chronic ear infection-years - Hearing Disorders Message Board

vek1972 · 08-01-2005, 08:13 PM

Hi,

Has anyone heard of a chronic ear infection that NEVER goes away?

I've had tinnitus in both ears and crackling when swallowing or yawning ever since I had a SEVERE ear infection about 14 years ago.

I've been OK on planes, though, and have finally gone to an ENT who did a hearing test and to my surprise, I have moderate hearing loss in the left ear (I think that's where the ear infection started, it then spread to both ears)

I've been reading about chronic ear infections lasting a few months or so, but have not read anything about ones lasting forever..

Has anyone experienced this?

I also apparently have chronic tonsillitis.

Anyone with similar experience? It would make me feel better knowing i'm not alone...

Thanks

kerry1 · 08-02-2005, 05:37 AM

You are not alone.

I've posted several times on these boards about my former chronic ear infections. It makes me so angry that I had them for so long. I was scared and sick all the time.

It turns out I had food allergies - I eliminated milk and ice cream from my diet, orange juice and other fruit juices. I drink a lot of pure water and have found that Vitamin C supplements help a LOT. I found this out by myself, trial and error, after visiting several doctors who didn't help me. There are many other irritating foods; you'll have to experiment for yourself to see which ones bug you and which ones you can tolerate.

Even if you have environmental allergies too, or some underlying cause other than allergies, cutting down on food allergens can help your sinuses a lot - it just alleviates the stress on them.

P.S. I had a severe ear infection over 20 years ago. That ear was extra-sensitive for a long time, especially in the wind and cold. Be sure and keep your ears warm when it's cold and windy outside!! That definitely helps.

vek1972 · 08-04-2005, 01:58 AM

Thanks Kerry

Makes me feel better knowing I'm not a complete freak!

I have never thought about allergies. But the more I think about it, the more it may be possible.

I never considered myself as having sinusitis, but I think maybe I do. When speaking to the ENT, when heard myself telling him that I used nasal sprays approx. once/week, and seeing his reaction, I thought, oops something's wrong here....

Maybe I'll look into getting some allergy tests.

Thanks once again.

divadebi · 08-14-2005, 06:09 PM

My left ear has been a mess since eardrum perforated in my 20's. Every summer is holy hell with the thumping, itching and if I dare touch it, my whole jaw gets infected and now my throat is so inflamed I had to take an advil and darvocet to stand it. I know mine is because my boyfriend smokes -(not in the house I won't let him) but the secondhand smoke still "seeks me out" and all I do is sneeze all the time. He is very inconsiderate and stubborn and could care less. The main thing to know about your ears is that they have a very sensitive mantle (layer) and if you disturb it with a Cutip or putting your fingers in it, it will become a breeding ground for bacteria, and each infection makes you more susceptible to another, ad infinitum ad nauseum!!! I try very hard to leave mine alone, but this ear does not make wax and it has all kinds of problems, while the other one always has alot of wax, yet it never bothers me. So I figure that the lack of natural wax allows bacteria to get in and also my nose on my left side the doc told me my septum was deviated or blocked or whatever. I know that I can't breathe ever out of that nostril on guess which side? I am not sure about food allergies, but dealing with the airborne stuff is enough! I just wish people who smoked would realize what kind of effect it has on sensitive people with allergies. Claritin and all that other crap really doesn't work. Benadryl makes me a zombie so I can only take at night, but allergies for me are the trigger for alot of grief with my ear. I've even resorted to using a dropper with Vitamin E in it and all it did was infuriate my ear - the bottom line is if I touch it I pay the piper!!!!