topic Re: Ear Fullness in Wellness

Ear Fullness

Tissyanne — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 21:35:06 GMT

I have had an uncomfortable ear fullness for about a week. My right ear pops painfully once a day. I went to the doctor yesterday, and the nurse cleaned ear wax out of both ears with a water instrument. The doctor then said I had fluid and gave me a 5 day prednisone script, plus 875 mg Amoxicillian twice a day. She also told me to take Claritin D. Has anyone else had ear problems like this? It is very uncomfortable, and affects my ability to hear.

Re: Ear Fullness

jaxs mom — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 21:41:28 GMT

A steroid, antibiotic and antihistamine all at once. Wow. I do get fluid in my ears at certain times of the year due to allergies. It drives me crazy but I just take an antihistamine with decongestant ( I take a generic Zyrtec aka Cetirizine Hydrochloride) on those days and it clears right up. The rest of the year I just take a plain antihistamine.

Re: Ear Fullness

Colonel Meow — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 21:43:38 GMT

This happens usually whenever I get a sinus infection. Hope you get through it soon, OP!

Re: Ear Fullness

adelle38 — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 21:46:23 GMT

It used to happen to me when I got bad sinus infections and the doctor would prescribe antibiotics and a nasal steroid spray. The prednisone should clear up your symptoms pretty quickly. It is very uncomfortable.

Re: Ear Fullness

violann — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 21:47:08 GMT

Yes to all of your questions. Very unpleasant. Hope you feel better soon.

Re: Ear Fullness

RedTop — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 21:58:26 GMT

This is a given issue for me with upper respiratory infections and sinusitis. The first thing I do is start putting a drop of alcohol in my ears 2-3x a day, then take Claritin D and Mucinex. I usually see a difference in 2 days, but if not I see my doctor as I know I need antibiotics.

Re: Ear Fullness

Tissyanne — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 05:43:02 GMT

Thank you all for your responses. I never had problems like this until about 5 years ago. I had my first sinus infection about that long ago also. I am glad I went to the doctor, and I will be on the prednisone 5 days. Ear problems are miserable.

Re: Ear Fullness

NYwoman — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 07:12:38 GMT

An attorney friend of mine and my sister had problems with their sinuses draining into their ear canal through the Eustachian tube. It can effect your hearing, sense of balance, and introduce infections into your head. Nothing to fool around with. I hope it clears up soon. Be careful of all future sinus problems.

Re: Ear Fullness

Mindy D — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 09:06:04 GMT

I had , Labrynthitis, also known as true vertigo, for over a year.. I got it after I got over a virus. My equilibrium was off and I felt like I was spinning,had to hold onto walls when walking, worsened when I turned my head to side, then back again. It was accompanied by the ear fullness. The fullness feeling continued after the vertigo stopped. I saw my doctor, but did not get antibiotics. A couple years afterwards I had an attack of it and went to the ER. They ran tests, found no infection, gave me antivert. Next day I had to go to a dentist for mouth pain. The dentist sent me to an oral surgeon who found an abscess and he took care of it. Luckily, I didn't have the dizziness afterwards, but the fullness came back for about a month.

Re: Ear Fullness

Campion — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 10:39:36 GMT

I get this during allergy season and when I have a mild middle ear infection or inner ear infection. It happens almost every year.

Re: Ear Fullness

Bird — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:01:19 GMT

You can gargle with warm salt water several times a day. This is to help reduce swelling and open the area where the tube drains into the back of the throat. The warmth of the water helps stimulate circulation in the affected area. You won't notice an immediate effect, as the salt water can't get far up that tube, but it does help in the process of restoring drainage.

Whether you take the cocktail your doctor gave you, or an OTC, this gargling will aid the process! - Bird

Re: Ear Fullness

Dancing Barbara — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:09:24 GMT

I started with popping in my right ear. Doctor said I had water in there and it was allergies. I couldn't take the Zyrtec she recommended. I then went to an ENT several months later. He gave me a nose spray. Didn't work. Then he recommended an ear tube which I had put in but it came out in six months and the water is back. He had no other suggestions but a hearing aid. I got a second opinion with another ENT March 19. He did a biopsy inside my nose. Gave me steroids, Augmentin and a nose spray. After finishing the steroids while taking the antibiotic, I got a stomach upset and diarrhea which I still have six days later. I have an appointment with the ENT on April 9 to get a CAT scan of my sinuses. I am going to my primary doctor today because of the ongoing stomach upset. I did take a probiotic with the antibiotic. Please pray I will get over this soon.

Re: Ear Fullness

Stray — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 22:12:21 GMT

It is uncomfortable but not uncommon; I am a nurse and your doctors treatment is correct. Don't put alcohol in your ear, right now don't put anything in your ear but if you do, just to keep them clear of wax, use peroxide not alcohol or debrox which is OTC. Always follow your doctor's advice.

Re: Ear Fullness

ChynnaBlue — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 22:22:49 GMT

My allergies sometimes cause problems with my ears. I don't get fluids in them and don't have wax issues, but sometimes my hearing is affected. Once I had such bad allergies that one of my ears felt plugged up for three weeks. I saw three doctors about it and was on several rounds of antibiotics for a secondary sinus infection my allergies caused, but nothing cleared my ears up. Usually a good decongestant or some Mucinex will help, but that time I just had to wait it out.

Re: Ear Fullness

morganjen — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 22:32:20 GMT

They say this allergy/pollen season is the worst in 10 years. It could very well be caused by allergies.

Re: Ear Fullness

Jump4joy2 — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 22:41:58 GMT

On 3/31/2015 Dancing Barbara said:
I started with popping in my right ear. Doctor said I had water in there and it was allergies. I couldn't take the Zyrtec she recommended. I then went to an ENT several months later. He gave me a nose spray. Didn't work. Then he recommended an ear tube which I had put in but it came out in six months and the water is back. He had no other suggestions but a hearing aid. I got a second opinion with another ENT March 19. He did a biopsy inside my nose. Gave me steroids, Augmentin and a nose spray. After finishing the steroids while taking the antibiotic, I got a stomach upset and diarrhea which I still have six days later. I have an appointment with the ENT on April 9 to get a CAT scan of my sinuses. I am going to my primary doctor today because of the ongoing stomach upset. I did take a probiotic with the antibiotic. Please pray I will get over this soon.

Augmentin is strong and tough on the stomach. Hope the doctor checked to make sure that you don't have C-Diff. Taking the probiotic should have prevented that. I find the nasal sprays don't help me either. I hope that you will be feeling better real soon. What did your primary care doctor recommend? Did the oral steroids help at all? Just asking, as I am dealing with a sinus infection that won't go away.

JoyC

Re: Ear Fullness

Dancing Barbara — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 23:14:59 GMT

My doctor gave me a prescription for nausea and did a blood test. She said to continue with the probiotic. I can take Pepto if I want. I got a fecal test kit for the diarrhea if I have anymore. Hopefully, I won't. I haven't had any since this morning. She said to eat light for two more days.

Re: Ear Fullness

Tissyanne — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 00:17:43 GMT

On 3/31/2015 Dancing Barbara said:
My doctor gave me a prescription for nausea and did a blood test. She said to continue with the probiotic. I can take Pepto if I want. I got a fecal test kit for the diarrhea if I have anymore. Hopefully, I won't. I haven't had any since this morning. She said to eat light for two more days.

Prayers sent for you to be well soon.

Re: Ear Fullness

wonderfulworld — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 13:47:30 GMT

If there is no fluid seen in the middle ear sometimes the problem is the inner ear in the cochlear. This usually occurs in one ear only and the deafness is accompanied by loud wind tunnel noises and fullness. It is rare and is treated with oral steroids and steroid infusions in to the ear. An Mri is usually done but in 99% of the cases shows nothing.

The reason I mention this is because it needs to be treated promptly by an ear specialist (usually an oto neurologist) because the window of opportunity to save the hearing is weeks to a couple of months. In some cases the condition resolves on it's own but this usually happens in a couple of days of onset.

It can be caused by a virus, Menieres Disease, auto immune conditions or sometimes they never find the cause. There is usually no vertigo. It is called Sudden Hearing Loss.

Although fairly rare, it is one of the true audiological emergencies because the hearing sometimes does not return if it is not treated promptly.

As I said this is only when the middle ear has no fluid issues and there is no sign of middle ear infection. It happened to me this past winter and I was very fortunate that my hearing came back. Still rings pretty loudly and the sounds remain a little tinny but much better.

Tissyanne, this would not apply to you as the dr. saw fluid in your middle ear.

I just bring it up as it might apply to others and help someone else out there. Hope you feel better soon.

Re: Ear Fullness

Tissyanne — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 02:25:19 GMT

Wonderfulworld, thank you. I am feeling much better.