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California woman, 22, diagnosed with cancer after her ears didn’t pop on flight to Chicago

Yahoo • August 30, 2026 • health

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Aida Burkins, a 22-year-old mother from Hemet, California, experienced unpopped ears after a flight to Chicago, which led to months of medical tests and a delayed diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare head and neck cancer.
Initially misdiagnosed with lingering altitude sickness, Burkins suffered worsening symptoms including bleeding, muffled hearing, and weight loss before a mass blocking her eustachian tube was discovered.
After multiple biopsies and CT scans revealed extensive tumor involvement, Burkins began chemotherapy and radiation, resulting in significant shrinkage of the cancerous mass.
Burkins emphasizes that cancer can affect anyone regardless of age and hopes her story encourages awareness, while she focuses on her goal of surviving to watch her two young children grow up.

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