Ear Infection -> Meningitis?

[DrG00GLE]

About 3 days ago, I went to the doctor for a checkup on an ear that was hurting and it felt very plugged up. The doctor checked it and said I had a severe ear infection and I would need antibiotics. Of course, I looked it up, and sure enough, it says that severe ear infections/chronic ear infections could cause bacterial meningitis. Could anyone give me some reassurance on this topic? I also noticed I walked to the fridge after doing a lot of googling and my legs were shaking pretty bad, and my neck and ears feel a bit warm. My ear infection seems to have gotten better the past 3 days and all there really is, is a slight plugged feeling in ear. Please tell me I will get over this. I'm scared out of my mind.

[Fishmanpa]

Please tell me I will get over this.

You'll get over this I'm quite sure ;) keep taking your meds and before you know it, you'll be feeling better despite what Dr. Google says.

Positive thoughts

PS... STOP GOOGLING!

[ww1399]

If an ear infection was related to meningitis one time in the entire history of ear infections, they still state that it's a possibility. Ear infections are so common. I've had tons and I never got meningitis. Your "symptoms" are easily anxiety related and maybe you had a bit of a fever, or maybe your ears were just red.

Hope your ear feels better soon :)

[DrG00GLE]

I asked the doctor "could this turn into bacterial meningitis?" at the end and she laughed, and said "extremely rarely, like 1 in 300,000 rare" Is she over-exaggerating? Also thanks guys for the help.

[Clydesdale Epona]

If I remember correctly doctors aren't really allowed to over exaggerate, and if something was serious or likely to happen they'd tell it to you straight trust me, it'll just simply be a bad ear infection and it will clear up I'm sure of it x

[PanickyGuy]

I don't think you would be typing in this forum right now if you really had Meningitis. The way I understand it, in most cases it can overtake you in less time then 3 days. You wouldn't be able to hardly move or focus on anything, but lay in bed. What I'm sayin' is it would hit you a lot quicker then you think. And your neck would be just about as stiff as a board, like someone had visegrips on your neck muscles preventing you from moving your head every which way.

[axolotl]

Everything has rare complications and side effects. It's not worth worrying about tiny possibilities.

I've also had bacterial meningitis. It's not something you sit around wondering if you have.

[DrG00GLE]

Thanks forumers! And just for the record, is there anything I can do to prevent getting meningitis from an ear or sinus infection? Like could I get a doctor to prescribe me certain antibiotics? Also, the antibiotic I'm taking right now is amoxicillin + clavulanate. Could this prevent meningitis?

[PanickyGuy]

Yeah I'm afraid you'll have to ask your Doc about prevention and all that, the Doc knows best.

But amoxicillin is good stuff for ear infections. I had a ear infection last month and that's exactly what I took. All I can tell you from experience is that it got rid of the ear infection for the most part, like it has so many times before because of the ear infections I had over the years before this one and I'm feeling much better now. So keep in mind, if you start feeling better after taking the amoxicillin for the ear infection, well that just doesn't make logical sense if you were to have meningitis. Right?

[.Poppy.]

I'm not a doctor, but I did take several audiology courses as part of my first major. We talked at length about ear infections.

Ear infections used to lead to meningitis in children about a century or more ago. I bolded the important bits there. The reason was they often went untreated and the infection got severe enough to cause additional concerns. It was also FAR more common in children, as ear infections often are, because the eustachian tube hasn't fully developed, so it doesn't equalize pressure as it should, causing ear infections. Nowadays, if that's happening frequently, doctors will put a PE tube in the child's ear so that pressure can equalize automatically and no infection will happen. Obviously in the past they didn't do that, so children got more ear infections that were more likely to get out of control and cause dangerous additional diseases, like meningitis.

Sure, it's still a risk - because theoretically it still COULD happen. I mean, it happened before, so why not now? But being that you are an adult and on medication it is so, so rare it's not even worth mentioning. Take your meds as prescribed and if it still seems bad when you're done get it checked out again and I promise you will be just fine.

[DrG00GLE]

Day 5, My Ear infection seems to be clearing up! No more hearing my voice in my head, tinnitus, and hearing loss! I've still got a tiny bit of fullness in my ear and a lot of popping when I swallow but I read that it's because of the fluid that has to drain in my ear. I think I'm going to be fine!