Ear suddenly feels clogged

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can present as feeling one ear is clogged.

Maybe see an ENT and get tested, if it is the etiology timely steroid dose is important for possibly regaining function.

This is an incredible overreaction until the far, far, far more common causes are explored and ruled out.

It’s a time sensitive diagnosis. And if the manual extraction of cerumen doesn’t work- this should be placed on the OPs radar. A viral/post viral etiology has been postulated, and ‘tis the season of viruses.

OK, but that's like telling someone with a headache that they should be getting ready to call a neurologist to look for cancer. It's possible, but unlikely enough to be absurd.

There's a saying in medicine-- when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras. What you're describing isn't even a zebra.

Wish I had seen a post like this when I wondered why I felt like I was under water/ear clogged. Kept assuming it would unclog itself, all that. Permanently deaf in that ear. Maybe getting into the ENT even a few days earlier would have helped.

Maybe. But do you go to a neurologist for every headache?

No wonder health care spending is ridiculous in the US. People are crazy when it comes to assessing risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COVID onset can present this way.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to chime in with this one. Bozo.

Why are you thinking about loud? What is the point of name calling?

Oh, and I will say it again for your benefit, a clogged ears were my first symptoms of COVID.

Because not everything is covid that's why. It doesn't matter anymore what the symptom is, it is automatically called out as covid. PMS? No, Covid. Irregular heartbeat, could it be anxiety? No, Covid. Knee pain? oh that's covid too doncha know!

OP's issue isn't covid! It's sinuses.

OP--you may have COVID

Of course not eveything is COVID but some things are COVID or may be COVID.
I will continue to talk about COVID as appropriate, even though the mere mention of it makes you very uncomfortable for some reason.

DP. If everything is a symptom of covid, then nothing is a symptom of covid. I don't understand your goals in bringing up covid in situations where it is highly unlikely to be relevant, but whatever they are, you're not achieving them.

Too bad you don't understand.
Yes, I have a a world-impacting agenda for letting the OP her illness may be COVID. You have figured out the conspiracy. You got me. I have been caught.

Except you didn't do that, and it's kind of sad you don't realize that. Symptoms lose meaning when everything is a low-probability symptom. Do you really not understand that?

COVID exists. It is not fiction. It has not gone away.

That's quite the non sequitur. Covid isn't going away period. Given your apparent anxiety level over it, you're going to have a rough time if everything is a covid symptom to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bulb syringes that come in the kits are too small.

My recommendation would be to skip the drop and just get the biggest bulb syringe you can find. They don't use drops at medical offices-- they just flush the ears out.

With water? Or hydrogen peroxide?

Warm water! No, don't flush your ears with hydrogen peroxide or any other chemical. Plain, warm tap water.

Hydrogen peroxide losens the wax. Hydrogen Peroxide isn't DEET, if you are calling Hydrogen Peroxide a chemical, then call water a chemical as well.

Shooting hydrogen peroxide into your ear is a bad idea, and completely unnecessary. Sure, drops would be fine, but a doctor's office isn't going to bother. Why should you?

"Shooting" is a biased way of phrasing an innocous activity. The poster should "bother" because the peroxide will help them get the wax out of their ear.

Have you ever done this at a doctor's office? "Shooting" is absolutely descriptive phrasing. There's real pressure involved to push the wax out.

No need for hydrogen peroxide. Warm water works fine.

Hosing, squirting, etc. would be sufficiently descriptive. If you think shooting is descriptive, you have never been to a gun range.

Not really. I've never heard "hosing" used in anything remotely close to that context. And "squirting"is usually used describe weak streams of liquid, whereas in this case you want sufficient force and volume to clear out the wax.

When it comes to layperson terms, "shooting" is one of the more descriptive.

[Anonymous]

Could be allergies
Are you traveling?
Flonase, claritin, sinus rinse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COVID onset can present this way.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to chime in with this one. Bozo.

Why are you thinking about loud? What is the point of name calling?

Oh, and I will say it again for your benefit, a clogged ears were my first symptoms of COVID.

Because not everything is covid that's why. It doesn't matter anymore what the symptom is, it is automatically called out as covid. PMS? No, Covid. Irregular heartbeat, could it be anxiety? No, Covid. Knee pain? oh that's covid too doncha know!

OP's issue isn't covid! It's sinuses.

OP--you may have COVID

Of course not eveything is COVID but some things are COVID or may be COVID.
I will continue to talk about COVID as appropriate, even though the mere mention of it makes you very uncomfortable for some reason.

DP. If everything is a symptom of covid, then nothing is a symptom of covid. I don't understand your goals in bringing up covid in situations where it is highly unlikely to be relevant, but whatever they are, you're not achieving them.

Too bad you don't understand.
Yes, I have a a world-impacting agenda for letting the OP her illness may be COVID. You have figured out the conspiracy. You got me. I have been caught.

Except you didn't do that, and it's kind of sad you don't realize that. Symptoms lose meaning when everything is a low-probability symptom. Do you really not understand that?

COVID exists. It is not fiction. It has not gone away.

That's quite the non sequitur. Covid isn't going away period. Given your apparent anxiety level over it, you're going to have a rough time if everything is a covid symptom to you.

The OP may or may not have COVID.

[Anonymous]

Drink a bunch of water, then take a mucinex to break up mucus. Do a saline rinse (neti pots are awesome) and use flonase to clear your nose. Try debrox or hydrogen peroxide flush to clear your ears. Follow up with a round of visine or other eye drops to be thorough. Gargle some warm salt water, and then drink some peppermint tea.

Eyes, ears, nose and throat are all related. If it's just earwax or "the crud", one of those home solutions will likely help. If the above fail, talk to a doc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COVID onset can present this way.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to chime in with this one. Bozo.

Why are you thinking about loud? What is the point of name calling?

Oh, and I will say it again for your benefit, a clogged ears were my first symptoms of COVID.

Because not everything is covid that's why. It doesn't matter anymore what the symptom is, it is automatically called out as covid. PMS? No, Covid. Irregular heartbeat, could it be anxiety? No, Covid. Knee pain? oh that's covid too doncha know!

OP's issue isn't covid! It's sinuses.

OP--you may have COVID

Of course not eveything is COVID but some things are COVID or may be COVID.
I will continue to talk about COVID as appropriate, even though the mere mention of it makes you very uncomfortable for some reason.

DP. If everything is a symptom of covid, then nothing is a symptom of covid. I don't understand your goals in bringing up covid in situations where it is highly unlikely to be relevant, but whatever they are, you're not achieving them.

Too bad you don't understand.
Yes, I have a a world-impacting agenda for letting the OP her illness may be COVID. You have figured out the conspiracy. You got me. I have been caught.

Except you didn't do that, and it's kind of sad you don't realize that. Symptoms lose meaning when everything is a low-probability symptom. Do you really not understand that?

COVID exists. It is not fiction. It has not gone away.

That's quite the non sequitur. Covid isn't going away period. Given your apparent anxiety level over it, you're going to have a rough time if everything is a covid symptom to you.

The OP may or may not have COVID.

Correct. In the same way that any one of us may or may not have covid. I fail to see how that is helpful to point out, particularly without a clear reason to expect one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can present as feeling one ear is clogged.

Maybe see an ENT and get tested, if it is the etiology timely steroid dose is important for possibly regaining function.

This is an incredible overreaction until the far, far, far more common causes are explored and ruled out.

It’s a time sensitive diagnosis. And if the manual extraction of cerumen doesn’t work- this should be placed on the OPs radar. A viral/post viral etiology has been postulated, and ‘tis the season of viruses.

OK, but that's like telling someone with a headache that they should be getting ready to call a neurologist to look for cancer. It's possible, but unlikely enough to be absurd.

There's a saying in medicine-- when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras. What you're describing isn't even a zebra.

Wish I had seen a post like this when I wondered why I felt like I was under water/ear clogged. Kept assuming it would unclog itself, all that. Permanently deaf in that ear. Maybe getting into the ENT even a few days earlier would have helped.

Maybe. But do you go to a neurologist for every headache?

No wonder health care spending is ridiculous in the US. People are crazy when it comes to assessing risk.

No I don't, but thanks for minimizing the actual outcome that I experienced, which is exactly what that poster simply cautioned against. Knowledge is power, especially when doctors themselves minimize people's experiences enough.

Maybe don't argue with every post you see just to feel superior. I wouldn't wish this outcome on anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can present as feeling one ear is clogged.

Maybe see an ENT and get tested, if it is the etiology timely steroid dose is important for possibly regaining function.

This is an incredible overreaction until the far, far, far more common causes are explored and ruled out.

It’s a time sensitive diagnosis. And if the manual extraction of cerumen doesn’t work- this should be placed on the OPs radar. A viral/post viral etiology has been postulated, and ‘tis the season of viruses.

OK, but that's like telling someone with a headache that they should be getting ready to call a neurologist to look for cancer. It's possible, but unlikely enough to be absurd.

There's a saying in medicine-- when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras. What you're describing isn't even a zebra.

Wish I had seen a post like this when I wondered why I felt like I was under water/ear clogged. Kept assuming it would unclog itself, all that. Permanently deaf in that ear. Maybe getting into the ENT even a few days earlier would have helped.

Maybe. But do you go to a neurologist for every headache?

No wonder health care spending is ridiculous in the US. People are crazy when it comes to assessing risk.

No I don't, but thanks for minimizing the actual outcome that I experienced, which is exactly what that poster simply cautioned against. Knowledge is power, especially when doctors themselves minimize people's experiences enough.

Maybe don't argue with every post you see just to feel superior. I wouldn't wish this outcome on anyone.

Anecdotal experience isn't as useful to others as you seem to think it is. In fact, it can be dangerous to lead someone down the path of thinking of low-probability events. I suspect your intentions here are pure, but it doesn't mean your effect is positive.

[Anonymous]

OP - I had a non-COVID virus a few weeks ago that was basically clogged ears and a runny nose. No other nasal congestion or pressure. I had to go to my PCP for a different reason and he could see the fluid behind my ear drums. Mucunex, Flonase and lots of hot steam showers helped with the clogged ears. The worst of it cleared up in about 7-10 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can present as feeling one ear is clogged.

Maybe see an ENT and get tested, if it is the etiology timely steroid dose is important for possibly regaining function.

This is an incredible overreaction until the far, far, far more common causes are explored and ruled out.

It’s a time sensitive diagnosis. And if the manual extraction of cerumen doesn’t work- this should be placed on the OPs radar. A viral/post viral etiology has been postulated, and ‘tis the season of viruses.

OK, but that's like telling someone with a headache that they should be getting ready to call a neurologist to look for cancer. It's possible, but unlikely enough to be absurd.

There's a saying in medicine-- when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras. What you're describing isn't even a zebra.

Wish I had seen a post like this when I wondered why I felt like I was under water/ear clogged. Kept assuming it would unclog itself, all that. Permanently deaf in that ear. Maybe getting into the ENT even a few days earlier would have helped.

Maybe. But do you go to a neurologist for every headache?

No wonder health care spending is ridiculous in the US. People are crazy when it comes to assessing risk.

No I don't, but thanks for minimizing the actual outcome that I experienced, which is exactly what that poster simply cautioned against. Knowledge is power, especially when doctors themselves minimize people's experiences enough.

Maybe don't argue with every post you see just to feel superior. I wouldn't wish this outcome on anyone.

Anecdotal experience isn't as useful to others as you seem to think it is. In fact, it can be dangerous to lead someone down the path of thinking of low-probability events. I suspect your intentions here are pure, but it doesn't mean your effect is positive.

All OP has to do is go to urgent care to check if her ears are blocked badly and be taken seriously by a doctor. I was literally told get to ENT like yesterday when I went, they 100% will make room for these appointments same day it’s considered such an emergency. They literally will push another appointment for these experiences.

What danger would come to OP for having it checked? Specifically - what is dangerous about that? An urgent care appointment, which is what they’re designed for? What else is so dangerous? Be specific.

[Anonymous]

I am guessing the poster who is minimizing sudden sensorineural hearing loss is not an otolaryngologist because otherwise they would know it occurs with some increased frequency/incidence in recent years.

I am guessing they are medical adjacent- maybe a PA or NP.

If they are a physician- well what do you know, so am I (the original poster to alert of the possibility of sudden sensorineural hearing loss).

It’s along the lines of informed consent- even if the chances are extremely low (ie death during cholecystectomy) if they are severe (such as life altering functional loss- such as sense of hearing) it’s worthy of notification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bulb syringes that come in the kits are too small.

My recommendation would be to skip the drop and just get the biggest bulb syringe you can find. They don't use drops at medical offices-- they just flush the ears out.

With water? Or hydrogen peroxide?

Warm water! No, don't flush your ears with hydrogen peroxide or any other chemical. Plain, warm tap water.

Hydrogen peroxide losens the wax. Hydrogen Peroxide isn't DEET, if you are calling Hydrogen Peroxide a chemical, then call water a chemical as well.

Shooting hydrogen peroxide into your ear is a bad idea, and completely unnecessary. Sure, drops would be fine, but a doctor's office isn't going to bother. Why should you?

I was at the ENT today and they 100% used hydrogen peroxide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am guessing the poster who is minimizing sudden sensorineural hearing loss is not an otolaryngologist because otherwise they would know it occurs with some increased frequency/incidence in recent years.

I am guessing they are medical adjacent- maybe a PA or NP.

If they are a physician- well what do you know, so am I (the original poster to alert of the possibility of sudden sensorineural hearing loss).

It’s along the lines of informed consent- even if the chances are extremely low (ie death during cholecystectomy) if they are severe (such as life altering functional loss- such as sense of hearing) it’s worthy of notification.

Perhaps, but an online forum is not an appropriate venue for such notification. You may be an MD, but I question whether you're still practicing. Or perhaps ever practiced after residency.

[Anonymous]

Minute Clinic can check for and take care of impacted ear wax. While there are at-home kits, I'd recommend having it done by a doctor / clinic because in my limited experience with DD, we were totally underestimating the force needed to flush out the wax and would never have resolved the issue at home.