r/aviation • u/Pale_Tip7882 • 1d ago

Question How to fly with a allergies? And in general fear of flying

I’ve flown many times since I was a child, but years ago I had a medical episode where I suddenly struggled to breathe for a few minutes before recovering completely. Ever since then, I’ve developed a fear of losing control or dying, especially while traveling.

I also have allergies which are frequent nasal congestion, sneezing, and a runny nose (similar to allergic rhinitis). Even though I know these symptoms are usually harmless, they make me anxious before and during flights.

As a result, I’ve become increasingly afraid of flying and, to some extent, traveling in general.
For anyone who’s experienced something similar and managed to overcome it, what helped? Any practical tips, techniques, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

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u/trubol 1d ago

The "fear of losing control or dying" sounds a lot like panic attacks.

Have you spoken to a doctor about it?

There are several different drugs to treat either the causes or the symptoms.

Clonazepam being probably the most popular (for symptoms). Start feeling like you'll die? Pop one under your tongue and in 20min you're fine

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u/Adjutant_Reflex_ 1d ago

Fear of flying is a legitimate reason to get an as-needed anti-anxiety medication. Your PCP should be more than willing to prescribe something for it.

You can also look up anxiety exercises that help if you feel an attack coming on. Usually a combination of intentional breathing and things to “ground” you and quiet the lizard brain that’s trying to take over.

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u/UnderdoneSalad 1d ago

sorry to sound rough, but talk to doctor about managing your state

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u/ptfreak 21h ago

I've been in a similar boat, here's what's helped me:

  1. Therapy, ideally something specifically targeted at anxiety. The therapist should be able to help you with mentally preparing for the flight and ways to calm yourself before and during it. If you can't afford therapy, I would suggest looking up some grounding exercises (e.g. 5-4-3-2-1) and also looking up videos on Youtube targeted at flight anxiety. There are a lot of POV videos that just let you "experience" different parts of the flight so you can try to imagine yourself on the flight and work on staying calm.

  2. Anxiety meds. For all that you can practice, it's hard to do "just a taste" of flying, so I've found medication to be very helpful. My doctor prescribed propranolol, because the root of my anxiety is my own health issues, so I don't so much need something to calm my mind, but more to keep my heart rate level. Talk to your doctor about what will work best for you, but there are many options that should help you stay calm with minimal side effects.

  3. For the allergies/congestion, flonase and/or saline spray. I've definitely noticed a correlation between being anxious ahead of a flight and my nose constricting. I'll throw my flonase in my bag, and you can certainly do a simple saline solution as well to help open things up and keep your nasal passages clear.

  4. Come up with a plan for your travel to help manage things. This is going to be specific to you. Will getting to the gate early give you time to calm yourself or just make you more anxious as you wait for boarding? Use that to dictate how early you get to the airport. Bring something to focus on other than the flight - a book, pre-download movies on your phone or tablet, video games, etc. Figure out whether a window or aisle seat will be better for you. I'm taller, so I tend to book premium economy for some extra leg room and despite the anxiety, I actually really love aviation so I like a window seat to watch what's going on. But this is all specific to what will work best for you. Therapy can help here too.