My left ear has taken on a life of its own. A brief history of my ailment follows. I am allergic to cigarette smoke and other things, so go figure why the ear has always been problematic. After a cold years ago, I noticed it would seem to back into my left ear until it was blocked - heard noises and I just took antibiotics to help clear it up. My ears continually itched, but I was afraid to do anything with drops, OTIC drops, etc, as they didn't seem to help. Eventually many years ago, it became infected and ruptured - it was extremely painful and fluid drained out. After that my hearing was lost for several months and ENT doc told me I should have surgery for deviated septum (nose osbstruction) which I never did. As time goes by, ear would flare up especially in summer when going in and out of air conditioning seemed to aggravated the problem. This is always with my left hear and since the bad infection, I noticed this ear never has wax in it. I assumed this only adds to the problem because the wax is supposed to protect the ear. I always of course fought the temptation to put Q tips in the ear and if I did it would just make me sick overall as somehow my ear seems to be related to my stomach! Recently I went through a particularly bad bout where I had all the noises, blockage and broke down and put olive oil, ear drops (prescriiption) and anything else I could find to try to relieve the obstruction. Well time heals everything and eventually my hearing returned and the noises stopped. I don't take Sudafed because it is not indicated for people who take blood pressure medicine. More recently, my ear began itching and I knew I was headed for another flare up. My mother gave me some drops called ELACON. I put a little on a q tip and she said to just let a small amount find it's way down the ear canal. It felt rather good, and I was hopeful. Later on that evening I had the sensation that something was fluttering in my ear like a bug, so I got the q tip and tried to get it out. When I did, out came a horrible small black flat tissue on the Q tip which I was naturally mortified! I thought to myself no wonder I have problems if this is what has been accumulating in my ear. I examined it and it just looked like perhaps dried blood, but it was greenish black. My ear seemed to be better for the time being after this was removed. Now keep in mind I am a very clean particular person who washes my hair every day so you can imagine my complete horror at finding something so disgusting, but was somewhat relieved thinking this would solve my ear maladies. In the following months my focus of course stays on this ear and whenever it starts itching, against my better judgment, I get the ELOCON medicine (which by the way is clear) and put it in my ear and each and every time, this same black stuff comes out.

I have racked my brain trying to imagine what this could be. Dried hair color that got in my ear - why isn't in the other ear? Is it some wierd fungus? Another thought was that about 11 years ago, I was mugged and hit in the head (minor concussion) on that side. Could this be something draining out of my head through my sinuses from that trauma? I did have stitches and a small scar is above my right eyebrow. I can't believe I have been to my GP all this time and he examines my ears and I of course whine about the left ear, but he doesn't respond and all these years I have more or less just thought it was pardon the pun "In my head" and the routine problems were something I was just going to accept. Now I am thinking I need to have my head examined for sure!!!!! Thanks everyone for listening, and I dare you to try and top this story!

It could be anything from dried blood to dried sucretions. See a good ENT doc and get your ears taken care of professionally. If you don't feel the ENT you normally see does a thorough enough job then find someone else. Your ears are not something to mess with as it is not fun to be hearing impaired.

Thanks! I did see an ENT who cleaned out both my ears about a year ago, but whatever this is it had to have gotten there over the past year and I am really puzzled, so I guess I will just try another ENT and see if he can isolate what this is and if it is related to my ear problems overall.

That was a year ago...............tons of things could have built back up in a year. I am surprised you have waited this long to get it rechecked. Good Luck.