My ear still hurts.

[DocVikingo]

Hi otter-cat,

Just make sure that you give the ENT a thorough history of this & any other ear problems you've had. Be as accurate as you can regarding signs, symptoms, time lines & treatment. Feel free to discuss clearance to resume diving & any precautions he/she might recommend.

BTW, while mentioning Biaxin is not inappropriate, you should trust the ENT's judgment regarding treatment.

Best of luck.

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such. Share your concerns with your physician.

 

[otter-cat]

I went to the doctor (general practioner, not the ENT) again yesterday. She said that my eardrum was not red anymore, and that there were no longer any signs of infection, so I did not need to continue taking antibiotics. She also said that my eardrum was not moving properly, which was a lingering effect of the infection, and said that I would need to wait before diving until the eardrum returned to normal motion, and gave an estimate of up to 3-4 weeks, although she said I could have it checked sooner. I will have to have it checked again by a doctor before I can dive to make sure that the eardrum is moving properly.

My ear still hurts. This doctor is part of the health services center that I go to as mandated by my insurance. I called DAN for a referral for an ENT who had training in dive medicine, and the nearest one (the only one in the state, apparently) is about a two hour drive away.

Should I go see the ENT recommended by DAN, or is this a common enough problem that I would be OK just seeing an ENT in my area who is not a dive specialist? Or should I seek out a GP in my area who does have special training in dive medicine (if there is one)?

Is the problem of continued ear pain along with insufficient motion of the eardrum after an ear infection common? Is it something that relates to a barotrauma from diving, or is it a result of the infection itself?

Thanks once again for any information you can offer!

otter-cat

 

[The Iceni]

Hi Otter cat,

None of us can give you a definitive diagnosis on-line and that is what you need.

As I hope you now know, the ear consists of three regions

1) The outer ear, the site of swimmer's ear and wax formation both amenable to drops.

2) The middle ear the site of otitis media, the cause of ear clearing problems and the bane of certain children who develop "glue ear".

3) The inner ear;- the cochlea and labyrinth. The "microphone" and the balance mechanism.

otter-cat once bubbled...
As time goes on, I am becoming increasingly worried. I believe that I experienced a barotrauma on one of the final dives during a 4-day trip on a liveaboard in June.

Since you have had all possible treatments for problems in the middle and outer ear, perhaps indeed you did suffer auditory barotrauma, with an associated rupure of the oval or round window?

Is the problem of continued ear pain along with insufficient motion of the eardrum after an ear infection common?

Sounds a bit like "glue ear".

Only an ENT specialist can tell you.

 

[John Reinertson]

I agree with what's been posted about middle ear infections.
They vary a lot, and they are sometimes slow to clear.
They are so common that I don't know if I would personally drive two hours to see a diving ENT at this point.

It's up to you, of course, but most ENT's see so much middle ear disease that it could probably be handled locally.

It's important to understand that in middle ear infections, unless the doctor takes a needle to poke a hole in your eardrum and suck out some of the fluid, he or she is guessing as to the bacteria or viruses that are causing the infection.

It's an educated and experienced guess, but still a guess.

If the bug in there is resistant or partially resistant to the chosen antibiotic, the infection won't clear or will get partly better and then relapse.

This sounds like what may be happening.

I hope you're better soon.

Don't resume diving until the doc says it's OK.

John