Well, I get earaches a fair amount, usually allergy-induced. I haven’t had much success at interesting my doctors, who always say, “Yup, looks a little dull in there, keep doing nasal lavage and don’t use Q-tips.” To which advice I adhere.
Last week I had a bad earache. I didn’t go to the doctor, because the above has happened 4 or 5 times. However, the pain became more frequent and the canal was swollen shut, so I got a scrip for an antibiotic and Tylenol 3 over the weekend in a fly-by doctor conversation. I spent Sunday throwing up and in pain, which was a drag because I had company. Yesterday I got to see my internist, who looked in my ear and said “Eyuch.” I have otitis media, my eardrum’s perforated, and I have an infection in the ear canal as well. He gave me a heavier-duty antibiotic, so now I’m lying here in pain, doped, too queasy to use the computer for the 3rd day in a row.
I have never before asked for your pity, but please, pity me now! I will return to savor your pity when I can look at a screen without throwing up. That is all.
I pity you. Really. I used to have chronic middle-ear infections, for years, until I finally got a clue and realized that going outside when it’s cold without a hat triggers them for me. So as long as I wear a hat and cover my ears when it’s below 50 degrees, I’m fine.
But they are miserable. Even Tylenol 3 doesn’t help a whole lot. You have my complete sympathy.
Go park yourself in front of the DVD player with an entire season of Buffy or something, that’s the only thing you can do.
Oooh, I had a lot of earaches when I was a kid. Lots of them - I had a recurring infection, and by gods, I still remember the pain. It was so strong that I could not do anything, just lie there and whimper. So I understand how it is! May you recover soon, Shoshana.
Owie! Ear infections hurt; I get one every couple of years or so. I got tons as a kid. They’re awful. Here, have some sympathy, some pity, and some virtual heavy painkillers.
I blame ragweed. I had a similar earache in college. Rubbing the ear/jaw area does speed drainage, but it led to a great deal of mucopurulent matter draining from my eustachian tubes and exernal ear canal. Gentle warmth was soothing. I had to spend a lot of time resting my head on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel while playing Sega Genesis with my feet.
Thank you, thank you. Today it is clogged, throbby-achey painful, and somewhat less swollen. I can hear some high-end sounds, though sound location is less iffy. I cut back the opiates and we’ll see if I can cut the anti-emetic enough to stay awake and work tomorrow. Slow process, this.
Thank you again for your pity. The first course of Cipro didn’t work, so I’m on a second and need to see an ENT. It’s really hard to get any work done. My partner now has an ear infection, possibly in both ears. This is all very annoying.
Not pity, but empathy.