# Pity me (terrible earache) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 11, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819 "2007-09-11T19:26:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/1 "2007-09-11T19:26:01Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/2 "2007-09-11T19:36:29Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/3 "2007-09-11T19:51:43Z")
Pity pity pity pity etc… Hint: rubbing the area beneath/next too your earlobe and where your jaw bone connects can help with drainage immensely. Here is some more pity in case you run out. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/4 "2007-09-11T19:53:04Z")
[Earache My Eye!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bwEy8BQBfk) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/5 "2007-09-11T19:55:55Z")
You definitely have my pity! Even a minor earache turns me into a raging bitch… well, more of a raging bitch than usual. Those suckers _hurt_. ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/6 "2007-09-11T20:11:03Z")
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**. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/7 "2007-09-11T20:37:09Z")
My OG. I’m sorry. I detest the earache! I’d rather be in labor than have an earache. Labor doesn’t hurt nearly as bad, nor as long! ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/8 "2007-09-11T20:38:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/9 "2007-09-11T23:29:52Z")
Kid Kalhoun had lots of them. Me? Nevah. I feel for you though. Get better soon! ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/10 "2007-09-11T23:39:46Z")
Earaches and stomach aches are, for me, the two things that I can’t ignore or overlook. They make me abjectly miserable. And your earache trumps any I’ve ever had…even reading the symptoms made me wince…so you get as much sympathy as my bandwidth will allow! ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/11 "2007-09-12T00:57:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/12 "2007-09-12T01:43:13Z")
Oh you poor thing. I hope the antibiotics kick in and you’re feeling better soon. Pity pity pity etc. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/13 "2007-09-12T01:52:38Z")
Aw, you poor thing. _wraps you in a big, foofy blanket and gets you something warm to lay your head on_ ---
**Author:** ![Leah\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@Leah\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leah_M)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/14 "2007-09-12T08:41:21Z")
Ow ow ow ow ow ☹ Not pity, but empathy. I suffered from chronic ear infections for years in my teens, screaming and crying all the way to the ER every few weeks. Then, it just stopped. Hope you feel better soon. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/15 "2007-09-12T22:59:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pity-me-terrible-earache/418819/16 "2007-09-19T08:42:16Z")
**Pity me more, please** 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.