My ear keeps popping, help!

[hearts and roses]

Oh Yoo hoo, medical experts out there in CD land, help!

My left ear keeps popping, without provocation. I have not gone swimming. I do have a sniffle going on, for about 3 days. But that's it. Could it be a wax build up or fluid behind the drum?

I looked up some stuff on line and by far the most common response and suggestion was to clean out my ears using warm water flushes, steam, and peroxide with w baby ear syringe.

So? WWYD? Thanks!

 

[buddy]

popping like that with the sniffles usually means that some of it has gotten in thru the Eustachian tube. so the air pressure can't be equalized in the middle ear...not the outer ear where the wax is. Usually it happens quietly thru that tube to the throat/mouth area. but when there is "goo" in there it changes pressure so much that when it finally does open a little it pops, like when you put your finger on one end of a straw and suck on the other, you know how the straw collapses? then when you let go of one or the other ends, it pops back???

So, an antihistamine can dry it, but can cause rebound stuff, and same for a decongestant. Some just use saline and flush out their noses to keep it thinner. Depends on what works best for you. It is so annoying... does it pop more if you swallow or chew gum.... sometimes it doesn't because of the cause, not the same as when it is a change from air pressure like on a plane.

sorry this is happening, can actually be painful too but usually just so annoying. I hope it goes away fast. You may want to check just to make sure it is not infected. Though not everyone thinks using an antibiotic is good for ear infections anymore. Depends on your history and what you believe.

 

[hearts and roses]

Buddy, it's like a constant thumping in my ear, pop, unpop, pop, unpop, very annoying, not quite painful.

I have had some serious post nasal drip lately. I'll go try to use the neti-pot today and go buy some of that great Simply Saline for the shower. Gross. I may try the ear wash just because. I sometimes get a little aggressive with q-tips, so maybe the fluid in the tubes as well as some wax buildup is going on? I just hope it doesn't turn into anything more. I cannot get sick between now and my surgery!

Thanks.

 

[buddy]

Oh for sure it could be both.... Instead of q tips for now, let the hot water go into your ear canals to melt the wax out... then use a cloth to get it so you dont compact the wax down. If you catch some of the wax that is stuck to your ear drum it can actually pull it out and cause a hole. Now that hurts! I had a hole in a drum once from an infection blowing it out. really painful and I knew the moment it happened. There are drops with glycerin and peroxide and I think mineral oil that can help keep it under control too. Sorry I am being so gross guys.... just tons of years doing ear stuff, taking care of hearing aides etc. My undergrad program didn't have an audiology undergrad only grad so we did all the audiology stuff (all speech paths have some audiology and all audiology have some speech path hours). So yucky ear stuff is kind of my thing. tee hee.

 

[DaisyFace]

Hearts--

My son just went through this exact thing. Ear pressure, popping...

Went to doctor who found some built-up wax, which was causing irritation and pressure changes. After cleaning the ears and applying drops to soothe the irritation - he is good as new!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Put a few drops of warm olive oil in the ear that's causing the problem (both, if both are...).
THEN, go see the doctor for a ear-wax flush...

The olive oil softens the wax... makes the flush work better, with less irritation.

While there, ask doctor if there's any chance of infection either in the ear, or in the tubes... if you're waiting for surgery, and there's any hint of infection, might be good to zap it with antibiotics...

 

[DDD]

The otc ear wash (comes with bulb for flushing) is not very expensive and if used as directed (more than one time) it can alleviate alot of ear issues. I'd try it. Hugs. DDD