I dont like the diziness stuff. Thats mid ear territory and if infection is there you should be drained and given a mega dose . I was in a bad explosion years ago and it blew out my ear drum, but for reasons I couldnt get to med help for about a week. I was in very bad shape with infection and it took a very long time to heal me .
I'm not sure. I don't want to overstate my expertise here. I have general knowledge of the ear and its workings from college/ my degree, and am the world expert on sozlet's particular brand of ear infections (all middle ear, so far). But that's about as far as it goes.
The main thing I'm concerned about with oil is that, to a doctor, drainage = infection. If it's an outer ear infection, you look and there it is. If it's a middle ear infection, it's beyond the eardrum and harder to see unless you're highly trained. (I've had sozlet's pediatrician and ENT give different readings within very short periods of time. Based on my experience and a lot of reading I'm now pretty much convinced that if you have an ear problem you should go to an ENT rather than a general practitioner, but that's another story.)
Anyway, I'm concerned that the drainage was somehow caused by the oil -- that it WAS the oil, and picked up debris of one kind or another (no, I don't know how that would translate to clear red), and that was the basis of the doctor's diagnosis, and something else is going on (especially if he didn't actually see the perforation). Since he didn't know about the oil and the possibility that it could have something to do with what he saw.
I haven't had any ear infections as an adult, and just saw dlowan's description of what happened with her, so could still be the small perforation/ additional build-up thing. With sozlet, the eardrum perforates and that's it, no more pain.
Anyway, my overall bias -- from my own training, and from experiences with sozlet -- is DON'T PUT ANYTHING IN YOUR EAR, unless specifically prescribed by a doctor. Don't want to be alarmist about it though.
Yeah, I don't like the dizziness either.
Sorry, I know we're not being very calming. Just want to make sure you're OK.
I'm thinking the dizzy might be from the antibiotics.
About the oil. I put oil in my ear mid afternoon. I took a shower after that and let hot water run into and around my ear, I know I wasn't supposed to. But, it felt good and I figured it was like a hot compress. This was all before the drainage started. I then had a continuous dripping from about 8pm (?) until I saw the doctor at about 4:30 the next day. I had been swabbing with qtips for most of that time. I doubt there was any oil left in the ear. Being caused by the oil? Or the warm water? Maybe.
I am not having the ear-drum pain so much (it's a dull throbbing I don't really need pain killers for). The pain is now maybe sinus pain?
Farmer - I am being treated.
littlek wrote:I'm thinking the dizzy might be from the antibiotics.
About the oil. I put oil in my ear mid afternoon. I took a shower after that and let hot water run into and around my ear, I know I wasn't supposed to. But, it felt good and I figured it was like a hot compress. This was all before the drainage started. I then had a continuous dripping from about 8pm (?) until I saw the doctor at about 4:30 the next day. I had been swabbing with qtips for most of that time. I doubt there was any oil left in the ear. Being caused by the oil? Or the warm water? Maybe.
I am not having the ear-drum pain so much (it's a dull throbbing I don't really need pain killers for). The pain is now maybe sinus pain?
Farmer - I am being treated.
It takes a while to feel any better from a really "good" ear infection.
So I wouldn't be worrying about no real relief yet....
I cannot for the life of me understand your medical system....but, if you feel no effect after a couple more days, can't you guys get free treatment in an ER or something?
I am thinking you might need more than one course of antibiotics......I think I needed three, or something when both my ears went...well, I had a chest infection as well and other crap.
Hope you're feeling better soon!
Free ER? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Heehee. Funny bunny.
So, now I have a low fever. After I'd taken ibuprofen. I'll check my temp again later. If it goes above 101.5 (I have a mercury t'meter, how can I judge .5 degrees?) I can call again.
And to be clear as I don't think I posted the doctor's conclusion, he diagnosed me with an upper respiratory tract infection (URI) and middle ear infections (Rotitis media) with <something: it cuts off>. He also gave me info for swimmer's ear (external otitis).
Miller wrote:On a previous post you said you were taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen. These 2 medications should not be mixed.
Um, what? I've had doctor's OK alternating/overlapping the two medications.
dlowan wrote:I cannot for the life of me understand your medical system....but, if you feel no effect after a couple more days, can't you guys get free treatment in an ER or something?
The ER must treat you regardless of your ability to pay, but they will still bill you.
DrewDad wrote:Miller wrote:On a previous post you said you were taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen. These 2 medications should not be mixed.
Um, what? I've had doctor's OK alternating/overlapping the two medications.
My niece and nephew's pediatrician also recommneds the overlap for persistent fevers.
DrewDad wrote:dlowan wrote:I cannot for the life of me understand your medical system....but, if you feel no effect after a couple more days, can't you guys get free treatment in an ER or something?
The ER must treat you regardless of your ability to pay, but they will still bill you.
And, if you qualify for indigent status you can have med bills reduced or waived - have I got that right? But, I'm well above indigent status.
littlek wrote:It's quite possible that I have scar tissue. I can't remember if that came up at my last hearing exam. It would make sense. My eardrums are fairly inflexible, I think. I can't 'pop' my ears like others going up and down mountains or when flying. The pain from flying can be excrutiating. Maybe it's thickened over the years - scarring or no scarring.
"Popping" your ears shouldn't have anything to do with the eardrums themselves. It has to do with whether the eustacian tubes are clear. (I'm pretty sure.)
The internal and external pressures must equalize.
littlek wrote:DrewDad wrote:dlowan wrote:I cannot for the life of me understand your medical system....but, if you feel no effect after a couple more days, can't you guys get free treatment in an ER or something?
The ER must treat you regardless of your ability to pay, but they will still bill you.
And, if you qualify for indigent status you can have med bills reduced or waived - have I got that right? But, I'm well above indigent status.
I don't know about that part.
littlek wrote:And to be clear as I don't think I posted the doctor's conclusion, he diagnosed me with an upper respiratory tract infection (URI) and middle ear infections (Rotitis media) with <something: it cuts off>.
With effusion, probably. (Drainage.)
Oh and DrewDad's right about popping -- it's about equalizing pressure. Pressure can be inequal even with clear Eustachian tubes, usually easier to equalize when they're clear though (chewing gum, etc.).
littlek wrote:DrewDad wrote:dlowan wrote:I cannot for the life of me understand your medical system....but, if you feel no effect after a couple more days, can't you guys get free treatment in an ER or something?
The ER must treat you regardless of your ability to pay, but they will still bill you.
And, if you qualify for indigent status you can have med bills reduced or waived - have I got that right? But, I'm well above indigent status.
Blimey...ok.
BTW 'k, I have ears that cause me pain on aircraft, too.
When I was flying a lot a while back, I discovered things called, I think, "earplanes".
They were sold at the airport bookshop/lollyshop/chewing gum/toiletry items shop.
They are little plastic tube thingies, and you pop them in your ears before take off and before landing...(I kept them in the whole trips, because they also reduce aircraft noise, and help with pressure changes during flight) and they assist your ears to equalize pressure. Work like adream!!!!! Made a HUGE difference to me.
These thingies:
http://www.cirrushealthcare.com/EarPlanes-C8.aspx
Dlowan - They didn't help me, those earplanes. I take a decongestant before I fly. I don't fly much. Can't SCUBA dive either.
DD and Soz, about popping - what does the popping? Not the ear drum? What gives to equalize the pressure?
Hmm... the eardrum pops, yeah, but I don't think its flexibility or whatever has anything in particular to do with the situation. Like, if you have a fresh unmolested eardrum it'll pop -- if you have a much-abused eardrum it'll also pop. It's just about the disparity suddenly righting itself (more to do with Eustachian tube than anything else).
Quote:f you qualify for indigent status you can have med bills reduced
If you're indigent, you go on Medicaid after you submit adequate
documentation.
sozobe wrote:Hmm... the eardrum pops, yeah, but I don't think its flexibility or whatever has anything in particular to do with the situation. Like, if you have a fresh unmolested eardrum it'll pop -- if you have a much-abused eardrum it'll also pop. It's just about the disparity suddenly righting itself (more to do with Eustachian tube than anything else).
Alright, I'll take your word for it.
littlek wrote:I am trying to get ahold of the person I need to get ahold of at school to request tomorrow off.
I think they ask that you give the antibiotics 48 hours to work - it's only been 24.
Hopefully, your bacteria are not resistant to this antibiotic.
