Intense head pain

[fuzzygruf]

After a nice, long weekend in Seattle, our plane touched down to Oakland a bit after 10pm last night. During the descent, I got an incredible sharp pain in the area above my right eye down through my right cheek. It lasted for about 30 seconds. I just held my head in my hands. I've never experienced any kind of pain like it. It was bizarre. It went away, so who knows what it was. Probably some odd decompression thing.

I'll write more about my weekend later, maybe tonight.

Comments

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Not that unusual -- if your sinuses are clogged a bit, as you go up air will easily leave them to equalize pressure, but on the way down the narrowed opening to the sinus acts as a one-way valve, closing off the passage until the pressure differential is high enough to force its way through. This can really hurt.

It would be a good idea to use a spray nasal decongestant if you're at all stuffy, but this dries out your nasal passages and makes it more likely you'll pick up a virus from the air in the cabin.

[bentwright.livejournal.com]

Once while I had a headcold, I was free diving at Pennecamp National Park. I dove down into a little hollow. My mask got tight, so I blew air up into my sinuses/ears to equalize. After a few seconds I started to come up and had an incredible pain behind my left eye and down into my cheek. Then it stopped suddenly and I felt much, much better than I had in days. When I got to the surface, my swim buddy freaked out. My mask was filled with blood and snot. Apparenly the air got caught in a sinus cavativy and couldn't get out as it expanded. Until it just got to be too much and blew out.

Maybe you had the same thing in reverse. Low presure air trapped in your sinus while the cabin pressure was rising back to 1au.

[(Anonymous)]

Gary, I remember being in a bar and using my hand to prop up my head during an extended conversation. There was an immediate lightning bolt sensation in my cheek. It came out later that I had a salivary duct that was plugged with a small calculus and that the salivary gland had fluid in it that would not drain. When I pressurized this with my hand, well you get the picture. The calculus went away after several days but I have had these fairly often since that time. My recollection of the direction of pain is about 90 degrees to what you report, but I just thought I would throw my two cents in. Mark

[fuzzygruf.livejournal.com]

I've had problems while congested before and dealt with sinus pain. This wasn't like that pain, but I'm sure the pressure did have something to do with it.

S'not what I had in mind

[fuzzygruf.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the lovely visual. ;-) I have been blowing my nose a bunch today, so probably somehow related.

Great balls of fire

[fuzzygruf.livejournal.com]

Yep, "lightning bolt" is the sensation. I was thinking "ray guns" at the time. No problems today except for increased tissue usage.

Re: Great balls of fire

[qbear.livejournal.com]

I had a similar thing happen (only once) when I was landing in London. I thought I was having a stroke. As soon as we deplaned I was fine, and never had it happen again. I figured it had something to do with sinuses, but actually forgot about it until now.

[dacubsf.livejournal.com]

I have major sinus problems every year during this time. and have gotten that same pain a few times from sinuses. I've never gotten it while flying though. But could very well be the changes in pressure.

Glad you guys made it home safely. Good to see you back home