Fluid behind my eardrum?

S

SwAnToN_bOmB

New member
For the past week, give or take a day, my ear has been feeling like it's full of water. This feeling just happened out of nowhere, but I figured it was because I took a bath and not a shower. I stuck a Q-tip dipped in alcohol in my ear and didn't feel crackling, which meant I had no water in my ear.

The sound is very muffled in that ear and popping with my finger doesn't help. All that helps is plugging my nose and blowing through my nose, but that only lets me regain my hearing slightly and temporarily.

I went to see a doctor a few days ago and he said I did not have swimmer's ear, but that the tubes behind my ear drums were most likely not working as well as they should. I guess that means I have fluid behind my eardrum, and I have all the symptoms (dizziness, sensation of fluid sloshing around in my head, loss of hearing, minor earache). I'm currently on 750mg of amoxycillin for ten days, and I guess I'm concerned it's not helping because I always see my symptoms go away after two days of treatment (but always finish the medication). It's been three days and my ear has not improved.

Is there anything I can do in addition to taking meds to help unplug my ear? I worry the plugging my nose thing could burst my eardrum, so I try not to do that.
 
I went through that many years ago. I was also very dizzy. I went to 6 ENT doctors and no one found the problem. One doctor said my rib cage was too small and my pregancy was affecting me. Huh? Can you believe that? Another said tell the hospital when I deliver that my bp of 70/50 was my normal or they would treat me for shock. My ear was swollen and everyone sounded like Micky Mouse to me. My husband went to my lamaze classes without me because I was too sick.
I gave up as these were ear, nose and throat specialists. It was horrible. My son was 5 months old and I also fell in the bathtub holding him because I was so dizzy. My mom begged me to go see another dr and she recommended someone from the famous House clinic. I went expecting no help but the dr stuck a needle through the ear drum (There is no feeling trust me it didn't hurt) He pulled out what looked like grape jelly but in actuality was dried blood. He said I had fluid back there. I ended up having ear surgery and an ear tube put in. I woke up free of pain but I was left partially deaf because of the nerve damage of being sick for so long.
My suggestion would be get another opinion from a different doctor. Don't give up and if the antibiotics aren't working maybe you need a tube also?
 
Thankfully, about five days into the amoxycillin, my ear unclogged and my hearing returned. I still feel a sloshy fluid feeling when I chew, but otherwise I feel better. Three more days of the pills and I'm done.

But thanks for the info, Mel52. Thankfully, though, I don't think I'll be needing ear surgery.
 
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