# Should I go back to the Doctor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-back-to-the-doctor/71205 "2001-07-04T13:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-back-to-the-doctor/71205/1 "2001-07-04T13:37:50Z")
I want to say this first: I am not one of those people that go to the Doctor for every damn sniffle or scrape. I am not scared of Doctors, I just don’t particularely like to go. I keep wondering if I am one of those people that needlessly drain healthcare… ANYHOW… Last weekend I came down with a cold or something. A Doozy. Came down with it Friday night and was bedridden. My left ear started to feel plugged up. Right ear was fine. Monday morning I woke up at about 3AM with my left ear in terrible pain. In desperation, I did a search on the SDMB (my medical reference journal!) for “Plugged Ear Help!”. The search came up with a few hits. I tried one of the methods that there seemed to be a bit on a consensus on and I doubled over in pain on the floor. Thats it. I went to the hospital. Turns out my left ear had a middle/outer infection. I was given some antibiotics and a perscription and sent on my way (in less than an hour I may add). I was fine after that. Until this AM. My right ear is now plugged and _starting_ to appear to get sore. Its only been 2 days since I went to the hospital, but it wasn’t sore before. Should I go back (or see my doctor) or just wait and see if my medication takes care of both? I am unsure if it is working as it is still plugged (my left one) but not really in pain anymore… although it only has been 2 days. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-back-to-the-doctor/71205/2 "2001-07-04T13:44:43Z")
I’d wait, the meds should cover both. I would be very surprised if your right ear developed some other wierd infection that couldn’t be treated by the same meds, and I doubt that you doc would up your perscription. I would only return to the doctor if it really started bothering you, more than the left ear did originally. Quadgop will probably share some advice that you should heed. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-back-to-the-doctor/71205/3 "2001-07-04T17:07:09Z")
Sounds like you have a cold virus which also blocked your eustacian tubes, and caused a secondary bacterial infection in your left ear. Antibiotics are generally the treatment of choice for this. However, the antibiotics will not do a damn thing for the cold virus. So you’ll still have ears that tend to plug, click and pop, and may ache a little as a result. But I would think it unlikely that one would develop a resistant strain of bacterial ear infection in the other ear while on antibiotics. Unlikely, but not impossible. Now I’ve not examined you, nor have I discussed these issues with you, but I would tell a patient in a similar situation to take tylenol or ibuprofen, steamy showers, push fluids, and get the ear checked if it becomes markedly more painful. Qadgop, MD ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-back-to-the-doctor/71205/4 "2001-07-04T17:57:21Z")
I am not a doctor. However, I’ve had my share of ear infections. I usually do just as Qadgop has suggested, plus I take an antihistamine, to help unblock my head. The steamy showers help a LOT, don’t discount them. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-go-back-to-the-doctor/71205/5 "2001-07-04T18:39:25Z")
I love those hot steamy showers. I’ll see if I can’t get the wife to join me 😉 Thanks for the help.