Sound waves to drain blocked ears

Posted , 9 users are following.

I had a really bad flu that ended in an inner ear infection.  2 round of antibiotics and 2 rounds of penicilin didn't help with my deathness, popping, crackle, etc.

Yesterday my doctor put a musical tuning fork (I don't know what note) in the centre of my forehead.  I could hear it as clear as a bell with my death ear and barely with the other one.  Within seconds I was swallowing yucky stuff. 

My ears continued to drain for the next 8 hours with 2 major mouthfuls and 2 very significant dizzy spells.

Today my ears aren't completely better but are 80% improved.  I have ordered my own tuning fork and will treat myself when it turns up next week. 

I tried finding info on sound waves draining ear fluid but couldn't find anything.

I hope this helps and wish my doc had tried it weeks ago.

0 likes, 33 replies

33 Replies

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  • Posted

    Hi leila, it won't work most of the time when the discharge is very thick. I think it was just luck that the vibrations moved what probably would have moved within the next 24 hours, but fantastic to hear about!!!!! I think rather than getting a tuning fork, you could just put your head against something that vibrates ie a washing machine on spin cycle. It definitely wasn't a placebo effect. You didn't imagine it, it was real. It worked!! Great story that I will have to tell my audiological friends. smile

    • Posted

      Hi olizzieo

      Sounds sad that you don't think it would work when its chunky.  But for what its worth lucky me YEAH. 

      It seems likely that you might be right on its moving on its own, noone else has reported the same relief and its not in any info I could find.

      Also for a couple of days I could occasionally hear slightly better out of that ear but only for a few seconds at a time, then it would go back to being terrible.  I don't think that there was that much improvement though to all of a sudden cause it to drain but you never know.

       

    • Posted

      Leila where do you live? I am in Western Australia and have a tuning fork used for audiological testing if you want to borrow it. If not I am sure you can find one on ebay.
    • Posted

      Hi olizzeo

      I'm in Qld, so we are both Aussies.  Ta for the offer but I only have to wait another 4 days for my own tuning fork.  If my ear flares up again before then I could go back to doc for another dose but my ear hasn't changed for better or worse since that massive drain.  Still popping though really annoying but it is a lot softer, quieter than it was before. I can live with it, almost live with it, compared to what it was. 

      Did you try using your own fork? Did it help? I can't be the only person in the world that got help like that.

    • Posted

      Hi Lisa

      Music isn't pleasant and it fades in and out, sometimes softer and then painful.  Driving my daughter nuts telling her to turn it down, I turned it down to minimum just loud enough for her to hear and that was worse as I could feel the vibration but not hear where it was comming from, so I turned it back up to where I could hear it.

      My youngest kids tantrums hurt too, its the high pitched screams that do it not the crying, that I can barely hear just like everything else.

      In general everything is still muffled but after a pop I can either hear slightly better or slightly worse. Not enough difference to really matter.

       

    • Posted

      I haven't had ear infections so haven't had the chance to try it smile

       

    • Posted

      Hi olizzieo

      lucky you.  hope you stay that way.  bad ears sux.

  • Posted

    Hello sorry took me so long to reply but its been almost 4 months and i feel that i have got better but my gears still pop and ring and i went to the best ent there is in my city and he told me that it will take a while to recover but i will. So far i have got no hope constant ringing and popping drives me nuts especally in my classes in grade 9 very hard to do well in school now
    • Posted

      Hi Dawson

      I got slack at answering too.  Being studying as well while waiting to get better, beats doing nothing. 

      Sorry to hear you still bad, those pops are annoying hurts too sometimes.  Can only hope time fixes it. 

      Good luck at school and with ears

       

  • Posted

    Hi everyone

    Still waiting for tuning fork. Very not happy with shop.

    Thought I'ld let you know how ears going.

    Finished 5th round of antibiotic a few days ago.  My ears feel lots better.  I'm hearing better too.  Popping and other noises has gone down a lot, either that or I'm getting used to them.  My good ear feels almost normal and my bad ear is just annoying.  I'm thrilled, totally completely, happily feeling relieved.  Wish it was all better but am hoping that with more time ears will go back to normal.

    Wish you all luck

     

  • Posted

    Hi everybody

    I got my tuning forks today.

    Sorry to be disappointing but nothing dramatic happened.

    I put them on my forehead and could barely hear it in my ears.  I could hear them really good when held beside my ears.

    Maybe if I had got them weeks ago when my ears were bad they would have done something.

    For the record my ears feel wonderful, my hearing is good in both ears, my bad ear only pops a couple of times a day and is not that annoying, I'm thrilled.  My bad ear still needs antibiotic drops because if I stop them for a couple of days it starts to hurt again.  I'm assuming that the scab isn't better yet.  Even high pitched sound doesn't hurt anymore.  Really really thrilled.

    For everbody out there with an infection caused by flu it took about

    3 --> 4 months to get better.  Not completely better cause still need those drops but amazingly better.

    If this happens again I will try my tuning forks and hope they work again.

     

    • Posted

      Glad you are doing better.  My ETD is all better now.  It took about two months for it to go away.  Dr. prescribed Mucinex 600 mg and Zyrtec once a day for two weeks.  Not sure if that is what fixed me or just the time passing.

       

    • Posted

      I have been battling flu for a month.  Doctor prescribed one antibiotic which gave me severe cramps and then prescribed Azithromycin that I immediately felt in my ears.  Got an earache and then in the middle of the night my ears popped about 6 times and now am left with a clogged up ear with continuous light static noise.  Stopped that one and now on Doxycycline because culture results came in and had H Influenza. So did you take the Mucinex 600 mg once a day for two weeks too?  And which Mucinex did you take because there are a variety of them?  have your ear problems stayed away? 
  • Posted

    Hello Leila,  Just come upon your post of 12 months ago.  Did you end up purchasing a Tuning Folk ?  I'm still suffering fro Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and just relying on strong steroid drops to help me.

    IU'd love to hear if the Folk worked for you before going ahead and buying one myself.

    Kind regards 

    Anne

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