flying with EVAS

[Guest guest]

The following is the letter about flying and EVAS that I sent to the

Aviation something something something and the response they sent me (I hope

they don't mind that I am forwarding it to all of you!!!)

Dear Mr. Wayda,

I have no idea if you are able to answer my questions, but I saw your e-mail

address on an article as I was searching the internet. If this is not your

expertise, ,maybe you can forward this to someone who can help me. I am

searching for specific information about the changes in barametric pressure

on commercial airlines- at a lay person's level of understanding. The

reason I am asking is because my 6 year old daughter was just diagnosed with

" Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts " . It is a part of the ear that, in her case,

is too large. She currently has bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Some people with this diagnosis have lost more hearing after experiencing

quick changes in barametric pressure. One research article I read mentioned

one person who believed his hearing got worse after flying, but there is not

specific information. Is there a way to let pilots know that they need to

ascend and descend more gradually? I don't even know if this would help.

Do you know of any reasearch on this?

Thank you for your help,

Randie Chubin

THE REPLY:

I have checked with the Doctors in Airman Certification and attached a

diagram

of the inner ear and the web site that had information on a enlarged

vestibula

aquaduct. The ascent and descent rates on airlines is held to a very

comfortable level, 300 to 500 feet per minute. In addition, aircraft

pressure

on most airlines does not get above 8000 feet. The middle ear, not inner

ear,

is where the pressurization problems occur with most pilots. This is due to

a

cold, allergies, etc where the estacian tube is blocked. Most problems

occur on

descent causing the ear drum to push inward. Rapid decompressions, were the

aircraft loses pressurization due to malfunctions are very very rare.

This condition more then likely will not cause any problems in airline

travel,

but, I would check with the Doctor in charge of your granddaughter for the

correct medical diagnoses.

http://www.bradingrao.com/innerear.htm

If you need more assistance please call me at or FAX (405)

954-8016.

Another sourse would be an AME, Aeromedical Examiner in your area. AME's are

doctors who give flight phyicals to Pilots for the FAA. Call Gail at (405)

954-4831 for one in your locate area if needed.

V. Shaw II

Team Leader

Airman Educaiton Program

____________________Reply Separator____________________

Subject: Re:flying with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts

Author: Mike Wayda

Date: 2/12/01 9:08 AM

MR. CHUBIN,

As I am not an expert in the area of expertise you describe, I am forwarding

your message to Mr. Shaw, who is in charge of our physiological

training

department here at the Civil Aeromedical Institute. Our group of instructors

teach pilots to avoid the physiological hazards inherent in the aviation

environment, and they are well aware of methods to compensate for altitude

changes

Mike Wayda

Editor, Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin

To: randie chubin

Subject: Re: Fwd: Disney World Anyone?

Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 07:24:09 -0400

Hi Randie:

Thank you for contactiung me at HearingExchange. I believe you can wear the

infrared systems with the telecoil from anywhere in the theaters at Disney.

To

be safe, ask each Disney Cast Member at each event. Generally, I received

preferential seating in many shows because I told them that my daughter and

I

benefited greatly from lipreading and needed to sit up close. If your

daughter

can read, try out the Rear Window Captioning system that is available in

several

shows. This will also garner you preferential seating.

Re: EVAS and flying. I did not know that if you had EVAS you should not fly.

Please talk with your doctor about this.

Thank you for writing.

~ a

randie chubin wrote:

> When using the telecoil loop at Disney (or anywhere else), do you need to

> sit anywhere special? We'll try to sit in the middle of shows so Margie

can

> see the faces, but if we can't, will it work anywhere?

>

> Also, we just went to the doctor to make sure Margie didn't have fluid in

> her ears before flying. I planned this trip before knowing her EVAS

> diagnosis, and it is making me nervous. I believe this will be Margie's

> last plane ride unless there is no other option. It saddens us because

we

> were hoping to take her to Israel in a few years. This is a weird way to

> think, but I guess she can go if she ever loses all her hearing- or could

> flying still cause other problems like vertigo or tinutitis (sp?).

>

> Randie Chubin

> Margie (7) moderate/moderate to severe, EVAS

> Eli (4) and Mollie (1), hearing

>

>

> To: randie chubin

> Subject: Re: Fwd: Disney World Anyone?

> Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 11:29:26 -0500

>

> Hi Randie:

>

> I'm glad the article was helpful. Does your daughter's hearing aids have

a

> telecoil ( " t " ) switch? You can ask for the telecoil loop which goes

around

> her

> neck and the hearing aids' t-switch will pick up the sound throught the

> loop.

> If you take out her hearing aids and turn up the volume, you risk

damaging

> her

> remaining hearing. (This goes for the headsets on the airplanes too.)

>

> The parks all have the telecoil loops for their devices, but the Cast

> Members

> are not always knowledgeable about them. Be persistent. If they don't

know

> about it, ask to speak to a supervisor. Also, check them before you leave

> the

> Guest Relations area. Sometimes the equipment produces static and will

not

> be

> helpful. You can ask to try another telecoil or another device. I am not

> sure

> that they test their equipment very often.

>

> How old is your daughter? If she can read, the Reflective Captioning is

> available at a lot of the cute shows in the parks as well as the

Fantasmic

> light and water show in the evenings at Disney-MGM.

>

> If you have any other questions, please let me know.

>

> Kindest regards,

>

> a

>

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> a Rosenthal, Founder & Publisher

> HearingExchange.com - http://www.HearingExchange.com

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[Guest guest]

<What nose spray for flying?

Mark had to put Afrin nose spray in his nose 30 minutes prior to take off

and landing. Something about drying up the fluid? I don't know if your son

would be able to snorkel, again, something for doctor. Any change in

pressure, and I would guess going down that low, I don't know as I never

snorkeled, may do something? You guys sound like alot of fun!

Debbie

Re: flying with EVAS

> EVA=enlarged vestibular aqueduct, what's the difference with LVA/LVAS? I

> don't know. I use LVA when trying to get info, but EVA is the actually

> diagnosis my son received after his CT scan. What nose spray for flying? I

> guess flying in a good commercial plane would be good, not a tiny,

> unpressurized two seater, or a military MAC flight. plays at the

water

> park all the time. Daddy scuba dives, I snorkel. When the time comes,

> will just have to snorkle with Mommy. We just bought me a motorcycle,

> something I've dreamed about since high school. Paranoid me felt guilty

> because I don't want to have to worry about my son riding it someday in

the

> far future, crashing, etc. We worry, we're parents. That's our job.

>

> Can't shelter the kids. That was kind of my feeling when we discussed the

> helmet issue. I said, " No, I don't want him wearing a helmet during play

> time, just avoid contact sports. " As I said before, that was my IEP input.

> I've got a lot to learn.

>

> --Karin

>

>

>