Wellness

[Bird]

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

[Dancing Barbara]

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.

[Stray]

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.

[ChynnaBlue]

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.

[morganjen]

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

[Jump4joy2]

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

[Dancing Barbara]

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.

[Tissyanne]

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.

[wonderfulworld]

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.

[Tissyanne]

Wonderfulworld, thank you. I am feeling much better.