Ear trouble

Nordictat2

I'm sure I'm not the only one on here that's had ear trouble but here goes...

last week I went to the Dr. to get my ears checked out because one of them was hurting quite a bit and I lost most of my hearing in my right ear.
He looked inside and I have "fungus" (eww) and fluid inside and gave me eardrops with antibiotics it's been almost 5 days now and still can't really hear out of my right ear but the pain is more or less gone but nothing else has changed.

I normally wouldn't be concerned about the healing time but I am going on holiday next Thursday and we are flying so I am scared! I will not FLY if my ears are still like this as i did it once before..some years ago and pressure got trapped in my ears..what a nightmare! :mad:

Anyways..my question is there any remedy or tip you can give me to help with this as I don't want to have to cancel my holiday

*Bethany

Savvy_Sue

Does your GP know that you're planning to fly, and have they said it's OK?

I presume you know about sucking a boiled sweet through take-off and landing? My tip is to make sure you've got plenty to hand in the seat pocket! One may not be enough!

Oh, and yes, ears can take time ...

sinizterguy

Yawning during take off and landing works quicker and far better for me than sucking on sweets (which has never worked for me).

It may be uncomfortable to fly - and could be painful if you dont frequently equalise the pressure if your ear is still infected at the time of the flight.

Ideally you shouldnt fly if your ears are all blocked up - but if you gotta fly, you gotta. Just be aware of what can happen.

Savvy_Sue

sinizterguy wrote: »

Yawning during take off and landing works quicker and far better for me than sucking on sweets (which has never worked for me).

I've not heard that one, and not sure I could remember to yawn, or even yawn to order. Although, of course, I'm now yawning my head off having tried a 'practice' yawn! :rotfl:

Agutka

Why are you taking antibiotics for a fungus?
My first ear infection was being treated with course after course of antibiotics. Eventually I got to see an ENT specialist who found my whole body void of any bacteria and ears full of fungus. Gross. Treatment involved lots of drops and cleaning of my ears with one of those painful sucky thingies. Oh the pain.
So my advice is - get your ears cleaned out. It might happen natuarally, but that takes ages, more mechanical help is needed - will help your ears mend quicker too I should think.

If your ears are blocked I don't think any amount of yawning or sucking will help. Having said that I always chew on takeoff and have once flown with totally blocked ears (deaf as a door post) and was very surprised that nothing hurt.
As for the yawning - it's to do with opening your jaw just wide enough for your eustachian tubes to open up - actual yawning does this naturally.

Hope you get better soon OP.

jackieb

My daughter's eardrum perforated today. We've been told it can take a couple of months to heal properly.

Pity your one wasn't too, going by this. http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=2026

Swimming would be a no-no on your holiday though.

frivolous_fay

I have chronic pressure in my ears (usually mainly one) when I fly... it's a lot worse on descent, particularly a fast one.

Yawning, sucking sweets, no help for me, sadly. Doc suggests pinching my nose and making my ears pop periodically... yuck. More pain... to prevent the pain. Ho hum.

I second Agutka's question about the antibiotics.

chloebelle

I had terrible problems with ear infections in the past - go back to the doctor!!

I went on holiday years ago and felt really awful - hot, sweaty, sick. I thought it was female problems as it was 'that' time and I used to suffer badly with terrible cramp. As the day went on I felt worse, eventually vomiting everywhere and being driven to hospital. I had a serious ear infection that could have left me deaf if not treated. Took 2-3 weeks before I felt fully ok again.

Not tryin to scare, just dn't take a chance with ears, get back to the doc x

JennyW_2

I too had problems last year. Started with an infection, then it wouldn't go away, although I didn't have hearing problems, just constant ear ache. Anyway after 3 sets of antibiotics I went to see an ENT specialist. Turned out I had unequal ear pressure which was causing my problem.

They are all fixed and treated now but he advised me not to fly. Maybe worth checking if you are OK to fly with your problem? If there is a problem in the ear canal the pressure from flying isn't going to help

Skint_Catt

I've had repeated ear blockages and infections and have been told by the nurse to inhale the steam from a bowl of warm water with a towel over my head - your ear canals and sinuses etc are all linked.

Failing that you can get an ear cleaning spray from most chemists which my boyf finds rather good.

C xx

Nordictat2

Hello and thanks for the all the replies

As far as the antibiotics. It was an eardrop with antibiotics in it to treat an outer ear infection but it wasn't working really much.
Soooooo....
I went to the A&E 2 nights ago because I thought my head was gonna explode..so much pressure and pain.

This Dr. told me that he thiks I have a little hole in my eardrum and that the ear drops the 1st Dr. gave me won't help with that kind of problem, thus why I wasn't really getting better.
He then gave me 2 antibiotics to take by mouth 1 is for otitis media (that I take for 5 days--2 times a day) and another is a basic antibiotic (that I take for 3 days..once at night) and I have to say..it's working..
Slowly but I am starting to hear out of my right ear and it doesn't feel as if my whole head is stuffed with cotton..so I'm hoping I will be in good shape for my flight next Thursday! (only going to London so no swimming heh).

Again,
Thanks for the tips, concern..cross your fingers for me hehe

*Bethany