While I was researching ear problems today I came up with an idea for this topic. Ear infections can be brought on with too little or too much ear wax. They can also come from tooth infections / abscess or sinus infections. It looked like we might be more prone with too little ear wax.
Woulden't be at all surprised Joe.
Just another to add to the ever growing list eh?
Dolly
Ear infections can also present as bad headaches sometimes. No ear pain - awful headache. Weird but if headaches happen frequently its always a good idea to get the ears checked out.
:)
I suffered from chronic ear infections as a child and had more than one perforated ear drum, even as an adult. Now it seems I produce way too much wax, which has a way of getting impacted. Since I've started using ear candles every 3 months (I purchase them at GNC--no financial interest), this is no longer an issue.
Prior to ear candling, my ears itched like mad and my hearing would decrease because of the wax. It doesn't hurt in the least.
OK - slightly gross ear wax and infection story.
I have had a tendency to have very dry itchy ears (which as my rheumy now points out is probably related to Sjogrens!). I've had that for a few years, and my ears get really really itchy. I also have small Eustachian tubes, and am prone to ear infections, and have been since childhood.
This past fall, I had pain in my ear, and went to my primary care doctor, telling him I thought I had an ear infection. I've been through the pain so many times, I know when it's coming on. He looked at my ears, said that I had some ear wax debris in there, and that he'd clean it out, which he did by forcing water in the ear. When he did that, he said "That's weird, there's a bunch of black stuff - I've never seen that before". But he assured me the pain was just the pressure of all the debris, and I'd be fine.
Fast forward 3 days, when my ear is now causing screaming miserable pain. I go back, but my primary care physician isn't available. So I see another primary care doctor, who says that she's going to get me into the ENT speciality right now, because I have a "very interesting situation". Fifteen minutes later, I'm seeing the head of the ENT department. It turns out that I have a fungal ear infection, which is very rare in the US, though more common in tropical climates. [If you want the gross part, go search for images of a fungal ear infection - it involves moldy looking stuff growing in your ear. As it expands, it causes excruciating pain]
He had to vacuum out the fungus, and then pack my ear with anti-fungal goo. Left it in for a week, then repeated the process. It turns out that my primary care doctor had done exactly the wrong thing - giving it a nice moist environment to grow in.
It turns out that one byproduct of Sjogren's is that I'm more prone to fungal infection, leading to this infection that vaguely delighted the ENT staff in that they got to see a disease that rarely is seen here.
Yuck! Anyhow, my ENT and my rheumy gave me a bunch of stuff to help prevent it, including an oil to reduce the itching in my ear.
Fungal infection was one of the infections the books I was researching said to look for in people with Sjogren's. Bacterial and Virus were the other two.
WOW that just gave me chill bumps. I was a competitive swimmer for years and always had swimmers ear. Now my kids swim continuously in the pool and I mix half white vinegar and half of alcohol, they put this in their ears after being in the pool. The alcohol dries it and vinegar helps with keeping the ear clean. My children's ENT said this is the best or you buy over the counter stuff.
I swam in the lake most summer days as a child. I even did free diving to watch the fish. I had about three infections per year. I had never heard of alcohol and vinegar.
My doctor said to use rubbing alcohol (before Sjogren's) Can't use it now because it's too drying.
Leads to a funny ear story - I was in England and realized I was starting to get water in my ear. Wanted to use rubbing alcohol, but it is not sold in England. So I end up putting a few drops of vodka in my ear, trying for the same effect. It seemed to work, which is good, because I wouldn't want to waste perfectly good vodka!
On the topic of ears. For the first time in many, many years, I feel I have labyrinthitis which I had so much when a youngster.
Hubby is saying I am acting like a 'drunk.' Main issue is not to loose my balance and fall... and break something... :(
Oh well, have just seen a new day in on this site... not good for sleep. Just hate to lie down and remember from days gone by it gives you nausea feeling when changing directions. You know, vertical as to horizontal in bed. Oh well, will let you know if i make exercise class tomorrow as we have to lean over numerous times.
Joy
Update: No, I did not go to exercise class. No doubt I have labyrinthitis. Tomorrow is Friday, so guess I will continue to use my walking staff outside.
Do all right inside but tomorrow is to be another 60's day and some clouds. My kind of day.
Have cleaned my ears with peroxide and nettie bottle for sinsuses and coated both ears with steroid creme. Hope it will reduce some of the swelling and the Eustachian tube will open as also ears will 'pop' like on a high mountain.
That used to clear my eyes and dizziness... Off to bed, as am beginning to see double. ;)
FYI -- Labyrinthitis ? Infection of that part of the inner ear responsible for balance, usually caused by a virus spreading up from the Eustachian tube. Symptoms are Dizziness (everything spinning around) and Nausea and Vomiting, usually aggravated by head movements and relieved by lying down somewhere quite.
It was one of the items that came up. There is a homeopathic treatment for this.
I went to an ear/nose/throat doctor recently and my eardrums were inflamed as well as other things. I didn't realize this but I was using a Q-tip swab every day to clean my ears and apparently you are never supposed to clean them. The doctor says that your ears are designed to clean themselves. So I stopped and went for my follow up visit and my ears were back to normal.
Good to see you post, Billydude ;). I've been wondering how you've been.
Now, if Epson would post.......
Nice to see your post Steve. I have missed you.
Joe, Labyrinthitis verses vertigo. Thought vertigo was when room spins and L is dizziness and unsteadiness. :-\
When younger also had vertigo on occasion. Room spun and could not stand to have my eyes open. As you said, nice quiet spot...better known as dark room in bed,. ;)
Joy
I spent a number of years there (Dark room in bed) before I started living again.
The sjogrens has made a mess of my ears. They have been so dry for years and I don't make much wax and what I do make is so dry that it plugs up my ear canal. When doc pulls it out it is like a plaster of paris form of my ear canal.
I use the OTC cortisone cream in my ear canals just in the very outer most areas for the dryness and itching. You can get the steroid drops for ears by prescription only but they are spendy and seem to not last very long.
The other thing I am wondering is how many of you have suffered with the dry ears and very dry ear wax. I have had it for more years than I can count and it hit me a while after diagnosis of sjogrens that my ears were also involved. Irish
The dry ears is some thing that I also have dealt with for many years. My MD did not think it was any thing to worry about. I did not relate this as a symptom until recently.
The Doctors look at it as dry eyes and dry mouth. Definition is that it affects any gland that produces a fluid. That would include ear wax, and sweat.
Bonus and Joe....I hadn't been on for awhile but thats a good thing I think. I've been feeling pretty good except for some throat and gerd issues so I guess I don't need the support as much when I'm feeling good.
That is GREAT new! I hope it continues for you and that you can create more paintings.