Ear Problems...need advice

[KC5UX]

I had a bit of an ear problem on my first pool dive on July 10th. Was at about 6 feet and felt immense pressure, then what felt like my right ear flooding. I immediately got very dizzy and disoriented, headed straight to the surface and held a "death grip" on the side of the pool until my head stopped spinning. Since then my ear feels like it has never cleared, but I'm able to equalize as long as I take sudafed before diving. My doctor said it looked like a middle ear infection and put me on Amoxicillin, 500 mg twice a day, which I've been taking ever since. (my wife has an artifical knee, so she has an unlimited supply of Amoxicillin) It has now been 50 days and still not better. Symptoms include a plugged up feeling in that ear, Yellow, smelly discharge the consistency of a runny nose from the ear sometimes, ear canal swollen almost shut except when it is running, very rarely non-intense shooting pains from behind the ear to the neck, and I can "hear" my pulse in that ear. I don't hear as well in that ear as normal, and my own voice sounds "funny" even though other people sound normal but muffled. The other ear is just fine.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do next, other than see an ENT.

Jim Fish
Albuquerque, NM


PS. I live at 5200 feet above sea level, and if I go above 6000 feet, as my job requires, I feel intense pressure, bordering on pain.

 

[BigJetDriver]

My doctor said it looked like a middle ear infection and put me on Amoxicillin, 500 mg twice a day, which I've been taking ever since. (my wife has an artifical knee, so she has an unlimited supply of Amoxicillin) It has now been 50 days and still not better. Symptoms include a plugged up feeling in that ear, Yellow, smelly discharge the consistency of a runny nose from the ear sometimes, ear canal swollen almost shut except when it is running, very rarely non-intense shooting pains from behind the ear to the neck, and I can "hear" my pulse in that ear. I don't hear as well in that ear as normal, and my own voice sounds "funny" even though other people sound normal but muffled.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do next, other than see an ENT.

Jim Fish
Albuquerque, NM

Obviously, the infection is resistant to Amoxicillin. Do you have some reason for not seeing a good ENT....like...IMMEDIATELY!!?? :11:

 

[gecko2gecko]

You should contact DAN...they will offer medical advice even if you are not a member. Is your personal doctor familiar with diving? If not, ask DAN to recommend one in your area that is. Most likely, a trip to the ENT is in your future though. I have had a lot of trouble with my ears but I am lucky enough to have a doctor who is a frequent diver and understands. I hope you get the answers you need.

 

[JRScuba]

I would go straight to an ear,nose & throat specialist.
If you can't get to one right away, go to any emergengy room.

DO NOT DIVE ANYMORE until it gets leared up.

Lots of luck

Joe

 

[HMaren]

You MUST see an ear, nosr, & throat specialist IMMEDIATELY. 50 days of amoxicilllin does not only indicate an infection that is resistant, you are risking the development of other drug-resistant infections! Stop the amox now. Your ENT will need to look carefully at this infection and prescribe a different spectrum anti-biotic. For future reference, if any infection of any sort does not respond to anti-biotics within a couple of days of beginning the course, inform your doctor, and don't self-medicate, especially with these sorts of medications.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Go to an ent or emergency room now! You are running a risk not only of permanently damaging the ear drum and canal but the infection may also spread to your sinuses and even worse. 50 days of amoxicillin has only made it worse. you are now probably in a position where amoxicillin will not work for any infection you may get. The fact that a relatively small change in altitude (800ft) causes pain is an indication that you have a condition similar to a reverse block where air is trapped and cannot escape normally. so much so that you risk serious injury should you again develop vertigo again. what happens if this comes on while you are driving? as was stated stop the amox now and get to professional medical care. if cost is an issue remember if you go to the er all you have to do is send em 5 or 10 bucks a month and they can't do anything. some medical pros on here may not like that I said this but the fact is your health and safety is more important than being able to cover the cost up front through insurance or whatever. Please keep us posted on the outcome. And stay out of the water! Bacteria love wet conditions so keep that ear as dry as possible. Also the use of sudafed is not for a condition such as this. Maybe if you get a little stuffy when the weather changes as I do or a mild allergy flare up but never with an infection!

 

[RonFrank]

Sometimes advice is worth what you pay for it... and in this case seeking free advice here may be EXACTLY that.

Go see a doctor for god sake. Even if some are qualified here to give you some advice, without taking a look, even an excellent doctor may have no clue what you need to do.

50 Days?? What in the HECK are you stalling for?

 

[hadi]

please go to ent or er..dont risk your ears or even worse...you need a specialist to solve your problem..and you must do it now...

GBU

 

[fishoutawater]

Listen to these folks.
If you are reading my post, you are wasting very valuble time.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Even if some are qualified here to give you some advice.....

50 Days?? What in the HECK are you stalling for?

As a Diver Medic Technician, I am qualified to give KC5UX advice, and mine is very simple.

He should get his happy rear end to a good ENT, like, RIGHT NOW!

As you say, Ron, 50 days??!!?? :dropmouth