sea level, some people may be sensitive enough to encounter pressure changes that will negatively impact their inflamed balance systems thereby exacerbating their current symptoms—with additional nausea/vomiting being common repercussions too.

The good news is even though there are barely any studies available which confirm whether flying causes harm to sufferers of labyrinthitis, many healthcare professionals say air travel does not intensify long-term damage.

All right then…back to our initial question — Can people diagnosed with labyrinthitis continue onboard planes amidst those bouts of dizziness and imbalance without putting themselves at risk? As ever when navigating medical dilemmas: It depends! Here are some factors to consider:

Severity of Symptoms

To begin with, it’s important to assess the degree of your symptoms. Labyrinthitis comes in two forms, both differing by intensity: Viral and Bacterial.

The Viral Type

The typical case is viral labyrinthitis where symptoms last about a week before becoming milder for another 2-3 weeks. Although this period can manifest varying degrees of physical discomfort like dizziness or vertigo such cases doesn’t usually translate into serious damage making it safe enough for travel.

Although certain symptoms from viral labyrinthitis may persist after recovery like tinnitus and hearing loss— those aren’t commonly worsened by air travel so sufferers should be good to go!

The Bacterial Type

The less common bacteria-based ear infections cause an intense extra pressure feeling inside one’s ears making flying more complicated/uncomfortable than usual.

While airplanes have oxygen levels that mimic those at heights above 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) which means the thin atmosphere could actually de-oxygenate and irritate upon landing–which diabetics are advised against doing without precautions—the shifted inner balance most likely wouldn’t get worse.

If you’ve decided on carrying on travel plans despite experiencing labyrinthitis, here are some helpful tips:

  • Always consult a doctor prior to flying
  • Bring along medication with instructions—especially if diagnosed recently.
  • Pack ginger candy/chews – these things are known alleviators & work well on calming nausea/vomiting that often accompanies dizzy spells
    • Also helps ease any residual imbalance feelings during takeoff/landing.

Take note though what works differs per individual since various factors affect reactions – including how long someone has been suffering or what other activity they undertook preceding their flight could trigger drastic swings.

If experiencing labyrinthitis for the first time, it’s highly recommended to delay/ abort flying until following advantageous two-to-three week window after symptoms abate in order to avoid any possible harm occurring during air travel.

Bottom line: You can fly with labyrinthitis as long as your consultant signs off on the decision beforehand, and that you’re confident enough to handle all potential complications along with medication just in case this makes them worse.

With a bit of preparation and certain precautions carried out before/during transit–don’t let dizziness get in the way of fulfilling all those bucket list items anymore!

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