Viral Inner Ear Infection

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: DmanWho
I've found that using hydrogen peroxide helps.

Keep filling up the ear canals and draining until there is no more audible fizzing. After everything clears up, I would suggest continuing to do this once a week or so, as a preventative measure.


Doctor, you may want to point out that hydrogen peroxide solution exists in various strengths. Somebody might go and pour some rather corrosive 35% strength solution into his ears and not like the result very much.

Besides, H2O2 is cytotoxic and may delay wound healing. I wouldn't use H2O2 for anything but disinfection of minor scrapes and cuts.

 

[DmanWho]

I've been doing this every so often for about 25 years. I got a bad ear infection while in Hawaii, and antibiotics and those drops wouldn't clear it up.

There's no burning involved, and it should be absolutely painless. Although, using really cold peroxide may be a bit startling.

During my medical exams, when the Dr. checks my ears, there has never been a problem.

I haven't any ear infections since then. If I start to feel something beginning to take hold in the ear area, I peroxide. It stops whatever is happening from manifesting.

--I'm talking about the readily available 3% solution, found in the brown bottle.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: DmanWho
There's no burning involved, and it should be absolutely painless.


That's because you used a 3% peroxide solution. You told people to use peroxide. If someone uses the 35% solution there will be pain.

Originally Posted By: DmanWho
I'm talking about the readily available 3% solution, found in the brown bottle

You didn't post that CRITICAL bit of info along with your layman advice.

35% H2O2 peroxide is an extremely corrosive oxidizer. It will cause severe chemical burns on contact. Its vapor is extremely irritating. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and hair. If swallowed at full strength it can kill. This stuff is used to bleach bones and to clean swimming pools. 17% strength peroxide solution is used to bleach hair, and that stuff can already cause burns.

 

[Zaedock]

Thanks for the advice guys. Don't worry about the H2O2. I know what concentration to use. Besides, for outer ear infections, acetic acid (CH3COOH) is better. In either case, neither will help, because it's an inner ear infection.

Anyway, went back today. I had my eyes checked (because of the blurryness), sugar checked, and blood taken. Eyeballs look good. I can make myself focus and read the 10ft eye chart almost 20 feet away. Sugar normal. Blood test results will be ready in a couple days. I mentioned meningitis and it was dismissed as I didn't have the necessary symptoms (a good thing!).

My regular doc had been away during my previous visit and I had been seen by his new doctor who gave me my current prescription. I had called my regular doctor this past weekend because it wasn't getting better and that's when he offered that it may be a viral infection. Well, I went back today and was seen by the new doctor again. While she was looking me over, my regular doc came in and looked at me. He checked my ears and noted the bulging of my eardrums, asked me to follow his finger with my eyes (noting that they "shook" a little when stopping at his finger), asked me some questions and told me that I had a bacterial ear infection. I can't remember the exact name of which one he thought it probably was, but he mentioned that it was a "nasty bugger". So, now I am on erythromycin.

At any rate, I'm continuing my fluid intake (not beer or coffee

) , getting rest, and limiting my exercise routine until I get better. We'll see how it goes in the next couple of days. I really appreciate everyone's help and will let you know how it goes

Talk soon.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Originally Posted By: Pablo
So did you hear any crackling, popping like soap bubbles in your ear?


I've been downing a lot of water and herbal tea. My ears have started to clear up some and only "pop" slightly when I swallow.
My old E.N.T specialist said that's a good thing.



Here's the deal - I have this crackling, popping in my right ear. Worse when I lay down. Some days not so bad, other days like deeper popping. Sometimes fizzling crackling. You think I have an ear infection?

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Here's the deal - I have this crackling, popping in my right ear. Worse when I lay down. Some days not so bad, other days like deeper popping. Sometimes fizzling crackling. You think I have an ear infection?


Unlike everyone else here I am not a doctor, I don't even play one on the internet, but I believe you may suffer from Eustachian tube dysfunction. Google it and see if your symptoms match the descriptions you find.

 

[Pablo]

Crickey doc. Am I gonna live?

 

[moribundman]

For now, yes.

 

[oilyriser]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap,_Crackle_and_Pop

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Crickey doc. Am I gonna live?


Originally Posted By: moribundman
For now, yes.

 

[Pablo]

It's not funny.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: yeti
z -- dizziness and blurred vision -- a lot of people pay good money to get like that. seriously -- if i remember from my reading, antibiotics only work on bacterial infections, not viral infections. you might want to check it out. good luck.


Viral infections frequently come with or lead to a secondary bacterial infection.


Bingo. The cautionary note to all this "Don't take antibiotics" paranoia.

Zaedock, how did your physician determine it was a viral infection? Bloodwork? When you start getting infections in areas like that generally doctors don't like to mess around.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
It's not funny.

Sorry bud, not trying to offend, I thought you guys were having fun. I know ears can be painful and deadly if not treated. I have had my share of issues and I'm glad that for now I have none...

See a good ENT doctor, they will solve it properly.

 

[Pablo]

Yeah the wife has been telling me to go to the Doc for weeks now. I've never had any ear issues, oh maybe one earache as a kid or something. I just thought it was some small sinus/cold problem that would go away.....but this is the 4th week or so....doesn't hurt, and I'm not dizzy.

 

[BrianWC]

I had a bad sinus infection a couple of years ago that was of average intensity until one morning I woke up and I had a giant bulge under one eye. It looked like a marble had been implanted. The wife told me to go to my doctor right away and see what she thought. She gave me a quick shot of some sort of penicillin class of antibiotics even though we were not sure if I was allergic. She said she'd rather risk it given the severity. After watching me for 30 minutes, sent me off with a prescription that she insisted fill ASAP and told me if my wife weren't a physician, she would have sent me to the ER.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Yeah the wife has been telling me to go to the Doc for weeks now. I've never had any ear issues, oh maybe one earache as a kid or something. I just thought it was some small sinus/cold problem that would go away.....but this is the 4th week or so....doesn't hurt, and I'm not dizzy.


A trip to your favorite ENT guy is indicated. Any symptoms lasting more than a couple weeks may hint at a chronic condition. Probably it's just something minor, but it does sound annoying.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Originally Posted By: yeti
z -- dizziness and blurred vision -- a lot of people pay good money to get like that. seriously -- if i remember from my reading, antibiotics only work on bacterial infections, not viral infections. you might want to check it out. good luck.


Viral infections frequently come with or lead to a secondary bacterial infection.


Bingo. The cautionary note to all this "Don't take antibiotics" paranoia.

Zaedock, how did your physician determine it was a viral infection? Bloodwork? When you start getting infections in areas like that generally doctors don't like to mess around.


The biggest problem with what you call "Don't take antibiotics" is not as much the over-prescription of it but the patients not finishing the full dose. A lot of them quit taking those last few pills. At that point all but the most resilient of the bacteria have died. So, basically, you end up empowering the resilient ones. That's why now we have the anti-biotic resistant bacteria species.

 

[BrianWC]

Thank you I am quite aware of how bacteria become resistant to anti-biotics and I did not mispeak. I am referring to the tendency among some in the media and pop culture to wrongly criticize doctors who prescribe anti-biotics for seemingly viral illnesses. There are two problems with that. 1. the aforementioned secondary infections 2. the fact that unless a doctor does bloodwork or some other diagnostic testing, it is impossible to determine whether some infections are viral or bacterial.

 

[oilyriser]

We should collect all our bodily waste in a special vessel when on antibiotics and incinerate it, to prevent the hundreds of species found in the sewer system from being exposed to sub lethal levels that are perfect for evolution of resistance.