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Retracted ear drum, 18 months pain

Posted , 2 users are following.

Alhf94
Alhf94

Hi

It's difficult to write this because of the pain.

18 months ago I was on a flight, when the flight was descending I had the most excruciating pain in both my ears for around 10 minutes. After the flight my ears didn't feel right but there wasn't any lasting pain.

3 weeks passed and I had a clogged pressure sensation build up in my ears. I went to an ENT Doctor and he looked in my ears and said they were severely retracted. After a few months the ENT doctor said the ear drums looked normal.

The pain in my ears has not changed. It feels like a dull/pressure/ clogged type of pain. Since the flight I have been unable to fully yawn which I believe is related. Every month or so I can taste a small amount of pus drain down the back of my throat. The pain is truly unbearable, I would rate it a 9 out of 10, and I don't know what to do.

Any advice or help would be really appreciated

Thank you

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • pistal666
    pistal666 Alhf94

    Posted

    Hi Alhf94, Are you in the UK? Your EHT Doctors instruments usually let him look deeper into the Ear than your GP would, so I would go with his prognosis. One of the main and most common concerns of a retracted Ear Drum is the development of a "Cholesteatoma", this is where debris and dead skin cells collect in the retraction and cause infection. If this is your case, at this stage you are going to need treatment, first to fight infection, then perhaps Surgery to try and correct the Ear Drum (I had this done at the same Time as a Mastoidectomy a couple of Months back). Is it a burning/warm pain or dull ache? Does it feel tender around the Ear? You tried any pain killers or a warm towel/hot water bottle? AL

    • Alhf94
      Alhf94 pistal666

      Posted

      Thank you for your response!

      The first ENT doctor that I saw 3 weeks after the flight said the ear drum was the most retracted one he had been. I've seen two ENT doctors now and after 7 months they said the ear drum looked healthy from the outside. I would say it like a dull ache/ extreme pressure type of pain. It's doesn't feel warm or burning. The ear isn't tender to the touch.

      I've tried relatively strong pain killers but they aren't strong enough. I think I would need an extremely powerful one. I've not tried a warm towel or water bottle but I've tried a steam inhaler cup.

      Thank you

    • Alhf94
      Alhf94

      Posted

      Forgot to add I'm from London

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