Nearly everyone who has flown has felt the fear of flying to some magnitude. Some find it no more than an inconvenience; a bit troubling, but nothing to worry about.

Others, however, experience physical and mental symptoms that can range from simply tense to outright panic. There are many effective methods for dealing with the fear of flying. What will be successful for you may depend on where you fall on the spectrum.

The symptoms from flying fear often have real life roots that, if identified, could help a passenger with minor fear of flying prevail over their worry. It is common for a passenger to experience a symptom, and assuming it is caused by fear of flying, they get exceedingly agitated until they reach extreme fright. Recognition of the pattern early on can end the cycle and help the passenger to beat their mild fear of flying.

One example is this. Unstable air pressure in the plan can give many passengers inner ear problems, which result in a number of possible symptoms including prickly ears and skin, loss of orientation, nausea, and dizziness. A passenger with mild fear of flying may experience these symptoms and attribute them to the their fear, as many are also caused by anxiety. And this misunderstanding can trigger even greater fears and anxiety.

Additionally, spending long periods in the tight seats in an airplane cabin can cause muscular pain, joint pain, and tingling from lack of blood flow. These too are all symptoms often experienced during panic or severe anxiety attacks. Therefore, the passenger who feels these symptoms may misdiagnose a mere physical reaction to small seating quarters as a fear of flying.

Undoubtedly, there are some people with a more serious fear of flying is more significant than the mild fear described here. For those folks, mere understanding that what they are feeling could be coming from alternative sources may not be enough. But for others, this realization is the first step to defeating their fears for good.