Allergic rhinitis and ear pain in flight

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Medicine
• Otolaryngology
• Allergy and Immunology

Background:

• Ear pain is a common issue in hypobaric chamber training, with increasing incidence.
• A rise in allergic rhinitis cases in Japan parallels the increase in ear pain.
• Eustachian tube dysfunction, potentially linked to allergic rhinitis, is hypothesized as a cause for ear pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between allergic rhinitis and ear pain during hypobaric chamber training.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 9 years of training records for 7047 trainees, noting seasonal ear pain occurrence.
• A questionnaire-based study on allergic rhinitis prevalence among trainees.
• Correlation analysis between allergic rhinitis and ear pain incidence.

Main Results:

• 6.1% of trainees reported ear pain, with higher incidence in spring.
• 23.0% of trainees had allergic rhinitis.
• Trainees with allergic rhinitis experienced more ear pain in spring compared to those without.

Conclusions:

• Active allergic rhinitis is significantly associated with ear pain in hypobaric training.
• This association may extend to actual flight conditions.
• Allergic rhinitis, alongside the common cold, warrants attention in aviation safety protocols.