> - Changes in air pressure often hurt my ears, and it sometimes (when I have a bit of a cold) takes a few days to disappear completely. You're not supposed to

> - Changes in air pressure often hurt my ears, and it sometimes (when I have a bit of a cold) takes a few days to disappear completely. You're not supposed to fly when you have a cold. Any existing swelling in the sinuses or ears can result in long-lasting injury. Usually that means ruptured ear drums, but the sinuses can be affected. Pilots with a cold certainly cancel their flights. I once told a friend with a cold to cancel his flight and take a 24-hour bus ride. He laughed it off and flew anyway. When I saw him a week later, he was still in pain.