Blog | Air ambulance | Repatriation from abroad (2024)

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Sinus infections occur when the sinus cavities swell or become inflamed. When the sinuses are congested, they act as a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses that can cause an infection. Keep your doctor in the loop if your sinusitis persists, as it could lead to a chronic condition or other more serious complications.

The key points to remember when flying with a sinus infection:

A sinus infection can be as simple and innocuous as a congested nose caused by a cold or seasonal allergies. However, if it lasts longer than three weeks and no medical attention is sought, it can lead to potentially fatal conditions such as meningitis. Flying with a congested nose is not recommended because it may worsen your infection or cause serious medical emergencies. Charter our international air ambulance service to ensure your safe return home or if you are seriously ill as a result of your sinus infection.

What is sinus infection (sinusitis)?

A sinus infection, or sinusitis, is a condition in which the sinuses (the hollow spaces between your eyes, behind your cheekbones, and in your forehead) become clogged and filled with fluid. As a result of the swelling or inflammation that follows (congestion), germs can grow and cause an infection.

Congestion (stuffy nose) is the first sign of a sinus infection. Other common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Tiredness
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Mucus dripping down the throat
• Thick yellow or green nasal discharge
• Facial pressure, headache and or tooth or ear pain

Is a sinus infection dangerous?

Sinusitis is fairly common and usually clears up in 2 to 3 weeks. However, if it persists, it can cause pus in the nasal cavity and progress to:

• Acute sinusitis lasting up to 4 weeks
• Subacute sinusitis lasting between 4 to 12 weeks
• Chronic sinusitis with symptoms lasting 12 weeks or more

If left untreated, sinus infections can cause irreversible damage and be life-threatening. Eye complications are one of the most common and feared complications. They can cause redness, swelling around the eyes, and decreased vision, and in severe cases, blindness (cavernous sinus thrombosis). The second is brain abscess or meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord), which occurs when the infection spreads to the brain.

Can you fly with a sinus infection?

As a general rule, flying with a sinus infection and a congested nose is not advised. Changes in cabin air pressure affect the air inside and outside of your head. As a result, clogged sinuses, which prevent you from equalizing pressure differences, can be excruciatingly painful. If severe enough, they can also cause sinus barotrauma, aggravate nasal congestion and allergies, worsen colds and cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears) andvertigo (loss of balance).

How can a congested nose be aggravated by air travel?

By failing to equalize sinus and ear pressures with cabin pressure, a congested nose can result in blockages of the Eustachian tube (connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose). This can quickly lead to a mid-flight medical emergency, such as bleeding or rupturing of the eardrum or hearing loss.

Furthermore, pneumocephalus (the presence of air in the intracranial space) is a rare but serious complication of sinus barotraumas. If not treated properly, it can lead to severe neurological and life-threatening complications such as seizures, brain abscesses, or meningitis.

6 tips for minimizing sinus discomfort during flights

Inside a commercial aircraft cabin, low humidity levels, pressure changes and infectious agents can all aggravate your congested nose. Follow these 6 important tips to reduce the potentially harmful effects of air travel on your sinuses:

• Use a saline solution to clear your sinus and moisturize your nose.
• Clear your nasal passages with a decongestant spray. It can also aid in the slowing of a nosebleed.
• Stay hydrated to keep the nasal passages moist. Avoid caffeine and alcohol because they contribute to dehydration and moisture loss.
• Steam your sinuses. Breathing in the steam of a herbal tea clears the sinuses in about 15 minutes and reduces the likelihood of a sinus infection.
• Perform the "Modified Valsalva" maneuver, during which you close your mouth, lightly pinch your nose shut with your thumb and forefinger, swallow, and blow into your nose without releasing the thumb and forefinger. This technique helps to balance pressure in the head, sinuses, and ears.
• Sanitize your hands. Bacteria and viruses can enter your body through mucous membranes such as your nose and cause an infection.

When should you consider an air ambulance?

While flying with a stuffy nose or a sinus infection is not recommended, the tips listed above can help you reduce and prevent sinus discomfort. However, there are times when flying commercially should be avoided at all costs. This is true in cases of life-threatening complications, such as a brain abscess or meningitis. In such cases, the amount of time it takes to transport the patient to an advanced healthcare medical center in their home country or elsewhere often determines the patient's successful recovery.

To provide advanced medical care to people around the world, we use specially modified aircraft. Our paramedics, doctors, and pilots bring the expertise, equipment, and treatment of an intensive care unit directly to the patient, allowing them to be successfully treated and stabilized in the air and giving them the best chances if the worst happens.

Benefits of our air ambulances

The benefits of our air ambulance charter include, but is not limited to:

Skills and expertise

Our medical jets are staffed by a doctor and paramedic team who can bring the skills and expertise needed to treat the patient in the air as well as cater to any potential mid-flight emergency. They can provide pain management medications and perform critical medical procedures, among other services. Our doctors, paramedics, and pilots collaborate with our ground team services to provide the best possible care to our patients.

Speed and reactivity

There will be no lines at security checkpoints or luggage check-ins if you use our air ambulance. We can arrange a medical flight with few or no layovers. Furthermore, we can use our ground ambulances to reduce the distance between the patient's location and the airport's private terminal, as well as in areas where an aircraft would be more difficult to reach.

Innovation

We are defined by our ability to innovate. We strive to break down barriers in order to provide innovative technologies and advanced medical attention to our patients in a pre-hospital setting.

Sea level flights

Our air ambulances are capable of performing so-called sea-level flights - main sea-level flights (MSL). The cabin pressure in these flights can be adjusted to be closer to that at sea level. Because air pressure differences are less abrupt, the patient's safety is ensured at all times.

Contact us for a free quote now!

Are you looking for an air ambulance service to arrange a long-distance patient transportation? Please get in touch with our multilingual team so we can advise you on the best mode of transportation for your needs. Our helpful experts will respond as soon as possible to provide you with a free, non-binding quick estimate for your trip.