Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ear

What the hell is wrong with my damned ear

Sternmeyer — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:16:04 -0800

My ear's not infected and my Eustachian tubes are not plugged at all. Why do I still have that "full" feeling in my ear and the accompanying echo-sensation when I speak? For five days now I have had a feeling of fullness in my right ear. It just started one morning and there was nothing that preceded it as far as I can tell. No colds or infections or anything. I've not had any trouble 'popping' my ear, if you know what I mean by that. My hearing doesn't seem to be affected, although the sound of my own voice has a strange echo-quality to it on that side of my head. There has been no pain at all, but it's been driving me crazy.

Today I went to the walk-in clinic (I'm Canadian so free health care but no family doctor so I am stuck with no reliable continuity of care). The doctor asked me how long it had been going on (five days), whether there was pain (no), did I have tinnitus (no) and what else I would describe it as. I told him that it just felt full and when I spoke it echoed on that side of my head. He harrumphed and said 'ear infection' but then looked in my ear and said it looked perfectly fine. He then said 'probably a blocked Eustachian tube' and asked me to pop my ears. When I did so with no difficulty he was visibly surprised to see my eardrum move and told me that he was out of ideas. He didn't prescribe anything, just told me to take decongestants for a week and hope for a family doctor opening.

So I'm going nuts with this lopsided sensation of fullness. I can pop my ears no problem and there is absolutely no pain but the sensation is driving me crazy. Any ideas on what this could be are appreciated. I'm trying to get a family doctor but they are thin on the ground in northern BC. In the meantime I am taking Benadryl for allergies and pseudoephedrine because it was recommended as the decongestant of choice.

Please tell me this will go away... I'm very thankful that it doesn't hurt, at least, but it's driving me bonkers having this weird sensation of fullness on one side of my head.

NRR-rated in-ear headphones?

tirade — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:58:07 -0800

I'm looking to find out whether any brand of in-ear headphones also carry a noise reduction rating (NRR). I'm not so much shopping for headphones as for earplugs with a headphone feature. NRR is important because I'm also trying to understand objectively how much I'd be giving up in noise protection compared with standard earplugs.

Help me find an ENT

likeapen — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 09:10:41 -0800

I need help finding an ENT physician in the NYC area. I continue getting ear infections and it's about time I see a specialist instead of my primary care physician. I don't have insurance and currently working a part-time, so if you can recommend me one that won't charge me over $200 for a first time visit I would greatly appreciate it.

Speak up, I can't hear you!

katyggls — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:47:41 -0800

I think I might have ruptured my eardrum. Did I? Is this an urgent care situation? YANMD. I have an appointment with my doctor, but the soonest they could get me in was Sunday at 4:30 pm. Gory details:

I've been sick since the day after Thanksgiving. Hacking cough, nasal congestion, my asthma acting up, etc.. I went to my GP on the 1st, they prescribed me antibiotics and some steroids (plus a shot of steroids in the arm to get me started). I finished all the antibiotics on the 6th, and at that point I felt significantly better, and continued to feel better for about 5 days. Then I started to get sick again. Same symptoms as before, only more head congestion this time and my cough is not as "dry". Lots of mucus production. Today, I blew my nose (kind of hard I admit), heard a weird loud pop in my left ear, and then couldn't hear anything out of that ear. There was no pain, just a feeling of their being a lot of pressure in my ear, almost like I have water in it. Also a kind of vibration that I think is my own heartbeat. It's been about six hours since this happened and *some* of my hearing has returned, but not all and my ear still feels like I have cotton jammed inside it. No fluids have dripped out of my ear, at least that I know of. I did lay down for a couple of hours after this happened so I guess some could have without me knowing.

So is it possible I have ruptured my eardrum? If so, is this a situation where I can wait it out until Sunday (my preferred option) or am I risking permanent hearing loss or anything serious by not going to urgent care or the ER? I googled ruptured eardrum but while I got a list of symptoms, most everywhere said that not everyone who ruptures their eardrum experiences all the symptoms and some don't experience any at all. Also I got no information on whether I should try to see a physician immediately or if it's something that can wait a couple or three days. But the fact that most sites said that ruptured eardrums often heal without intervention makes me think this is not an emergency/urgent situation. Thoughts?

"difficulty tolerating everyday sounds" is putting it mildly

Baud — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 08:16:10 -0800

Anyone else with hyperacusis ? Yesterday, I described something I though was just lack-of-sleep induced ear sensitivity and learned I was instead suffering from hyperacusia. (previously) I believe it was the pyrotechnic noise from my car airbag preventing from physical trouble that triggered it roughly ten years ago. I have no memory of having sound-related problems before that.

I have a medical appointment in ten days but I'm interesting in knowing how fellow hyperacusis-suffering MeFites are dealing with that problem.

Here is briefly what has me almost "going postal" when I experience it. Really deep bass sounds and/or sounds in the high frequencies I cannot anticipate. Nightmare scenario : previously unseen baby somewhere behind me starts to cry without any warning.

I've purchased "blocking nearly all external sounds" earbuds from etymotics for those painful moments in public transportation but are they helpful or harmful ?

I've installed a white noise generator on my smartphone : how helpful do you find it ?

Also how can you describe hyperacusis to people who have no idea what you're going through ? thanks in advance.

To those of you out there suffering from it : "I feel your pain" is, for once, not a metaphor

Scaly skin at ear canal?

waraw — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:41:08 -0800

Scaly skin around the entrance to my ear canal. For some time now the skin at the entrance to my ear canal has become somewhat scaly and slightly itchy. I read that this can be caused by excessive earwax removal, but I couldn't find tips on how to reverse the process. Anyone else experienced this, or know how to return to the nonscaly unitchy state?

Is my severe ear infection worth yet another trip to the doctor?

Lokheed — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 05:34:19 -0800

Hello, AskMefi, let's talk about my ears (again). I am currently in the midst of a severe ear infection. People keep telling me to go to the ER, but I'm not sure what that would accomplish. Last Thursday morning I woke up with my left ear swollen shut and in a great deal of pain. I went to the doctor that morning, she was able to look into the ear and confirm that I have both an inner ear infection plus a middle ear infection. She gave me a prescription of Augmentin (Amoxicillin Clavulanate) as well prescription for ear drops.

By 8pm the left ear had sealed completely where I couldn't even get relief by lightly tugging on the earlobe, and I was in agony. I got perhaps two hours of sleep total that night.

On Friday morning I went back to the doctor, she took one glance at the left ear and said that it had swollen to the point that she couldn't see inside at all, and that what I needed was a wick placed in the ear to help the medication get back where it needed to go. Because they don't perform that procedure in their office, she sent me to Urgent Care.

The urgent care doctor was able to get the wick in, but could not see inside the ear at all. He gave me a different ear drop prescirption (Ciprodex) and also gave me a prescription of Tylenol 3 (tylenol + codeine) for the pain. That helped quite a bit.

By Saturday morning my right ear had also swollen shut, and my jaw has been completely distended since Thursday making it very difficult for me to chew food. Yesterday I ate mostly soup.

I have been taking the Augmentin since Thursday afternoon, and have been doing one kind or other of the ear drops since then. I am currently functionally deaf. The good news is that the pain levels have dropped to the point where this morning I did not feel the need to take any Tylenol 3. I can hear/feel some liquid moving around inside my right ear when I walk around, and I even felt some motion in my left ear when I first sat up this morning.

My question is this: should my ears have started to open up again yet after three days on the antibiotics, or is this the normal course. My friends and family keep messaging me that the symptoms are worse so I need to go to the ER, but I don't see what that would accomplish beyond having a third doctor confirm that yes, I have an ear infection.

Opinions?

Why do I experience ear pain a few hours after bathing?

GlassHeart — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:10:21 -0800

Why do I experience ear pain a few hours after bathing? Since I was a kid, I've been getting ear pain not long after bathing. I don't always get this ear pain, but it appears very, very frequently; about one in every four baths I take result in me getting ear pain afterwards. The pain tends to occur more frequently in my left ear than my right. The pain doesn't bother me as much as the temporary hearing loss that accompanies the ear pain because, usually, the only time I can feel pain in my ear when I'm experiencing this problem is when I pull on my earlobe. But I listen to music with headphones on very often, and it's annoying to hear music more clearly in one ear than the other.

I have a feeling that this ear pain is caused by soap-water getting into my ear when I stick my head under water to rinse my face off, or perhaps due to hair getting into my ears after I've shaved my face (I shave in the bath). Could soap-water and/or facial hair getting into my ear be the cause this? I make sure to rinse my ears well when I'm underwater, but I dunno. . . . I've a feeling that if I started taking showers, this problem would stop. But I unfortunately can't take showers . . .

Anyway, the problem is a little concerning. I have no clue if this problem could eventually lead to permanent hearing loss. I'll make sure to see a doctor about this sometime soon, but I'd still like to see what you have to say.

Thanks.

What's going on with our new dog's health?

Saminal — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:53:47 -0800

What is this injury in our new dog's ear? Our new dog, Dodger came from a local shelter. He had been there almost 4 months. He has a strange little injury in one of his ears. We noticed it about two weeks ago shortly after we adopted him. We took him to the vet and she said his ears were not infected, very clean and that aside from being too skinny he is very healthy.

He was having diarrhea before the vet and after some tests she said he had bacteria overgrowth and put him on a bland diet (chicken and rice we cooked for him) and antibiotics. His poop got better BUT the thing in his ear seems maybe less red than before but it hasn't gone away. After finishing his antibiotics and going on normal food he's back to having diarrhea again too. He is eating, drinking and not throwing up, has lots of energy, just having loose stools.

Are these things related? What is this thing in his ear? We've gone back to the bland diet but do we need to go back to the vet?

Ear thing
Ear thing another view

Suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my...eardrum.

MaryDellamorte — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:18:42 -0800

Why does it sometimes sound like someone is tapping on my eardrum when it's quiet? I only notice it when it's quiet and the sound is very faint. It's only in my right ear, it's intermittent and it's not painful. It's something I noticed about two months ago and it's not really that bothersome but I'm curious about it. I do have health insurance so if it could be a symptom of something serious, I'll see a doctor. I did have a physical back in September and the doctor didn't see any weird anomalies in my ear. I also don't have a problem with my hearing and actually still have great hearing (I can hear those weird ringtones that the kids use that adults aren't supposed to be able to hear). What could this be?

earbud headphones - permanent hearing damage?

paleyellowwithorange — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:09:05 -0800

A few years ago I heard a popular scientist on the radio discussing the effects of listening to music via earbud headphones. He said that if someone can hear the music I'm listening to, I am doing permanent damage to my ears. Is this true? I would appreciate reference to any peer-reviewed scientific research on this topic, if available.

Help with Ear Pain

Bulgaroktonos — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:32:17 -0800

Help me deal with ear pain after flying I took a flight yesterday, I've been a little congested the past couple of weeks and had some pretty bad ear pain on the descent. It felt better last night, but around 4:30 I woke up and it was terrible.

Along with the usual techniques (yawning, swallowing, that hold your nose and blow theing) I've tried both Sudafed (the real kind) and Afrin, which seems to have increased the popping noises in my ear, but I haven't been able to equalize the pressure and stop the pain. Advil has helped with the pain enough for me to sleep, but when it wears off the pain comes back.

I've got a few questions:
1) Is there anything else I can do to make this better?
2) When should I think about seeing a doctor?
3) Should I try to get a rental car instead of taking the return flight? I just have no idea if this is likely to get worse if I take another flight.

My return flight is on Monday, so I kind of need to make that last call son, so any help anyone could offer would be great.

Buzz off already!

Anima Mundi — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:03:30 -0800

YANMD: Should I see a GP or go straight to an ENT about this buzzing in my right ear? For at least a week I've noticed that my right ear has a slight buzzing noise when I'm in a quiet room or when I'm sleeping. I've laid off using earbuds as of late, which seemed to amplify the problem. My left ear is fine, so I'm not sure if it's my earbud use or not (I try keep the volume at a moderate level.)

I used to get a lot of ear infections as a kid, so this could possibly be stemming from that. There's not so much pain but just a general level of discomfort and annoyance. Anything I should try before seeing a doctor?

Literally an itchy ear

IndigoRain — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:15:27 -0800

Help me figure out what's going on with my itchy ear. I can't get to the doctor until next week. My left ear has been itchy when I lay down for several months. The doctor's looked at it 3-4 times and never sees a problem. Normally it only itches when I lay flat on my back, but now it's persisting more often when I'm laying on my side, sitting up, or standing.

It occurs to me that I have not seen any wax come out of this ear in a long time. You know how you scratch your ear and you'll have a bit of wax on your finger? Yeah, nothing out of this ear.

The itch is farther in than my finger reaches so it's pretty deep. I have actually woken up out of sleep recently digging at my ear, which worries me. I am on Cephalexin (antibiotic) for a different chronic condition so I doubt it's infected.

Until I can go to the doctor next week, is there any kind of OTC ear drops I can use? All the ones I see are ear wax removal drops (which seems to not be the issue) and stuff to dry out your ear, like swimmer's ear, but I suspect my ear might be too dry already.

I have sensitive skin that dries out easily. Which types of soaps, washcloths, etc. should I use to help treat my skin better?

GlassHeart — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:48:03 -0800

I have sensitive skin that dries out easily. Which types of soaps, washcloths, etc. should I use to help treat my skin better? I'm looking into ways of treating my skin better to prevent it from drying out and getting overly irritated.

I currently use your typical, cheap, heavily-perfumed mainstream bar soaps and wash myself from head to toe with them.

My biggest problems are with my lips and my ears. If I don't apply lip balm to my lips for three days, they become chapped to hell. I'd prefer if I didn't have to rely on using lip balm all the time as I'm pretty sure that the soap I use is a major cause of the dry skin.

As for the ear problem: Any soap I use causes ear pain. I bathe (my only option -- I don't have access to a shower) which is why traces of soap gets in my ears. This ear pain is just as much of a problem as the chapped lips I get.

With Winter coming up, now's the time that I should try combating this problem. The cold seasons are when my skin dries out the most.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to your suggestions.

I rather like my ear and would prefer not to cut it off.

stormygrey — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:57:53 -0800

Sinus infection backed up into my poor ears. I need some relief while I wait on the med's to do their trick! I can barely think, the feeling of being underwater, needing to pop my ears, but I can't, gah.

I am on steroids and antibiotics. I started them Sat. morning and I'm definitely better, but my ears being so full is really driving me quite bananas. What can I do to help releive the pressure in the mean time?

I'm taking the heavy duty over the counter sinus stuff with acetaminophen, guaifenesin, and dextromethorphan, plus the weird nasal spray stuff, and while I am bit speedy, I still feel "sick" and its really not drying my sinuses out like I'd like. (Also, if I don't take the fever reducing stuff I'm running like 99.3, which is high for me) Can you help me?

My Ear Feels Weird

granted — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:43:44 -0800

My odd, chronic jaw & ear symptoms are growing ever more uncomfortable and crazy-making. The specialists I've seen are stumped. I'm hoping the AskMe-verse might have heard of this, or can offer some suggestions, advice, or support. (Asking for a friend.)

The Symptoms: I've had this problem off and on for years, but it's gotten particularly annoying lately, and I'm going a little nuts. Basically, my left ear (and only the left) feels "clogged" or "full" on a regular basis, like it's filled with water (though it's perfectly clear of wax and fluid in reality). It rarely hurts, but if the feeling lasts a particularly long time in a given day, I do get a dull ache or a headache. I also find that it's difficult to hear when the ear is full, and it's especially annoying to speak, because my own voice echoes. It seems to occur during certain hours of the day--especially when I have an important meeting at work (of course!). It used to happen mainly in the morning, but now has crept more into the afternoon, and lasts for a period of a few hours. It rarely happens at night.

I can make the "full" or "clogged" feeling go away by tugging on my earlobe, massaging/pushing the muscles directly under my left ear (near the top of my jaw) or using my shoulder to rub the muscles under my left ear (by cocking my neck to the left side). Of course, these behaviors look bizarre to a room full of business people who have no idea why I'm twitching like this, and I'm not even sure how to explain what's going on to anyone who might have the balls to ask. In addition, cocking my head to the side all the time has started to take a toll on my neck muscles.

As for what I've tried: I've been to two TMJ specialists, both of whom were pretty unhelpful. One made me a splint, which I've worn almost every single night for nearly three years (and sometimes during the day). I can't tell if it's helping in general, but regardless, my ear is worse than ever now. I definitely clench my teeth at night because I've worn down the splint a lot (I got it replaced a few months ago). Otherwise, I have no other TMJ symptoms.

I've also been to two ENTs, both of whom thought I was crazy. I passed their hearing and pressure tests with no problems; they said my ears look perfect. Some doctors are convinced it's TMJ-related; one thought it might be the result of getting hit in the left ear with a basketball at age 7; and yet another thought it might be some bizarre, unexplainable neurological issue.

I'm willing to considering physical therapy or other alternative forms of medicine, but I don't want to waste my money either. I chew gum during the day because it seems to help in the moment, but I suspect it's actually bad in the long run (assuming this is jaw related).

I'd love to find out if anyone has heard of this problem and whether they've successfully mitigated it in any way. Even just temporary relief (or decreasing the number of hours in the day it occurs) would be a wonderful thing. I'm fairly desperate and really hoping there's some treatment out there for me. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for specific treatment options in the NYC area, that would be fantastic (the previous specialists I visited were all in the SF Bay Area).

Thanks so much for your help!!

Looking for a single (1-ear) earbud

dbirchum — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:23:22 -0800

Looking for recommendations for a single earbud (1 earbud) for an mp3 player. Greetings. I listen to a LOT of podcasts on my mp3 player (probably 90% of the time vs music). And, I find a lot of the time I am listening to podcasts, I am doing something else - at work, cycling, doing misc house work, etc. When I have both ear buds in, I find it blocks out a lot of background noise, which is mostly good, but at certain times, it would be good to hear what is going on in the background (ex - at work, or when I am riding my bike).

To date, to get around this, I have simply tucked one of my earbuds into my shirt to fix this issue, but I missing out on the stereo aspect of it. I am therefore looking for a good singe/1-earbud that will allow me to hear the full stereo in the earbud. I know you can get single buds for cell phones with mic's on them, but I am not looking for that.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a single/1-earbud that I can purchase online? Thanks.

I have ear pain in quiet rooms at any little noise.

Charybdis — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:08:35 -0800

It's only in my left ear, and mostly only when the room is very quiet. At first it would only happen in the car after we turned the engine off. Now it happens all the time at home if I don't have music on to drown out small noises like my typing or talking or the pings of IMs. I have tried Googling this to no avail. Most of the results I find talk about deafness (I don't seem to have hearing issues) or tinnitus (I am not hearing a ringing or crackling.)

What happens is, I'll be in a quiet room (say, the kitchen) and every little sound will make my left ear feel like it's exploding. It's quite painful, and sometimes leads to headaches if I let it go on. Wearing an earplug will fix it of course, but also if I turn on music on nice and loud, that works too.

I'm unsure of what could be causing this. I have a doctor's appointment next week, but I'm baffled in the meantime. I'm going to a free clinic, so I'm worried they may not have the time or the resources to find an answer.

How to get water out of a ear/stop ringing

anya32 — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:04:34 -0800

[Water + Ear + Pain + Ringing] YANMD: Jumped/cannonballed into a lake this weekend - the water went down to 10 feet. The moment I was underwater my ear had a sharp pain. Came out of the water and after 10 minutes or so the sharp pain subsided but I still felt like I had water in my ear and my ear hurt when I turned my head certain ways/if i pushed on my ear. Spent the next few hours trying to ignore my ear, but kept also trying to get the water out (tilting my head, resting on my side with the ear facing down, etc). The "clogged" feeling and pain have mostly subsided but now I have a ringing in my ear. Already had some tinnitus there, but it is much louder now. Has anyone experienced this before? Should I try putting alcohol drops in my ear? Other suggestions? I plan on going to the doctor in the next day or two if "home remedies" do not work - looking for those or "get to the doctor now" warnings. Thanks!

Ear cleaning with oil but no water

sparrows — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:59:20 -0800

Ear cleaning with olive oil: do you successfully do this? If so, can you recommend any tricks for someone who currently can't follow it up by flushing with water (due to an ear infection)? In one ear I have both an ear infection and a total wax impaction. My eardrum is infected too, but not perforated.

The doctor (an ENT specialist) told me she couldn't irrigate the ear or do anything else to clean out the wax until I've spent a week on antibiotics to clear up the infection.

She said I'm welcome to try drops of olive oil or mineral oil to dissolve the wax at home, but I must not get water in my ear until after it's no longer infected. She says oil is more effective than hydrogen peroxide or any of the commercial solutions like Murine (Murine is what I'm familiar with successfully using for past wax impactions at home).

When I google this, medical sites recommend following oil treatment with flushing out by water. I've tried lying with oil in my ear four times over the last two days (no water, just letting the oil run out after 20+ minutes) and it's made no difference yet.

The wax impaction sounds exactly like having a foam earplug in my ear. It doesn't hurt but it's crazily distracting (it's already been five days, and it will be six more days before I can go back to the doctor and have it irrigated).

Do you have ANY ideas for me other than just continuing the oil treatments and waiting? Thanks.

What, do you have shit in your ears?

emptybowl — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:40:45 -0800

How do I clear my Eustachian tube after a middle ear infection. I'm seriously at my wit's end. I just finished my regimen of antibiotics for a middle ear infection, but my right ear is still unbearably clogged. There's no pain, but my hearing is impaired. I saw the doctor for a follow-up on Friday, and he said it could be as long as 2 and a half weeks before it is cleared. The possibility of being like this for another half a month is extremely depressing for me (or even longer, because if it isn't clear by then, I'd have to go on nasal steroids), so I've been trying everything I can to remedy the situation, such as:

- Saline nasal sprays
- Gargling with warm salt water
- Various decongestants including Coricidin HBP (recommended by my doctor), Advil Cold and Sinus and Mucinex D
- Neti Pot
- Homeopathic nasal sprays
- Working out
- Chewing gum
- The technique described here, though I couldn't get my throat to close off, so I didn't really get much water in my sinuses
- Rubbing alcohol in the ear canal

After trying all of these for the better part of a week, not only have they not worked, but they haven't even made a dent in the clog. I can't get it to even crack the tiniest bit of I blow my nose or use the valsalva maneuver. My wife is getting tired of me moping around the house because I can't do any of the things I love (watch tv/movies, read, listen to music, or even work effectively), since I find it hard to concentrate or hear well. Can anyone suggest anything I haven't already tried?

Extended low grade fever - when is it doctor time?

booksherpa — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:21:19 -0800

Low grade fever for 10 days with (mostly) no other symptoms. When is it doctor time? (I understand that you are not a medical professional, or if you are, you are not mine)

Saturday night, about a week and a half ago, I had a 100.4 fever as measured on an ear thermometer. Stayed in bed the next day and rested, as I had some fatigue. Took it easy Monday as well. The fever stuck around, fluctuating between 99.5ish and 100.4, depending on which ear and time of day. Fatigue mostly went away, no other symptoms presented. I didn't take any medicine, except for Saturday night (aspirin). A strange side note - I took my temperature in both ears each time, and the left ear was consistently lower - sometimes just 2/10 of a degree, sometimes as much a full degree.

Also during these first few days, I have to go to the bathroom A LOT. Every bit of water weight seems to want to leave my body. I was down 6 pounds at my weekly weigh-in, and I hadn't been that good/active the preceding week.

Cut to Wednesday, 4 days after the fever showed up. Fever's still here. My husband suggests going to the doctor, but except for the presence of the fever, I feel fine. I call the nurse hotline associated with my insurance, run through this history with a nurse. She suggests treating it at home, but going to the doctor if certain symptoms present (higher fever, difficulty breathing, sudden headache, etc.)

Last night, fever is still present, around 99.5 or so. I decide to go to the doctor today. This morning, both ears are showing around 98.6 (normal for me, as measured in my ears, is about 97.6, so this is still elevated). I reconsider going to the doctor, since my only symptom is a fever, I have a "normal" temperature right now, and no other symptoms. Really, what could they do for me other than send me home with the same instructions the nurse gave Wednesday? My temp has not fluctuated above 100 in about 48 hours, and the difference between ear temperatures has been less pronounced as well.

So. Questions:
Should I go to the doctor anyway? What are some common causes of low grade fevers, and why is this one sticking around? Is it normal to have such large temperature variations between ears, or is it indicative of something?

Ear ache from unsuccessful irrigation

Betty_effn_White — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:49:18 -0800

This is my boyfriend's question, but I figured I'd ask it here. Thanks! The other day my right ear was bugging me (felt a bit plugged up), so I tried cleaning it out by spraying a mixture of warm water and vinegar deep into it as my ENT instructed a few years ago when I had a case of swimmer's ear. Unfortunately, some of the water didn't come out (I think) and now my inner ear hurts and my hearing has been significantly reduced and muffled. I've spent the day researching home treatments for swimmer's ear and most say to use either: warm water mixed with vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or rubbing alcohol mixed with vinegar. I've tried all three, but to no avail.

I tried using one of those curved ear syringes to suck the blockage out afterwards, but I'm afraid I've just made things worse. Now my ear's insides are bright red and inflamed, so drops burn something fierce when poured out of my ear (yet they don't hurt when the liquid is deep inside).

I'm beginning to wonder if there's even anything up there. Not much wax came out when I tried cleaning it and when I pour in the various ear drop concoctions above there's no crackling sound. Could I have just damaged my inner ear with all the poking and prodding I did trying to fix it? If so, should I just leave it be and hope it heals on its own?

I've scheduled a doctors appointment in a couple days, but was hoping I could fix this sooner since the pain has been driving me up the wall (and I'd like to save money by not going to the doctor, if possible).

Anyway, to the people who've suffered similar ear issues and had success with any of these home remedies, was there an easy way to tell if you were on the right track (like the crackling sound from the drops?) It seems the more I try to fix the problem the worse it gets and my ear is now sorer than ever. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Help! I went scuba diving and now I think my head will explode!

lockstitch — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:56:29 -0800

I went scuba diving for the first time today-- I´m in Mexico, so it was at a resort. They gave us a pool training session and then took us out on the boat-- I believe our final dive was at 45 meters. The trouble is, I had a hard time equalizing my ears on the descent, and at the bottom I still wasn´t entirely comfortable pressure-wise. I kept going though (maybe unwisely) and felt ok for the duration. When we came up, my group noticed I had a slight bloody nose, which went away quickly and didn´t seem to be cause for alarm. My right ear was mostly fine, just a sensation like there was a little water in my ear. My left ear, though, is still painful. It feels pressurized almost, and I can´t hear too well out of it-- sounds are muffled and indistinct.

I have only just gotten to the point where extended yawns will do anything to `pop` the pressure inside, but it doesn´t last long.

My concern is, I have to fly home in two days. Is this going to be a seriously painful experience? What can I do to get rid of this sensation or fix my ear? Do I need to see a doctor? Is my head going to explode on the flight home?

Thanks!