panicwomble
07-03-14, 11:30
Hi everyone,
I have posted on this forum before but I've forgotten my username and password so I thought it was just easier if I made a new one!!!
I have suffered certain health related phobias and anxiety for years now, always relating to my ears. I know sometimes I sound like a real BABY but the fears are real and they make me sleepless at night. :( I know that several bad experiences with useless ENTs really have not helped.
Well, I'm a 40-something with good hearing, no real problems with my ears. I just had a bad cold a week ago, lots of phlegm and mucus... and about 3-4 days into my cold, I noticed my hearing was going somewhat muffled. I guess this isn't too surprising with a cold, and I was finding it harder/impossible to unblock my ears with a yawn like I normally do. I cannot remember EVER having muffled ears with a cold before so I started to get worried.
Now the cold is easing up and although I still have a slightly stuffy nose from time to time and a slight cough, it's practically over. Except, I still have muffled hearing! A few days ago, I decided it would be a good idea to try pinching my nose shut and blowing, and after trying it a few times my blocked ear went POP. Sweet relief! I thought that would be the end of it, but no... the next day after I woke up, I noticed my hearing was somewhat uneven again, my right ear being more blocked than the other. I ended up going to Boots to get some decongestants (Boots own brand) which worked really well in clearing up my nose, and the 2nd day I took it was the first full day I felt quite clear in both ears. Until the evening came, I went out in the cold, and the ears blocked up again. More panic, and I eventually managed to pop my ears by blowing and pinching my nose.
But now, I've just woken up and my ears are muffled AGAIN. There's still some residual stuffiness and mucus, not too bad. I've been inhaling steam but stopped the use of decongestant tablets after a friend told me they were of limited use. Someone also told me that by holding my nose and blowing, I was risking giving myself an ear infection by blowing infected mucus/fluid further up the tubes and into the ear?? Is this correct/possible??
And now I am slightly deaf again, I'm starting to get REALLY anxious about this and wonder if my tubes are ever going to clear themselves again? Someone else told me it was probably just fluid in my tubes and I had to give it time to clear, up to 2 weeks. I'm really upset, please someone, tell me that this happens ALL THE TIME and I'm just being a big baby. I hate hate hate this muffled feeling and want it to go away. I would cry but I know it'll only make my congestion worse!!!
panic womble
I have posted on this forum before but I've forgotten my username and password so I thought it was just easier if I made a new one!!!
I have suffered certain health related phobias and anxiety for years now, always relating to my ears. I know sometimes I sound like a real BABY but the fears are real and they make me sleepless at night. :( I know that several bad experiences with useless ENTs really have not helped.
Well, I'm a 40-something with good hearing, no real problems with my ears. I just had a bad cold a week ago, lots of phlegm and mucus... and about 3-4 days into my cold, I noticed my hearing was going somewhat muffled. I guess this isn't too surprising with a cold, and I was finding it harder/impossible to unblock my ears with a yawn like I normally do. I cannot remember EVER having muffled ears with a cold before so I started to get worried.
Now the cold is easing up and although I still have a slightly stuffy nose from time to time and a slight cough, it's practically over. Except, I still have muffled hearing! A few days ago, I decided it would be a good idea to try pinching my nose shut and blowing, and after trying it a few times my blocked ear went POP. Sweet relief! I thought that would be the end of it, but no... the next day after I woke up, I noticed my hearing was somewhat uneven again, my right ear being more blocked than the other. I ended up going to Boots to get some decongestants (Boots own brand) which worked really well in clearing up my nose, and the 2nd day I took it was the first full day I felt quite clear in both ears. Until the evening came, I went out in the cold, and the ears blocked up again. More panic, and I eventually managed to pop my ears by blowing and pinching my nose.
But now, I've just woken up and my ears are muffled AGAIN. There's still some residual stuffiness and mucus, not too bad. I've been inhaling steam but stopped the use of decongestant tablets after a friend told me they were of limited use. Someone also told me that by holding my nose and blowing, I was risking giving myself an ear infection by blowing infected mucus/fluid further up the tubes and into the ear?? Is this correct/possible??
And now I am slightly deaf again, I'm starting to get REALLY anxious about this and wonder if my tubes are ever going to clear themselves again? Someone else told me it was probably just fluid in my tubes and I had to give it time to clear, up to 2 weeks. I'm really upset, please someone, tell me that this happens ALL THE TIME and I'm just being a big baby. I hate hate hate this muffled feeling and want it to go away. I would cry but I know it'll only make my congestion worse!!!
panic womble