Started By
Message

OT Med Advice - Deaf in Left Ear - ENT in Three Weeks or Urgent Care Tomorrow?

Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:24 pm
Posted by StringedInstruments
Member since Oct 2013
18478 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:24 pm
Left ear clogged up last Thursday night. Nearly completely deaf on that side right now.

This happened before in early 2012. I assumed it was because I was using q-tips. Went to an ENT (when I was living in a city) the very next day and they cleaned and scraped it out.

Ever since then, probably once every month or so, my ear clogs up. Typically at night. I don't clean it with cotton or q-tips anymore, but when it does clog up, I just wet my finger, plug the ear hole, pull it out, and it "pops" open. May take a few tries.

This time though, it won't pop open. In fact, it feels completely dry and won't even pop.

I tried olive oil, warm water, and a hot compress. Hot showers, soup, and hot tea as well. Even gargled salt water. Went for a long run this morning.

Nothing's working.

The ENT office (in my new small town home) says they can't see me for three weeks.

I would hate to go to an Urgent Care for something as delicate as my eardrums, but I'm curious what the OT ballers would do.

tl;dr - Can't hear out of left ear. Don't think it's ear wax. Could be ear infection. ENT is booked for three weeks. Urgent Care could see me tomorrow. Which to choose?
Posted by Paul Allen
Montauk, NY
Member since Nov 2007
75284 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:25 pm to
Doc in a Box
Posted by DirtyMikeandtheBoys
Member since May 2011
19430 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:25 pm to
Ask the OT
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
35565 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:26 pm to
You probably shoved a worm down in there on accident.

It should start to decay in a few days and you'll slowly get your hearing back.
Posted by BRgetthenet
Member since Oct 2011
117736 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:26 pm to
1) get dirt
2) rub in ear
3) ???
4) put your dick in a box
Posted by DirtyMikeandtheBoys
Member since May 2011
19430 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:27 pm to
In all seriousness I've gone to urgent care for same exact thing. They had a machine that cleaned me out real good.
Posted by Tunasntigers92
The Boot
Member since Sep 2014
23658 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:28 pm to
I feel like you probably made it worse with the olive oil.
Posted by MSMHater
Houston
Member since Oct 2008
22776 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:28 pm to
Can't hurt to go to urgent care. If it is something more serious than the internist (or mid level) can handle, they may facilitate a faster referral to the ENT.
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
35565 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:28 pm to
quote:

Urgent Care could see me tomorrow


Is that quickest they can see you? I thought those were walk-ins.
Posted by LSUfan4444
Member since Mar 2004
53969 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:29 pm to
In the late 90s I woke up dead in my right ear. Went to infirmity on LSUs campus who said it wast wax so they ordered some hearing tests and blood work.

Later that week, after he got the results he decided to admit me to OLOL because I had a blood clot that caused some nerve damage. Spent a few days in the hospital on steroids and blood thinners but still dead and not dead.

My suggestion is to seek medical care at your earliest convenience. Tell your pcp and/or ent office what is going in and see if they can squeeze you in. If they can't, find a new pcp and ent and call other ENTs to check on non urgent but important availability. Ochsner is real good for same day appts for those who have issues.
Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
98389 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:29 pm to
hydrogen peroxide.
Posted by slinger1317
Northshore
Member since Sep 2005
5899 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:30 pm to
I get the same problem every 3-4 months. Went to ENT all the time and I would swear that it was infected, ruptured, etc and it was always compacted wax. I quit using Q-tips and started using Debrox about every 2-3 months when I get the clogged feeling. Usually its after a shower and I feel like the ear is still wet inside.

Debrox
Posted by SabiDojo
Open to any suggestions.
Member since Nov 2010
83958 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:32 pm to
All you can do is cope with Ear AIDS, bro.
Posted by Hopeful Doc
Member since Sep 2010
15019 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:36 pm to
ENT in 3 weeks? Just go see your primary care doc sometime in the next week. It sounds like you're in a new town, and this would be a great time to establish a primary care physician. If you feel like it's a wax plug, try using 5 drops of mineral oil in the affected ear each morning and night starting now, then maybe they'll be able to do something with it when you go instead of having you do it on your own for a week. Urgent care isn't a bad option, but establishing care in a new place should be a goal of yours. Urgent care isn't a particularly good option for regular checkups in most cases.
Posted by lsualum01
Member since Sep 2008
1755 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:38 pm to
you should really be careful putting your finger in your ear and pulling it out. Seems like you could create enough suction to rupture your ear drum. They make drops to help dissolve the wax. I have also heard of mineral oil, rather than olive oil being used. Myself personally, I would not be able to stand waiting 3 weeks if I could not hear out of one of my ears.
Posted by Chappy
G-Town
Member since Jul 2007
3408 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:44 pm to
Vicks Vapor rub on a cotton ball, insert in ear, and cover with a hot damp washcloth


an Urgent Care Doc will give you a prescription for antibiotics if it is an ear infection. I would never wait with a bad ear infection
Posted by cajunangelle
Member since Oct 2012
147500 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:46 pm to
I had this, even in the same ear, the left. Mine was caused from allergies, had ear aches, ruptured ear drum because regular docs didn't know wtf they were doing.

I went to an ENT and he put a tube in my ear right there, no drugs for pain. Immediate relief. Only little kids get drugs for tubes in ears because they move. I have a high tolerance for pain. If I were you, I would call an ENT that can get you in ASAP.
Posted by Walt OReilly
Poplarville, MS
Member since Oct 2005
124694 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:51 pm to
I'm going to add you to my prayer list
Posted by htownjeep
Republic of Texas
Member since Jun 2005
7613 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 2:55 pm to
Urgent care can be a roll of the dice. I've seen some very good ones and experienced a couple of bad ones that have made me swear off from using them unless there is no other choice. I'd see if I could find some reviews or your urgent care or some sort of information about them before going. 3 weeks is a long time to wait if it is something serious and could lead to something much worse.
Posted by cajunangelle
Member since Oct 2012
147500 posts
Posted on 4/13/15 at 3:10 pm to
just saw where past ENT cleaned it out. was it infected? Go to an urgent care that is open late, now.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram