Ear infection (3 weeks a bit long)

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I know this is not a doctors office but I have had this stupid ear infection for three weeks now. Its driving me crazy because I just cannot hear out of my left ear.

It all started three weeks ago when I felt a lump in my ear and it started to hurt. A good poke with a finish nail cured the lump and it felt a bit wet, but soon the pain went away. Well for a week. Then the pain came back and I could not hear. So I went to the Doctor.

He said it was an outer ear infection and gave me some drops. So a week goes by, no more pain in my ear, but no hearing either. So I head back to the Doctor's and another doctor said it was fluid in my middle ear drum. It will go away on its own. Now its been another week and still no hearing.

Its only in one ear so its making my equilibrium way off. Luckily wearing earmuffs at work and home helps stabilize the pressure, but its still annoying. I am thinking about heading back, but so far its cost me a hours pay, and two co-pays. It was bad enough hearing the Dr say the second time it would go away on its own if I was patient.

Is 3 weeks with no hearing impatient or is another Dr's trip in order hear (pun intended) :)
 
Earmuffs may be part of the problem. I had a persistent infection in one ear a couple of years ago and it eventually went away when I had a couple of days off and wasn't wearing the muffs.

I now keep 4 sets of muffs and when the weather gets warm I change them every hour or so, so that the muffs don't get too sweaty etc. At the very least make sure that the muffs you are wearing are cleaned/replaced because at the moment they are probably just helping to maintain the infection as well as the pressure. If they are all plastic (and you are willing to risk losing a pair as an experiment) stick them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to hopefully kill off whatever is harbouring in them.

Oh - and go back to the doctor. Deaf is permanent and hearing is worth losing an hours pay for.
 
yup, head back to the doctor, you need to be sure there`s no more infection.
if you`re retaining fluid in your ear canal there`s generally a reason.
if you haven`t been to an e.n.t. specialist and are seeing a g.p. it would be smart to ask your g.p. for a referal....
 
yup, head back to the doctor, you need to be sure there`s no more infection.
if you`re retaining fluid in your ear canal there`s generally a reason.
if you haven`t been to an e.n.t. specialist and are seeing a g.p. it would be smart to ask your g.p. for a referal....

Yep, get to a specialist.

I also agree with Ian about the earmuffs, I worked at one place, where we were not allowed to wear earmuffs, had to be earplugs, and new ones each day. We had a rash of ear infections one summer.

Cheers!
 
yup, head back to the doctor, you need to be sure there`s no more infection.
if you`re retaining fluid in your ear canal there`s generally a reason.
if you haven`t been to an e.n.t. specialist and are seeing a g.p. it would be smart to ask your g.p. for a referal....

What Tod said... ENT specialist.
 
Yep, middle/inner ear infections are not always painful. You might not really have a clue as to how serious it can be. See another doctor. BTW, there are anit-biotics that are designed to reach right into the middle/inner ear. Expensive but they work. If you like to be able to hear, don't screw with it.
 
Travis.........I woke up 10 years ago totally deaf in my right ear. Now I'm having bouts of vertigo due to inner ear problems. The vertigo attacks sometimes render me incapable of working.


Run don't walk to an ENT. If they don't do something. See another. Inner or out ear problems shouldn't be messed around with.....JMHO!
 
ENT. Poking with finish nail not advised. The old adage is never put anything into your ear smaller than your elbow.
Re those who have balance problems, been there and fixed, in my case, by very simple exercises designed by ENT specialist.
Regards
 
Please keep us posted with your progress. I have sporadic high-frequency hearing in my left ear (yeah, most of the time it doesn't work, but 5 or 6 times a year it does work so I know that it's not gone).

Regarding the muffs, would cleaning them with IPA (isopropyl alcohol) during breaks help?

Good luck!
 
Ken, if no one has checked for this, ask your ear specialist about Meniere's disease.

Mike


Mike.....I've been diagnosed by doctor of having benign, positional vertigo...by another of a variant of meneire's disease......I've been on a high water intake, low salt diet........I've taken various medicines.......I understand the difficulties of diagnosing and treating something like this but I'm still frustrated!
 
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