# A Type-of-Doctor Question - not asking medical advice. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493 "2006-05-20T04:23:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/1 "2006-05-20T04:23:01Z")
I have a weird, very painful kind of thing going on with my right ear. It doesn’t happen all the time, and not with the kind of regularity I can forsee, so it’s kind of hard to make an appointment with my (semi) regular doctor. Immediately under my right ear, there will be a slight amount of swelling and it will _hurt_. As in make my eyes water hurt. It usually doesn’t last for more than half an hour or so, then the swelling and pain are gone. It’s going on right now. The canal to my right ear is so swollen a Q-Tip won’t go in, there is a walnut-sized lump right where my external earlobe meets the scalp on the back of my head, and it hurts to move my head at all. Who do I start talking to about this? I am not asking for medical advice as much as I am asking who do I seek medical advice from? The only doctor I’ve seen in years is a “Doc-in-a-box” (minor emergency clinic) and I have no health insurance. Any advice will be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/2 "2006-05-20T04:49:37Z")
I’d say an ENT (otorhinolaryngologist) – a thorough check of the area wouldn’t hurt. He may suggest an allergist or a dermatologist, but ENT is definitely the place to begin. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/3 "2006-05-20T05:17:47Z")
Thank you! Altho here it probably means a referral, it is at least a place to start! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/4 "2006-05-20T14:33:21Z")
> [@edwino](#): > > I’d say an ENT (otorhinolaryngologist) – a thorough check of the area wouldn’t hurt. He may suggest an allergist or a dermatologist, but ENT is definitely the place to begin. I disagree. A good primary care doc (Internist or Family Physician) is the place to begin. If they can’t take care if it, they can help arrange for an urgent ENT appointment ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/5 "2006-05-20T16:10:48Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > I disagree. A good primary care doc (Internist or Family Physician) is the place to begin. If they can’t take care if it, they can help arrange for an urgent ENT appointment I defer. I assumed you were looking for a specialist. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/6 "2006-05-20T19:11:27Z")
Especially if it’s a swollen lymph node at the top of the jugular chain. That means finding out what’s got into the lymph node. Bad teeth? Infected sinuses? The King’s evil? A family doc will find out. I admit I have not seen a swollen post-auricular node that caused that kind of pain. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/7 "2006-05-20T21:38:51Z")
> [@gabriela](#): > > Especially if it’s a swollen lymph node at the top of the jugular chain. That means finding out what’s got into the lymph node. Bad teeth? Infected sinuses? The King’s evil? A family doc will find out. > > I admit I have not seen a swollen post-auricular node that caused that kind of pain. Your patients don’t complain a whole lot, though, do they? Could hurt like hell and they’d never say a word. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/8 "2006-05-20T21:48:36Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Your patients don’t complain a whole lot, though, do they? Could hurt like hell and they’d never say a word. 😉 Surgeons know that all bleeding stops eventually. All pathologists know that pain ends eventually too. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-type-of-doctor-question-not-asking-medical-advice/357493/9 "2006-05-20T21:49:00Z")
Maybe you should go into a doctor (walk-in clinic, ER, whatever you can manage/afford.) the moment it happens again, and have them look at/document it to help get more information for whatever specialist you will be seeing?