Ear infection

[EdP]

I used to get them fairly often. Went to ER a couple of times when it felt like someone was poking an awl in my ear, One time I told the ER doc I had an ear infection. The idiot said "Adults don't get ear infections." I came real close to punching him in the face. He looked in my ear and shut up, and wrote me a script for an antibiotic. They always worked for me within a few hours to stop the pain.

 

[butcherboy]

Used to get them all the time as a kid. Bad ones. The doc put tubes in my ears. Have had a few as an adult as well that just about knocked me flat. Tylenol, ibuprofen, and mucinex are you best friends. Warm rice pack works well as does a little bit of hydrogen peroxide mixed with saline or distilled water.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've never had an ear infection, even as a kid. Heck, before Covid, I hardly ever even got a cold. But seems since Covid I get some sort of cold or congestion a couple times a year now. Good luck with that ear infection. Our altitude pressure might not be helping it.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I had chronic ear infections from the time I was a baby until I was about 20. I had 18 ear surgeries to have tubes put in my ears before Mayo Clinic finally found a tube that would stay in and function when I was in college. These worked so well that they eventually had to take them out as they're not designed to be a permanent solution. Unfortunately, by that time my ear drums were mostly scar tissue already, and my right ear had a hole that would only partially heal.

These issues were the reason I never learned to swim, as every time water got around the ear plugs (even expensive custom molded ones) I would inevitably get an infection and the pressure would push the tubes out.

Good luck with the ear infection and I agree with rotating ibuprofen and tylenol every 4 hours. Whenever I have a head cold settled in, I run to the urgent care and get a heavy dose of anti-biotics shot in a butt cheek as a preventive to the crud moving into my ears. Works every time!

 

[KenLee]

If it's that bad, I'd want a steroid shot along with antibiotic and steroid rx

 

[Ucsdryder]

I've never had an ear infection, even as a kid. Heck, before Covid, I hardly ever even got a cold. But seems since Covid I get some sort of cold or congestion a couple times a year now. Good luck with that ear infection. Our altitude pressure might not be helping it.

Same! First of my life. Now I know why little kids scream bloody murder when they have one!

 

[Ucsdryder]

I battled the same thing. Came on 18 months ago, every 4-5 months I’d get another infection, hurt like hell, bleed, then plugged with blood. Doc would flush the ear and cut a drain hole in my ear drum and suck the crud out. That is zero fun and some of the most intense pain I've ever felt. So if they want to do that, I suggest asking for lots of numbing stuff.

From my Doc. A solution of 1/2 hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 sterile water or saline solution helps soften and flush out the residual dried blood. Drip in 3-6 drops, lay with that ear up, let it fizz for 5 minutes. Then put Kleenex or TP over and turn over to let it flush out. If you do it often enough you’ll see little specks of dried blood coming out. She told me 2x a day, I did it at least 10x. Hard to hear with a blood clogged ear. Takes a while, but helps.

My issue was my ear tube was too small to drain, it would plug and an infection ensued. Pain built up and it would drain out blood. Finally got the large ear tubes put in that ear, no more infections. Regular ones did not work. Good luck!

The drops helped tremendously. Still hurts and still pressure and a ringing in my ear. Trying to get into my GP to see his thoughts.

 

[Bluefish]

I have had several as an adult. Usually onset is quick and once on antibiotics they go away within a day. One trip to China I got one and didn’t really know what to do. Turned out you can just buy antibiotics at the pharmacy. Got the wrong one the first time and it didnt clear it up, so switched to another and that did the trick.

 

[Ishisube]

Defintely keep the warmth on it and I seem to have used something called otic drops years ago. That little dropper bottle lasted me a long time but I think it was a prescription thing and fortunately haven't needed it again since. Just took a quick look and it appears the otic drops are easily available online, which means they should also be in the local pharmacies.

 

[KenLee]

The drops helped tremendously. Still hurts and still pressure and a ringing in my ear. Trying to get into my GP to see his thoughts.

GPs are generally clueless on serious issues with ears. Often ENTs are also.
If problems continue, search out the top ear specialist in the nearest medical university, or specialist that ran a university ear program and has moved on to his/her own practice.

 

[Dejhavu]

Definitely the hot tub.

You may very much be right.

 

[sndmn11]

You may very much be right.

@Ucsdryder is used to that concept by now.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

GPs are generally clueless on serious issues with ears. Often ENTs are also.
If problems continue, search out the top ear specialist in the nearest medical university, or specialist that ran a university ear program and has moved on to his/her own practice.

This right here... Our local GP and ENT practice led my parents on for years thinking they were the "experts". We went to the U of I on their recommendation one time, and they performed a ear tube surgery in a teaching suite with only local anisthetic. That was one of the most painful and horriffic experiences of my life at around 12 years old. Mayo finally got it right and I wish my foks hadn't been so trusting of the locals. However, hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[ScottRK]

Now I know why little kids scream bloody murder when they have one

Found that out too when I had my only adult ear infection several years back. Think I picked it up from my dirty foam ear plug.

 

[kpk]

Never had an ear infection myself but my daughter must've had at least a dozen in her first year and a half - lots of doubles - and 1 one ruptured drum. The last one she had before getting tubes, they gave her antibiotic shots in each thigh before it cleared up. When we finally got into ENT, they scheduled tubes surgery the next morning. She didn't have another ear infection until about 2 weeks ago (she's 4 1/2 now). She complained in the evening her ear hurt and then woke up in the middle of the night screaming and kept it up the rest of the night. She bit a hole through her tongue and almost lost a finger in a door recently - and only cried a few minutes over those.

I wish you the best!

 

[Ucsdryder]

Back to dr. Can’t tell if my ear drum has a hole because my canal has a dip in it. So they don’t know if it’s an inner ear or outter ear. I got some antibiotic drops too. Hurts like hell still but possibly less.

 

[KenLee]

Back to dr. Can’t tell if my ear drum has a hole because my canal has a dip in it. So they don’t know if it’s an inner ear or outter ear. I got some antibiotic drops too. Hurts like hell still but possibly less.

Hope those drops have steroid mixed with the antibiotics

 

[S-3 ranch]

Hope those drops have steroid mixed with the antibiotics

Yeah some prednisone will help kick its ass