Airplane Headaches
There’s a lot of headaches dealing with any aspect of traveling by airplaine, but for now we’ll just focus on the pain in your head during (and often after) a flight. Of course, you could avoid it all by not traveling by airplane, but that’s an option not open to a lot of us.
Cluster Headaches
If you have been diagnosed with cluster headaches (and God Bless you if you’ve got them), then you are understandably wary about traveling by airplane. The change in air pressure can sometimes trigger an attack. There have been reports that breathing the oxygen from those little masks can help abort a cluster headache. This only makes sense, as there is growing proof that breathig pure oxygen (called oxygen therapy) can help abort this excrutiating condition.
Migraines
If you have been diagnosed with migraines, then going out of your home is a bit like placing all of your money on one number at a roulette wheel. You need to expect that you will begin to get a migraine while in the air. If you are able to sleep during air travel, then you have a distinct advantage over the rest of us who are wide awake the entire trip (no matter how long it takes). You need to take medicines with you in your carry on bag or even your clothes pockets.
It also helps to try and stay as relaxed as possible. If you expect the flight to be miserable, then you won’t tense up in discovering that the flight is miserable. If you can learn meditation, have a good bout of daydreaming or even listen to your favorite music on your own headphones (because music is not available anymore on many airlines), then at least you can help yourself relax.
Personally, I think the change in air pressure can trigger a migraine, but there isn’t any scientific evidence to back this theory up. There are some cases where change in air pressure seems to be all it takes to trigger an attack.
Sinus Headache
It’s really painful to have a sinus headache and then have to travel by airplane. If you can contact your regular doctor before the flight, please do. There may be a medicine or nasal spray you can take during the flight to help ease the pressure on your sinuses. You also need to drink plenty of water (not other drinks) in order to keep the sinuses moving and draiing as oppossed to clogging up.
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