Rachel W
04-07-10, 21:16
Hi,
I am prone to ear canal infections. It gets a little crusty and sometimes i have fluid that i can hear squelching, my ear will feel blocked and I will have to sniff and swallow to fix the pressure.
Usually I gently put a little bit of antibiotic ointment on an ear bud and coat the canal with it and it goes away.
This time i left it for a while and then it seemed to go away a bit and then came back so I started to put a little ointment in just with my finger and then I would put heat on. The swelling went down and it did not really hurt but it got squelchy so i used ear buds slowly just to try to suck up the liquid which was a little smelly and yellow. I have been to the doctor in the past and it was usually like a zit/spot in my ear so I assumed that it had gone down by draining.
It has felt like it has been getting better, but last night it was a little squelchy and blocked so I got a very thin piece of soft tissue and very slowly put it in (the ear buds won't go in too far because of narrowing of the canal so I don't think that I could hit my ear drum with it and I am VERY slow and gentle), but the soft, bendy tissue seemed a gentler option and could get past the opening so it could suck up the liquid (not that much).
But now I am worried about a perforated ear drum as I read that buzzing can be a sign of it (and I have been getting this on and off), and diminished hearing. Would I know if i had perforated an ear drum? Would there be pain? I still get the pressure differences when I sniff and swallow, surely if there was a hole in the timpanic membrane these pressure differences would not happen.
The infection seems to be clearing up and I hope that this is just the remnant drainage that could be causing a little blockage. I know that I should go to the doctor just in case as it is a sensitive area, but I also have OCD and going to the doctors is very difficult for me.
I don't have earache and it the hearing is slightly diminished and clicky sounds when I mess with the ear like there is liquid in it. Also an occasional VERY slight buzzy sound too.
Does anyone know if i would have more pain with a perforated ear drum. The ear was sensitive in spots deeper down but hope that this is because it is crusty and sore because of the infection.
By the way, I won't be sticking anything down my ear again. I will put antibiotic nearer the entrance but that will be it.
Please help, I am really panicking!!!
I also have a bad habit of using my finger as a plunger to try to clear the canal, but i have done this a lot in my life with no issues, more because I suffer with wax.
I am prone to ear canal infections. It gets a little crusty and sometimes i have fluid that i can hear squelching, my ear will feel blocked and I will have to sniff and swallow to fix the pressure.
Usually I gently put a little bit of antibiotic ointment on an ear bud and coat the canal with it and it goes away.
This time i left it for a while and then it seemed to go away a bit and then came back so I started to put a little ointment in just with my finger and then I would put heat on. The swelling went down and it did not really hurt but it got squelchy so i used ear buds slowly just to try to suck up the liquid which was a little smelly and yellow. I have been to the doctor in the past and it was usually like a zit/spot in my ear so I assumed that it had gone down by draining.
It has felt like it has been getting better, but last night it was a little squelchy and blocked so I got a very thin piece of soft tissue and very slowly put it in (the ear buds won't go in too far because of narrowing of the canal so I don't think that I could hit my ear drum with it and I am VERY slow and gentle), but the soft, bendy tissue seemed a gentler option and could get past the opening so it could suck up the liquid (not that much).
But now I am worried about a perforated ear drum as I read that buzzing can be a sign of it (and I have been getting this on and off), and diminished hearing. Would I know if i had perforated an ear drum? Would there be pain? I still get the pressure differences when I sniff and swallow, surely if there was a hole in the timpanic membrane these pressure differences would not happen.
The infection seems to be clearing up and I hope that this is just the remnant drainage that could be causing a little blockage. I know that I should go to the doctor just in case as it is a sensitive area, but I also have OCD and going to the doctors is very difficult for me.
I don't have earache and it the hearing is slightly diminished and clicky sounds when I mess with the ear like there is liquid in it. Also an occasional VERY slight buzzy sound too.
Does anyone know if i would have more pain with a perforated ear drum. The ear was sensitive in spots deeper down but hope that this is because it is crusty and sore because of the infection.
By the way, I won't be sticking anything down my ear again. I will put antibiotic nearer the entrance but that will be it.
Please help, I am really panicking!!!
I also have a bad habit of using my finger as a plunger to try to clear the canal, but i have done this a lot in my life with no issues, more because I suffer with wax.