Help! Ear clogged
Posted , 2 users are following.
I have been having problems with my right ear since having pieces of a silicon earplug (stuck to my eardrum) removed about seven weeks ago. I developed a middle ear infection, which has cleared up completely. However, my ear now fills up with mucous, seems to occur within days of having ENT Dr. remove it. I have been going back and forth to Ear specialist and ENT for weeks. Today I read that pinching one nostril shut (the one near the "good" ear) and blowing hard through the other nostril several times will help open the eustachian tubes; "popping" them makes the clog worse. I tried it and noticed that a clear liquid (small quantity) came out of that nostril each time I did. There was some relief in the right ear, but it is still clogged and I am still going to the ENT again tomorrow (last visit one week ago!) I read also that upper respiratory infections (that clog the sinuses) can cause mucous buildup in middle ear because eustachian tube does not drain adequately. I have not had such a virus BUT I suffer from complicated grief. I lost my daughter and only child five years ago and I cry every day, at least four to five times, enough to stuff up my nose. I'm going to suggest to the ENT that my crying has created a problem with the right eustachian tube, and I think he might consider this ridiculous. HAS ANYONE ELSE experienced mucous buildup in one (or both) ear after a great deal of crying? I know the pinched nose on one side and blowing the nose has helped, so there is obviously fluid trapped in that eustachian tube. ANY OPINIONS WOULD BE SO GREATLY APPRECIATED because I feel like I'm all alone out here!
0 likes, 8 replies
teedizzle jill67883
Posted
jill67883 teedizzle
Posted
TY so much, I noticed it did clear some yesterday but when I got up this morning it was totally plugged, now seems to have cleared just a little. It actually does seem to be very slowly changing but it is still a weekly visit to the ENT to have it vacuumed. I don't have much patience for this sort of thing especially now facing the holidays. TY for your help it is very encouraging.
jill67883 teedizzle
Posted
teedizzle, after ear evacuation (you know, the device that suctions the ear) did you have distinctive hearing loss even when ear had nothing in it? no mucous? I've had this ear "evacuated" every week now for weeks, I think there is swelling in there (not red inflammation or Dr. would have seen it) and I'm hoping that swelling will eventually go away so I can hear normally. I'm interested to know if your ear evacuations left you with some hearing loss and if it went back to normal. TY for any reply.
anne05078 jill67883
Posted
Hello Jill, you poor thing and firstly I'd like to say how so sorry I am that you lost your child....that must be the worse thing ever. I think all the crying, and certainly don't blame you for that, I'd be the same. However, we all know we make a lot of mucus from crying and that's what is probably blocking your ear. Maybe you have an allergy that could be causing it too. I suffer sinus issues most days and allergy issues too. I do sympathise as this is such a horrible problem. I visit my ENT consultant twice yearly for check ups. I use the method of pinching the nose to try and open eustachian tubes, sometimes works and other times doesn't and potentially can make it worse. Doing this I've perforated my left eardrum on several occasions. Sadly, the mucus doesn't always drain out properly due to the tiny hole and I can hear all the crackling going on in the ear too. I then have to see me consultant for him to perforn microsuction to clear it all out. Feels wonderful once clear and I can hear again. With my problem, unfortunately it soon fills back up again. I am currently using Flixonase Aqueous Nasal spray, that's steriod based. Fingers crossed it seems to have worked for me and ears have been wonderful for six weeks now, where in the past my left ear was blocked every day. Numerous courses of antibiotics to protect me from a reoccurence of bacterial meningitis that I contracted due to this problem back in 1994...losing the sight in my left eye. I've repeated this story so many times to people that are using this site with blocked ear problems. I've tried absolutely everything over the years, with little help. My consultant won't put grommets in as he said it could cause ear infections. Earache usually proves an ear infection is present. I really hope I've been of some help regsrding this matter and I wish you good luck and sincere condolences.
Kind Regards
Anne
jill67883 anne05078
Posted
TY for your reply. The meningitis thing scared me! My ENT tells me this will resolve and that vacuuming the ear won't hurt my hearing, he is a very good DR. The ear specialist at Albany Medical Center doesn't seem to be overly concerned but then he doesn't seem to care about anything, I don't like him at all. I'm having a hearing test in a couple of weeks, seems stupid to me if my ear is congested! There is an ear specialist in the practice where my ENT is, I might change to him so they can work together. As for crying, yes it produces a lot of mucous but I read that crying can sometimes alleviate the ear congestion, so I don't know what to make of any of this. This all started with an ear infection I got after having my ear irrigated by one of those Emergency One clinics; ENT told me NEVER let anyone irrigate my ears again. I'm seeing him today and I will discuss all of this info in both answers as well as OT medication and the "Ear Popper" I saw online. As for pinching nose and blowing, ENT said no to that, said it will make the congestion worse (forces fluid from ET into middle ear) and he's right, it does. I found a method that involves closing the nostril on the side of my normal ear and blowing through the other, that seems to work to some extent but there's too much mucous in my right ear to clear it effectively. I think this is "glue ear" and I read that it does eventually resolve but running every week 40 miles to the ENT is not a past time I want to continue. Life is very hard, I hope this thing just goes away. TY for your response.
anne05078 jill67883
Posted
Hi Jill, yes we both have glue ear. I wouldn't waste your money on the EarPopper....£100 in Boots and didn't work for me. Are you in England ? I am. So many other people suffering from same are either Oz or US
Anne
jill67883 anne05078
Posted
Hi, saw ENT today, not "glue ear", will post followup TY for your answer, I am in the USA.
jill67883
Posted
OK saw ENT today, suctioned ear again, not as bad as last week. However, it appears I am not hearing properly out of that ear BUT my right eustachian tube is definitely blocked. He asked me when I noticed the difference in hearing and I have to say it was a few weeks ago after the "flu" blew through me (I had the flu shot so it only affected me a couple of days). He said all the things I printed that it "could" be are not, and that includes "glue ear". He also ordered a hearing test next week two days after he cleans the ear again (so I can actually HEAR during the test lol). He told me to purchase Musinex and Flonase, both of which I did purchase, and use them for the next week. The Flonase already opened my right eustachian tube about 50% more and I can't hear myself swallow in that ear now. I guess the hearing test will be the ultimate answer: is my right ear hearing less well than my left? It appear so to me but again it could be ETD. If hearing test comes back equal (who knows), then they will test for inner ear problems (MRI???? CT scan???) He also said this could be a very rare immunilogical problem and said he has had only one other patient with it, and that it does resolve with persistent cleaning in a year or so (TOO LONG!!!) But I don't think it's that since the mucous was far less this time, I think it's residual to the infection plus "flu". This is all very frustrating and given my emotional condition I guess I might be coming off as a tad neurotic but really this is just one thing too many now, with the "horrordays" ahead (a/k/a, holidays). TY for all who have commented. If anyone has had similar experience, I'd appreciate knowing about it. Support is so important. THANK YOU.