I used to skydive, and I also used to fly skydivers. I never wore earplugs when jumping, but ALWAYS wore expanding foam plugs when flying those noisy Cessnas. I never had problems with my ears clearing either on ascent or on descent, but earplugs do not prevent the pressure changes inside your head/ears, and I don't think you want them to. If you do get on the ground and find that your hearing has not come back, the best solution (in my opinion... Diane or other hearing professionals may or not disagree... please chime in, Diane!) is the Valsalva maneuver, where you hold your nose and exhale with increasing pressure until your ears clear.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver Your hearing is diminished because the pressure inside your head has equalized to the higher altitude (commercial airliner cabins are pressurized only to the equivalent of 7,000 - 10,000 feet). On descent, the cabin pressure increases (to a lower altitude equivalent) until landing and doors are opened. Paul Bruesch On the ground in Stillwater, MN (where my ears pop driving up hill from the downtown river valley area to my home on top of the hill!) On Sun, Jun 13, 2010 at 7:26 PM, Ryan Sowers <tunerryan at gmail.com> wrote: > I'll certainly try it on my flight to Vegas! It sounds like the foam plugs > maybe the best since they allow slight air exchange. > > Ryan Sowers, RPT > Olympia, WA > > On Sun, Jun 13, 2010 at 2:27 PM, Dave Davis <dave at davispiano.com> wrote: > >> Thanks, Diane. I always wear earplugs (or use noise-cancelling headphones) >> on planes, and am amazed that more people don't. I have had several >> conversations with flight attendants about hearing loss, I'm surprised they >> don't wear some sort of ear protection. >> >> Dave Davis, RPT >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From: * Diane Hofstetter <dianepianotuner at msn.com> >> *Date: *Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:12:05 -0700 >> *To: *College and University Technicians<caut at ptg.org>; < >> pianotech at ptg.org> >> *Subject: *[pianotech] FW: Wearing Earplugs while flying >> >> Sorry! Here is the URL: >> http://www.e-a-r.com/pdf/hearingcons/In%20Flight%204-Update.pdf >> >> Diane Hofstetter >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> From: dianepianotuner at msn.com >> To: caut at ptg.org; pianotech at ptg.org >> Subject: Wearing Earplugs while flying >> Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:36:19 -0700 >> >> >> Once, on a flight between San Jose and Portland, a lady next to me was >> speaking while we descended. Suddenly her voice started getting quieter and >> quieter, and I started getting worry-der and worrieder! My hearing did >> return--that time. >> >> Attached is a brief letter from one of the leading hearing conservation >> scientists on wearing earplugs while flying--to Las Vegas? Thought it might >> interest some. >> >> Diane Hofstetter >> >> >> > > > -- > Ryan Sowers, RPT > Puget Sound Chapter > Olympia, WA > www.pianova.net > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20100613/099f1b0b/attachment.htm>
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