I can't hear-suggestions please

[Molly97]

Ok guys. I am very concerned. I developed a pretty bad head cold middle of last week. I'm used to having my ears clogged with a cold. This is different.

I can't hear any ordinary sounds such as the click that the table lamp makes when you turn it on. I use a headset and can barely hear the caller at max volume. I am like an old person; the tv volume, usually at about 17 is in the 30's.

Last week, after talking to my doc, I used a earwax cleaner. My right ear had been going "blocked" for several weeks. A day or so later, I came down with the head cold.

I have investigated this on Webmd.com. They say that the stuffy, "can't hear" feeling should go away in a few weeks.
Should I accept this, or should I immediately seek medical attention.

It's just never been this bad.

[brain]

I strongly recommend you phone your Primary Care
Physician, because there is a chance that your
"tube" canal - may or may not be infected or at
risk of infection. The Doctor will have to take a
look at this and antibiotic(s) - which may be a
pill and ear drops.

If he DOES give you an ear drop prescription; I
strongly recommend you to get some cotton balls
as well, and tear it in half, so after you tilt you head
for a few seconds, after putting the drops in, then
put the cotton ball in your ear, and then in the
other ear (if the other ear is also affected).

And when you shower, keep the water and soap
OUT of your ears. DO NOT use alcohol or hydrogen
peroxide solution to clean your ears out, it's an
old remedy but it does more harm than good.

The antibiotic is for the infection (if you have it)
in the ear canal / aka ear tube. Some Doctors will
prescribe this as precautionary measure to reduce
any chances of hearing loss.

I have suffered many ear infections and clogged
ears all in my life, so I've been there. (However, my
hearing loss is neurological related, and not the
result of this, but my ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat)
Surgeon whom I saw frequently told me about this,
and I've known people who had put it off.

In turn, phone your Primary Care Physician and
don't delay on this one, because if it's not treated,
it can turn for worse from Otis Media to Ruptured
Ear Drum - to name some of the ear problems that
can result from these sorts!

I DO hope you overcome your cold quickly, while
the Physician won't be able to treat your cold, but
your ears needs to be checked, this part is very
important.

[Bernard]

... I developed a pretty bad head cold middle of last week. ... Last week, after talking to my doc, I used a earwax cleaner. ...

I'm guessing the latter is responsible for the former. I think it's time to get a check-up. I'm guessing you have an inner ear infection.

[drarvindr]

Dear Molly,
I think you need to see an ENT . You will prbably need an audiogram , impedance audiogram and a full check up.
Probable diagnoses in order of likelihood)

1)Most likely an ear infection

2)Serous otitis media:
The head cold - hearing loss thingy can happen when your eustachian tube ( the tube that equalises the pressure in your ear with the outside) gets blocked with mucus and you feel like you just got off a plane and your ears are blocked. It may need just some antibiotics , or maybe a small , harmless surgery to make a hole in your eardrum and remove the mucus stuck in there.

3) Otosclerosis : Especially if you have a family history of deafness , or if you've been pregnant/ on oral contraceptives(say the last five years or so) recently , this could be the cause of your problem. The small bones in your middle ear could have fused with your eardrum.

4) Presbycusis : Age related hearing loss. starts when you're 40.

get to an ENT soon. I can't say anything without doing tuning fork tests at least. You also need an audiogram.
Hope you get better soon.

[Molly97]

Thanks everyone for a quick response.
My cold "turned the corner" this morning. Little if any post-nasal drip, almost no coughing, clear nostrils; what a thankful difference from yesterday!
I have a call into my doc. This gets a little complicated for me: I have no money for the copay they require for each visit; hubby has a check to go into the bank as soon as he finds a bank that he can park a semi near. Doc is across town, about 10 miles, and I don't drive, so I'll need to find a way over.
If it's not one thing, it's another!

[skillefer]

Go see an ENT. NOW!..... I had a head cold, and woke up and couldn't even hear my own voice. Now, I can hear things if I really concnetrate that are at least 65 decibels loud. That, and I wear 2 hearing aids. I had great hearing before...but now, it's shot. and my chances of it getting better drop the longer it's this bad.

[alivenwell]

There's some kind of flu/virus going around just like you described in this area as well. My husband ran a fever and had a head cold afterwards. You might want to check your temp. If the post nasal drip gets in your ear, it can be extremely painful because wax expands when it gets wet.

I had something like it. I slept sitting up. And, I ran the shower breathing in a lot of steamy air. You don't have to go in the shower to enjoy that one. That seemed to work well for me. I sneezed a lot. I did drink a lot of fluids.

I also have excessive ear wax in one ear. The ear drops over the counter don't do the trick. I saw an Ear Nose and Throat specialist.

[Molly97]

I too have had to sleep sitting up this past week. Right now I've got several pillows piled so that my head and shoulders are elevated in bed. Sometimes that works, some nights it doesn't work at all. Hubby has been gone through this illness which is a good thing; he gets very frustrated that he can't "fix it" for me. I too have enjoyed steam run from the shower and I feel like I've drank gallons of hot water.
I have a doc appt on Wed morning; it was the first I could get. My insurance requires that I first be seen by my gp before going to an ENT. I've never found the need for an ENT but this could be the time.
I actually had a partial popping a little while ago in one ear. You know I celebrated that simple event!

[brain]

Molly:

I encourage you to read my post that I
have posted over here on this thread
here because I have provided a lot of
information pertaining to Audiology and
Hearing Loss:


Hearing Loss

You can actually learn a lot right then and
there; and more! I encourage you to,
so I won't have to "double post" everything
since there was a post already over there.

[TeeTees]

I had this a couple of years ago - my Boss thought I was taking the pee out of him by 'ignoring' him when he was talking to me......I just couldn't hear him, the person next to me, or even myself ! It drove me absolutely nuts, and certainly didn't help with the E.

Took a trip....well, in fact, took about 6 trips to the Docs who syringed my ears with hot water. I could NOT believe what came out, and more to the point, how I felt afterwards.....I had my life back again - it really felt THAT good.

Guess what they reckon caused the build-up......







.....using 'in-ear' headphones down the gym whilst working out

[Molly97]

Sharon,
Thank you for directing my attention to Hawke's thread about hearing. I was reading your response to him; then I came over to my thread, and there it was again! Lots of good info. I like the way you link to info on another thread. Again, thanks.

TeeTees,
I have been concerned about the whole "in the ear headphone" thing since I started using an in the ear headset with my cellphone. For a while, I developed some nasty seborrhea in that ear, which has since gone away.
Tons of crud, huh? I had a girlfriend back when I was growing up(I'm 60 this year) who had to have her ears irrigated. She said it hurt like hell. I hope that's not in my future.

I'm not sure what I expect tomorrow at the doc. I know this morning, I sat down face to face with my husband who has been out on the road for the past five days. He couldn't believe what I couldn't hear. It's gotten worse this afternoon. It might be the weather. We're due our first ice/snow storm of the season this evening.

[Molly97]

Well. Saw the doc this morning. My right ear was completely impacted and the left ear wasn't far behind. They irrigated both ears. You should've seen the wax plug that came out of the right ear! Shocked me. He checked both afterward and said the left ear looks a little inflamed so he gave me some antibiotic/steroid drops to use in that ear only for the next 5 days.
It is so good to be able to hear again! Made me think about the things that we all take for granted until something happens to remind us that things, like hearing, aren't just an automatic given. Made me think of you, Sharon, and others on this forum who have problems with their hearing. I stopped and gave God thanks for there not being anything seriously wrong. This could have so easily gone the other direction.

[skillefer]

I'm so glad to hear that you got your hearing back. Now just remember to take care of it. None of those blasted ear-buds. And enjoy the Christmas carols for me....

[Molly97]

I will do that; in fact I have a Sirius Christmas music channel playing on Dish right now.
You have a good Christmas.