Fao Sqad

[237SJ]

What could be wrong with my ear? I had a lot of problems last saturday when I flew with blocked ears. They were blocked because of swelling, not mucus. The mucus hadn`t developed then although it has now - at least it has in the sinuses and nose. There is no infection (according to a walk in centre on Sat) and no perforation (according to the GP yesterday) I have had a lot of tinnitus and muffledness and a slight loss of hearing though. The right ear clears when I hold my nose and blow but the left one doesn`t. It did seem to have settled a bit but a little while ago, I bent down to crawl under the sink for something and now the ear is back being as uncomfortable (hissing, ringing and a blocked, deaf feeling) as it was last Saturday. Could I have done some permanent damage to my ear?

[Greedyfly]

I am no medical expert but I had a similar problem recently that lasted for weeks and the thing that fixed it was pressure, we were driving and I had to pop my ears and it solved the issue.

[NoMercy]

It sounds like congestion which I had recently. There's probably fluid in the eustation tube and that can takes weeks to work its way out. Sugared might help.

[NoMercy]

Sudafed. Christ I hate this phone.

[DTCwordfan]

Sudafed = lack of sleep side effect.

[237SJ]

Thanks. What`s puzzling me is the feeling that something has moved and is pressing against the drum. I`ve been through the Ottrivine/Sudafed/Ipuprofen stage since last saturday and it hasn`t made much difference. It`s just this weird muffled, ringing deafness - I`ve never had it before even when I`ve had barotrauma.

[Sqad]

\\\\Could I have done some permanent damage to my ear?\\\

No.
I presume that you used the nasal decongestant spray that I suggested last week?

The fluid in the middle ear has collected because of the blockage of your Eustachian tubes.

Continue auto inflating your ET's and continue with the nasal decongestant.


You may need thast drainage procedure that we spoke about last week.

[237SJ]

Do you think it could be mucus/fluid that moved against the eardrum when I tilted my head then?

[Sqad]

Almost certainly..^^.....persevere with the nasal decongestants and ignore the time limitation on the instructions.

There is one other suggestion......Try a steroid spray e.g Flixonase instead of your decongestant.

[237SJ]

Thanks. I might go back on the Sudafed then. I don`t have flixonase (I think you can only get steroid sprays from the GP so I`m surpised she didn`t suggest it. She did say the ear drum was a bit red so I hope it`s not developing into Otitis Media. I do have Fluticasone which I have used in the past week but I`m not sure how effective it is because I had it for hay fever. I weaned myself off the Otirivine because (like Sudafed spray etc) it clears the nose beautifully but when it wears off, the inflammation comes back two fold.

[Sqad]

Fluticasone is fine............getting cracking with it tonight.

[237SJ]

Thanks Sqad.

[Sqad]

;-)