Hello everyone. I (22F) am a first year high school English teacher. Basically, I’m about to be sick constantly for the next 5 years. I caught my first cold this year despite masking and staying diligent. My sxs started developing 11 days ago but didn’t resemble a full blown cold until 7 days ago. My sxs were nasal congestion and a sore throat. My congestion is pretty much gone but my throat is still a bit sore. About 4-5 days ago I developed a dry nocturnal cough, but that is pretty typical for me. The big issue I’m having is with the hearing loss I’m experiencing in my right ear. About 4 days ago, I woke up and my right ear felt full and my hearing was muffled. My left ear was okay (still is, knock on wood). I was experiencing a bit of muffled hearing prior to that, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved with a yawn. I started putting q-tips in my ear and letting hot water from the shower run into it to possibly clear up the issue (I know, bad idea in hindsight). I finally went to urgent care on Saturday because I couldn’t take it anymore. The attending looked in my ears and said the left one looked great, but “Right ear canal erythematous and excoriated” (those are his exact comments). He couldn’t get a clear view of the eardrum because the canal was so swollen. He said it’s either an ear infection or a perforated ear drum but he couldn’t tell because he didn’t get a good view of the TM. He dxed me with swimmers ear and called me in Ofloxacin ear drops. My s/o has been administering the ear drops, but I haven’t noticed any progress since I started the abx on Saturday. My question is, is this normal? Should I be concerned? Am I going to be partially deaf in my right ear forever? I keep looking shit up online and freaking myself out. Looking for opinions.
Edit: worth mentioning that prior to my ear infection I was taking 2-3 or maybe even 4 showers a day because that is comforting to me when I have a cold. Also, I have taken 3 negative covid tests and feel confident that the results are accurate.
Edit edit: non smoker, non drug user, very rare alcohol consumption and I take valacyclovir and birth control.
Triple edit in case anyone is curious: I saw my PCP/ GP today and she said she got a nice view of the eardrum. It’s not perforated but it’s very red. She prescribed me augmentin and suggested I purchase OTC Flonase for significant post- nasal drip. On a side note, she also prescribed me lexapro for my health anxiety and stress from work. Feeling very
... keep reading on reddit ➡Went to the clinic because I had throbbing pain in my right ear. Turns out it’s swollen and an ear infection. I was given antibiotics ear drops and pills for the pain. I took them before going to bed and I am sleeping up on two pillows and on my left side but my ear is still so painful. I haven’t been able to sleep not even for a few minutes. Does anyone have any tips? Thank you!
I've started feeling a bit of pain in my ear on Wednesday which progressed into more and more pain and at one point I couldn't even sleep. Went to the ER Saturday night (~36h ago) and been given antibiotic and boric acid ear drops, and I've been using different ear drops since I started feeling the discomfort. I asked about pain and they said I don't need anything more than OTC stuff. The ENT also did some kind of suction thing which hurt super bad and felt really uncomfortable.
My ear is very red, I have slight hearing loss, it's swollen and hurts A TON when I touch it. There's a bunch of white stuff in there too, no idea what it is.
It's now the 5th day of this going on and almost 3rd day of helplessly trying to control the pain. I started by taking 200mg Ibuprofen every 6h but I'm up to 400mg Ibuprofen around every 4h. I can still barely sleep and keep getting these episodes of intense pain that almost make me cry when the Ibuprofen starts wearing off.
I have no idea what to do at this point but this is the worst chronic pain I've ever felt, at times it's like 8/10. I keep getting these ear canal infections every couple of months for almost 2 years which is also super annoying and I don't know what to do about it, although this one is by far the worst.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm considering going back to the ER today if the pain doesn't subside because due to it and sleep deprivation, I'm basically completely dysfunctional.
I'm 18, 80kg, 190cm, Caucasian male
(manual XPost from r/medical)
I have a male English Bulldog, almost 9yo. He has very severe, end-stage Otitis Externa. The only curative treatment is a TECA and I am not currently in a position to afford this.
My veterinarian told me he should be fine and it is manageable, but he shakes his head frequently during the day. I have him on meds to aid the itch/pain, but I worry they may be wearing off or will soon. I can't tell and don't know how much pain he is in and it breaks my heart, I don't want to just let him live in pain.
He still plays and shows signs of enjoyment and affection, I just don't know if I should consider euthanizing. The vet said she would not as he doesn't appear to be in constant pain, but bulldogs are known for not showing pain.
Has anyone had experience with this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi everyone!!
We are a group of students from Temasek Junior College that are currently working our H1 A level Project Work regarding Otitis Externa in Spaniels. We would like to interview someone who has a Spaniel with Otitis Externa (ear infection) in order to gain more information about our project from your perspective.
We would greatly appreciate anyone who is willing to participate in our online interview. Please reply to this thread or send me a private message if you're interested. Thank you:))
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1D2DPo68xm6__8mkujV5FDKoI9d_2s_cnGWWnpeoxPd4/edit
Hi Spaniel owners! We are a group of students from Temasek Junior College, Singapore, currently researching on Otitis Externa (OE) in Spaniels, for our H1 A-levels Project Work. It would be greatly appreciated if you can spare us a few minutes of your time to help us do a short survey above!! (NOTE: ALL Spaniel owners can do this survey)
So far he's done a round of amoxicillin with acetic acid ear drops. It went from one ear to the other. This is the third time it has returned.
I developed a loud ringing in my left ear a few months ago that I've been trying to figure out the cause of. I had otitis externa which was treated 3 months ago, but the ringing persists. I noticed a higher-pitched and softer ringing in my right (healthy) ear, which sounds like the usual kind of "eeee" you get after going to a concert without protecting your ears. I'd say it's about 14000 hz or so (please be careful with the volume on the video!) Actually, today my ENT detected a notch in that frequency so that would explain the cause of that one. I have a history of loud noise exposure that is probably to blame.
The tinnitus in my ear which had otitis externa, however, is much different than that one. It's nowhere near 14000hz... the closest tone I can find is this one: G6 / about 1598 hz. This is the one that's really giving me trouble and is very noticeable in a quiet room, when sleeping, etc.
Has anyone had otitis externa or similar ear infection and developed tinnitus as a result? What was the pitch? Low, high, etc.? Did it end up going away?
How many of you guys got permanent tinnitus from swimmers ear? This month is a 1 year anniversary for me so I guess the chances are likely I have chronic tinnitus. I did the mistake of not acting quickly when I got my ear infection last year and it was a good 3 weeks till I was seen by a doctor. I went an audiologist a few months ago and we confirmed my hearing hasn't been affected which is good. Most swimmers ear posts I ran into resulted in a good outcome with tinnitus fading away but that hasn't been the case for me at all lol.
Been diagnosed w otitis externa, been on the antibiotics for a good 4.5 days. Most of the pain had been resolved however I can’t hear a thing out of that ear. I wonder if there is anything I can do to at least improve hearing or will it be resolved by the doctor?
I have recently noticed a little bit of head shaking and scratching that has come and gone a bit in the past couple of days with my cat, and have seen some little bronw spots in her ear, on top of also some brown patches of her skin in her ear, but I dont know if it was there before. Could this be an ear infection? I am a little iffy about going to the vet, since money is a little tight.
Cat 3 years old Female, spayed Denmark
https://imgur.com/a/dbzpiqv
She seems otherwise fine, and not in huge pain or anything, she eats and drinks and goes to the litterbox.
Hey guys. I had pain in my ear, and my doc said it was an otitis externa, and I got prescribed some antibiotics. The problem is, I’m still in big pain, especially when I’m lying down, which prevents me to sleep. I can only sleep when the time pain meds are doing their thing which doesn’t hold much longer than 3 hours. Is there anything else I can do?
My Dad is 59 years old with blood sugar level under control prior to the diagnosis of the below-described infection.
Last year around the end of December we first consulted Dr AS as there was some white discharge oozing out from his ear. So he prescribed some medicines which Dad took for some time and then we went back and forth to AS over a period of 6 months.
Then in July, Dr. AS asked us to get a CT scan done. And as per that report, he suggested getting the pus culture checked and we got to know that my dad had Pseudomonas aeruginosa. So he prescribed some other medicines.
But since there was no improvement, we consulted DR MJ in Mid-September. And looking at the medicines prescribed by AS, MJ asked us to get his blood sugar level checked. And at that time the sugar levels were very high, FBG 227 mg/dL and PPBG 380 mg/dL
So MJ asked us to stop the older medicines and prescribed a 15-day course of Piperacillin (4000mg) + Tazobactum (500mg) Injection, twice a day (i.e. 30 injections) and he specifically asked us to make sure that we do not miss even a single dose in between as missing an antibiotic dose might result in the body to be immune and not respond to any future doses. So we started the course in Mid-Sept and completed it by the first week of October.
But since still the ear pain didn't stop we consulted him again and he asked to get a Histopathology of the particles in his ear. And the report of this Histopathology had Clinical Notes as “C/o Malignant otitis externa - Right ear Granuloma”.
So MJ asked used to consult Dr. SB (his senior) for his opinion
So we visited SB today and he asked us to continue the above injection(Piperacillin (4000mg) + Tazobactum (500mg)) for 4 more weeks, twice a day (28x2 = 56 injections)
And Dr. SB also said that we should start the course immediately as the chances of recovery will be low if there is any more delay.
So could the doctors of Reddit please suggest whether 56 injections would be needed (and safe considering that dad is 59 years old and also have diabetes F 90/ PP 167 now) or should we consult another doctor?
As, from the little knowledge I have, once the antibiotic course has been stopped, restarting the course would have no effect (considering that there is 2-month gap between the first course of 15 days and today)
24 F, I got water trapped in my ear that led to an infection. I went to medexpress yesterday and they said it was otitis externa and gave me a perscription fir neomycin and polymyxin b sulfates and hydrocortisone otic suspension usp. I have been using the drops and warm compresses but my symptoms are just getting worse. The swelling is worsening - into my lymph nodes, neck, and jaw. The pain is severe 8/10 on the pain scale. Extreme muffled hearing. Discharge, cannot tell if it is the drops or infection. My bottom jaw is being pushed over and I cannot close it normally without a lot of discomfort and some pain. Chewing hurts. And now I am having shooting pains as well.
Is there anything I can do to relieve this pain? Are the drops not working?
Hey there, I'm a 30 year old male, 6'4", 190 pounds. No meds, non smoker, no pphx. I've had a one week history of an ear infection AD, which started as itchiness and mild discharge, but the last two nights the discharge was enough to clog my ear and decrease my hearing. I had to dig it out with a qtip. Definitely purulent discharge with brown ceruminous debris.
I'm a veterinarian (I know, I know, but doctors diagnose their pets all the time!), so I did ear cytology, which I will upload a couple stills from if possible. Cocci bacteria and neutrophils with nuclear streaming, plenty of debris.
I have access to a full pharmacy of ear meds, but the only liquid drops are Tresaderm (thiabendazole, neomycin, dexamethasone) and Gentaotic (gentamicin and betamethasone). The rest are thick preparations that dogs cant shake out. I've been reading that gentaotic is used in humans as well, and wondering if this was a good first line.
I have a doctors appointment, but the soonest they could get me in was Friday, and I'm worried about the amount of discharge at this point, could I start a drop and bring my pre treatment slide in?
Also, I'm just curious... I see 10 or 20 cases of ear problems in a day in practice. How common is this in adults? I always thought of this as a kid problem.
Thanks for your help!
AKA ear infection in your Border Collie?
Brody (Border Aussie), 1yr this week, appears to have what I believe is Otitis Externa. As it's quite late here, he isn't exhibiting signs of pain, and I can't get to the vet before (don't kill me) Wednesday, I was wondering if you guys had any experience with ear infection & what I can do at home to make him more comfortable.
I regularly check his ears so this can't be more than two days old. His inner ear looks red, has a slight warmth to the touch, & appears/feels somewhat "crusty". Everything I'm seeing online points to an ear infection in the very early stages. I've sent my husband out to get him some Borow's Solution, as I've found it recommended in multiple places online.
Honestly, I'm not looking to "cure" this at home, I'd just like to help ease his symtoms (inflammation, crusting) until I can get him into the vet. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Age: 20 Sex: male Height: ~190cm Weight 100kg Race: Caucasian
I went to the doctor this Friday, with a problem with my ear, where I got diagnosed with otitis externa. Now, I've read on the Internet about treatments being with ear drops and/or antibiotic pills. The treatment I got was some white gel, squirted into my ear, filling up the ear canal. Does anyone know what this substance is?
Also I have been feeling worse after I got the white substance, so I asked another doctor, who then prescribed me some controversial antibiotic pills(ciproxin which causes me to not take NSAIDs) should I just follow the prescribed drugs, or should I start questioning it, since he prescribed it over the phone?
Thank you!
Hello, I'm a 20 year-old male who was recently diagnosed with acute otitis externa(outer ear infection) and given antibiotic/steroid drops to cure it. That's all well, the problem is I don't appear to have many symptoms commonly associated with the disease, but what I have in their place is an intense pressure, tension, or numbness behind my ears, down my neck, and across my face that's difficult to ignore. It gets better or worse at random times throughout the day but it's always present and has been keeping me up at night for several days. Can someone reassure me that this symptom is possible with an outer ear infection and that I'm just being over-worried about my infection being possibly more serious?
Hi I'm 32, Female.
I have been suffering from outbreaks of otitis externa for a few years. This time last year I was hospitalized for a week with it, this week I have it again. Today I had an ear wick inserted. Usually the cause is pseudamonas. I make sure my ears do not get wet and I don't like at them. I can't understand why I keep having this so severely. It's incredibly painful and no doctors have prescribed any pain relief, but over the counter pain relief isn't stopping it. I don't want to have this again is there any way to stop it from coming back? Im not diabetic and I'm concerned about my immune system so my GP wrote me a form for a fbc blood test. I have ciprofloxacin drops and tablets and sofradex drops. The same meds as last time. My ears will be wet and itchy in a few weeks but the drs won't be able to see anything and then I'll wake up one day with a bad infection again. I just want this cycle to stop.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1D2DPo68xm6__8mkujV5FDKoI9d_2s_cnGWWnpeoxPd4/edit
Hi Spaniel owners! We are a group of students from Temasek Junior College, Singapore, currently researching on Otitis Externa (OE) in Spaniels, for our H1 A-levels Project Work. It would be greatly appreciated if you can spare us a few minutes of your time to help us do a short survey above! (NOTE: ALL Spaniel owners can do this survey)
