Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Can't hear

***update***

I tried warming the sock full of salt in the microwave. It helped to warm my ear and that felt good. After it cooled down I put it back in the microwave and went to fold some laundry and in less than 2 minutes the sock was sparking and smoking. I took it out right away and smoke POURED out of the knotted area. It was like a mini camp fire. Our microwave only works on 2 settings: Popcorn and Baked Potato, so I think that was part of the problem. And I may have left it in for too long.
Our house temp is 55 degrees today and until the ice melts I am stuck here. I have plenty to keep me busy and need to finish the cluster f*ck unpacking job I started a few days ago, only to repack again in another month. But everytime I move or turn my head I feel dizzy from this pain in the ass ear problem.

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My right ear has been clogged up for 2 weeks and when I yawn or open my mouth really wide (minds out of the gutter please) it sends a piecing pain through my drum. I've been to the pharmacy and tried a couple things (nasal spray to open up the tubes from my sinuses to the ear and a decongestant.) Nothing works. Everyday I wake up and it's still clogged and it's so frustrating. Everything sounds distorted and Tom tells me I'm talking so loud. When I tap my head it makes a weird sound, like it's filled up with fluid. I'm going to get some sudafed today and see if that helps.

Just very "ear"itating.

(Stupid joke I know but that's what happens when you only hear out of one ear.)

20 comments:

Gberger said...

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I hope it clears up soon. Any time I get a cold, it makes me realize how much I take good health for granted. Just being able to hear, or breathe (or open my mouth wide) is so great.
My mind wasn't in the gutter, but now it is; I'll have to try to get it back! You are so funny.

Jules said...

Maybe you need to get them syringed?

Anonymous said...

You know, it sounds a little bit scary to me. Have you ever had that before? If not, shouldn't you go to a doctor?

Hope you get better real soon.

Claudia

Me said...

I have a bulb syringe to clean my ears but it seems more like fluid or mucus (sorry to be gross) and maybe not wax. I don't have a doctor here yet but if the sudafed doesn't work then I will have to find one. I despise starting that process though and will do pretty much anything to avoid it. And the weird thing is, it gets worse in the cold. When I walk Wrigs my ear gets more stuffed up (maybe it's frozen mucus???) And as I'm typing this I'm starting to feel pain in my left ear which was unaffected until now. I hope a spider didn't crawl inside and lay 10,000 little eggs! I hate not being able to hear out of it!!!

Rebekah said...

I've never tried it, but I've heard that you can fill a sock with a cup of salt and microwave it for a few minutes, then lay your head down with the affected ear on the sock and the salt will help draw out the fluid. I don't know if it would help, but it may beat a trip to the MD. :)

Me said...

Rebekah I will try the sock thing now. I can't drive to the store yet, ground is icy and the car that is operable doesn't do well in ice so I'm home bound til it warms up a bit. THank you for this suggestion. I think my ear is getting worse.

Justine said...

Sounds like a possible sinus infection. Doesn't hurt to make an appointment with your doctor & have it checked out.

Rebekah said...

Let me know if it helps. I hope you find some relief!

Gberger said...

Do you always wear your hat when you walk Wrigs? I cannot take a walk in the cold without a hat or headband over my ears. If I do, they ache (like a headache), and it seems to start a bout of "the crud." Do you have a temp? I hope not.

annie said...

I feel for you. Have you tried a neti pot? I swear by them.

Me said...

I wear a hat all the time, even inside the house. Our house temp is 55 degrees today. I think the cold is making my ear worse. I've heard of those neti pots before. I think someone else on here commented about them a while ago. Don't I have to run warm water through the nose though? Don't think I could do that. I did the sock thing and the warmth helped to soothe my ear but it's still so stuffed up.

annie said...

Yes, it is a nasal irrigation. It sounds like your nasal passages would be really tender right now though. Our nose, ears are all connected so, give it a day or so. But seriously, it helps to soothe them. You can do it!! It was weird at first for me... but you get used to it.

Anonymous said...

Laura, your hearing is important, not to mention your comfort. Please get a really good book and show up at a walk-in clinic.(The book is to read while you wait, and stay away from the coughers, even though you should be immune.) You don't have to choose a doctor, but I think you need a good antibiotic to clear this up. I think it is left from that awful flu that you had. I think you have an infection and I don't think you should be putting anything into your ear. Remember I'm almost old and I treated my own ear infections a few times, but I don't recommend it. My daughter hears things that I don't, so I have some hearing loss--don't do that to yourself. It will be such an AHA experience to lose the pain and hear well! Please do it--that's what those walk-ins are for.
TOFLW1GA7C

Anonymous said...

You need to go to like a ready-med walk in clinic and get a shot and some antibiotics. You will feel better in no time!

Najia said...

Laura,

Please take it from ME, a lifelong ear-achy person. I have had two surgeries to drain fluid from behind my eardrums because of sinus/ear infections. NOT fun. Go see a doc ASAP. Hail a taxi if you have to.

Sorry, don't mean to tell you what to do, but I know exactly how much pain you're in, and it can get much worse. Don't wait for that.

Also, neti pots rock. I love them. Takes time to get used to them, but before this bug I caught this past Christmas, I haven't been sick in a long time. It really helps to cleanse your passages from all the crud you breathe in.

Me said...

Ok "surgery" and "drain ear fluid" kind of freaks me out. I am going to look online for a doctor or walk in clinic. I'm just so afraid they are going to have to stick a needle in my ear to drain all this out! Can't they just use something like Drain-O?

Heather M said...

you might just have wax deep in there. Use ear drops and one of those squeegee things or if you go to a doctor, they might do that for you

lizziebelle said...

this happens to the bankertot BAD whenever she flies. it used to happen to me in the winter. my mom is a nurse and she gave me this trick. you need a get either a bucket of flaming hot water or be near the microwave. put a facecloth in the hot water, ring it out and lay down on your side with your ear on the rag. you may have to do this for an hour, so i would suggest laying on the couch with hot hot water in a bucket and keep dipping the cloth in the hot water when it cools off. no one has EVER been able to fix the bankertots ears and i did this at the hotel in boston and after an hour she was A OK. your ear should crackle and then pop.

the only thing is you have to be consistent. put on a bravo marathon and park your booty on the couch with hot water until that ear pops. and make sure you are laying with your ear on top of the facecloth, so like cushion facecloth ear head ear.

you like that? GOOD LUCK and DONT GIVE UP! but if that doesnt work then go to the doctor. i wont tell you what happened to gorzy. its traumatizing,

Me said...

I called my insurance and found a doctor and called the office and they are not seeing any new patients til the end of February. So I went online and found a walk in clinic but the wait is 1.5-2 hours and even with a good book I'm not loving that option right now. So, I will try and hot wash cloth trick and be patient. I still can't drive my car because it's freezing rain outside so if the ear is still bad tomorrow I will go to the clinic first thing in the morning and hopefully get in without too long of a wait.

Gberger said...

My friend loves her neti pot too. LizzieBelle, you could be a nurse on the nurse-hotline at the hospital. Your description was great; even I could do it, following what you wrote.

Laura, I hope you feel better tonight so you can get some relief & sleep! I wish I knew a good doctor for adults in Seattle; all of the good ones I know over there are Pediatricians.