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my ear has been plugged up for 5 days

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Dude, had that for a day, got sent home from work 'cause I was dropping plates my balance was so off(was a waiter ATT)

Took a really hot shower, let the water run for a while (enough to steam up the room) thin let the really hot water run gently into your ear. Kinda do it indirectly, so the pressure from the shower doesn't hit your eardrum. If that doesn't fix it (after letting your ear drain, of course), see a doc.
 
ok I'm really sure it's an ear infection, not "earwax" or something. so should I try sudafed and hydrogen peroxide? are those both for eliminating ear infections?
 
Originally posted by: dpopiz
ok I'm really sure it's an ear infection, not "earwax" or something. so should I try sudafed and hydrogen peroxide? are those both for eliminating ear infections?

Those are methods for clearing up earwax blockage. Ear infections are treated by either a) antibiotics or b) waiting until they go away. They are caused by bacteria, not just stuffed up canals.
 
Originally posted by: dpopiz
I can't hear a thing out of one ear. it's very isolating and disorienting. and 5 days seems a bit long.

what's wrong with me?
You plug the lamp into a wall socket, not your ear.

 
No, the peroxide is for cleaning wax from your ear canal. You might have an ear infection or just a plugged eustachian tube. If you have a fever, I'd go with infection. Pain, probably infection. Regardless, use sudafed to try to keep the tube open and see your doctor if you don't feel better after a few days or if you have pain or fever. Infections will most likely be treated with antibiotics, but your doctor would probably have you take stuff like tylenol and sudafed to work on symptoms. Another thing to google is "otitis media".
 
Originally posted by: Dopefiend
Originally posted by: flawlssdistortn
dude just squirt it out - use one of those rubber bulbs and squeeze really hard, it works every time.

Do NOT try this if you want your eardrum to remain intact!!

I've done that like 5 times, it's always worked. And my eardrums are fine.
 
Originally posted by: flawlssdistortn
Originally posted by: Dopefiend
Originally posted by: flawlssdistortn
dude just squirt it out - use one of those rubber bulbs and squeeze really hard, it works every time.

Do NOT try this if you want your eardrum to remain intact!!

I've done that like 5 times, it's always worked. And my eardrums are fine.

Ditto. I was doing it so violently at one point that the doc said there were scratches in my ear. 😀

Mine were really bad. I used eardrops, peroxide, HOT ass water in the shower (I was sweating bullets in there), tons of pressure, everything. Went do the doc once and they told me to sleep with eardrops in my ears for a week and come back. The night before I went back, one ear finally unplugged when I was flushing it out. The doc got the other one the next day.

And I don't even have medical insurance. Cost $100 for each visit, it was some outpatient something or another branch of the local hospital. Not even sure what to call it.
 
Originally posted by: dpopiz
ok I'm really sure it's an ear infection, not "earwax" or something. so should I try sudafed and hydrogen peroxide? are those both for eliminating ear infections?

And still people are still recommending methods to clean out earwax :disgust:
Go see a doctor immediately. The fluids will build up inside. Now can you feel the liquid moving around when you tilt your head around? It means the fluids is only half full. Usually if I tilt my head in the direction where the infected ear is pointing down, my hearing will become "unplugged", but as soon as the liquid flows back to the other end, it would get plugged again. After 2 months or so, the liquid will build up until you don't even fill the liquid moving around anymore.
A good way to test you have otitis media(middle ear infection), is to take a tuning fork or something that rings, and put it behind your ear and right next to your ears. If it sounds louder behind your ears, it means you have otitis media. Doctors always use this technique.
 
Originally posted by: flawlssdistortn
Originally posted by: Dopefiend
Originally posted by: flawlssdistortn
dude just squirt it out - use one of those rubber bulbs and squeeze really hard, it works every time.

Do NOT try this if you want your eardrum to remain intact!!

I've done that like 5 times, it's always worked. And my eardrums are fine.

It's still not safe. Ask your doctor about using air pressure to clean your ears, and they'll tell you that it's a Bad Idea (TM).
 
The only time I went scuba diving, I couldn't quite pop my ear all the way, snorted and spit out some blood when i surfaced, and had an ear clogged for a few weeks afterwards. It finally slowly went away. The poping noise every time I swallowed was annoying. I hope it didn't affect my hearing any. I couldn't notice since it was so gradual. I wanna go again but am scared to now.
 
well I tried pseudophedrin (1 dose) and it didn't do a thing. I guess I'll take another dose and see what that does
 
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