I don't want to call my doc and be a whiny...you know.
I talked to Theca about this last night.
I've had this painful bump inside my ear since Saturday. Now, I could see how it could be a zit...but it's awfully far inside my ear. I mean, it's past that little piece of flesh that sorta blocks the beginning of your ear canal. It's opposite of that and on the wall of the ear canal. It's red. Actually, the whole inside of my ear is red. If I poke my ear, it hurts (duh). Sometimes it hurts without me poking it. I've got a couple lymph nodes on my neck on that side that I can push around with my fingers (I can't do that with the lymph nodes on the other side of my neck).
I don't want to be a whiner. Can I just let this go and see what happens? Is it a zit? A bugbite? (it isn't itchy).
What IS going on with my ear?!
(Theca gave me some input yesterday and I respect that but this questioning is me not wanting to be whiny).
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Zits absolutely occur in the ear canal itself. You would be surprised at how many people have crops of scattered blackheads even back in behind the tragus (that cartilage flap you mentioned).
Could also be something like a bug bite. Lymph nodes would react to any inflammation.
You could just let it go and see what happens, especially if you have someone that can peek at it for you every now and then. So long as you don't get a fever, chills, sweats, or widespread aching along that side of your head, I wouldn't worry too much.
A nice hot (but not burn your skin hot!) moist washcloth can help "bring it to a head" (i.e., encourage a little more swelling, which kind of helps all the pus and extra fluid to coalesce in the center, relieving some of the widespread pressure).
I wouldn't encourage anyone to, um, "pop a zit," if something were to "come to a head," as it is not what dermatologists recommend you do at home. They will, however, sometimes "unroof" vesicles and pustules in the office, and they are careful to first sanitize the skin (e.g. with alcohol) and use an instrument that is also sanitized or sterilized. But this isn't the sort of thing you do for yourself with any sort of control, and anyone who does it for you runs the risk of jabbing you if they slip (and they either love you a lot, or you gotta be paying for it). *grin
Probably a very warm, moist washcloth, OTC analgesia if needed, and tincture of time will do the trick.
Good luck! On this one, you just gotta let us know what happens.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
You're whiny. (x)
AJ
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Ears are so frequin' cool. I'm always up for ear talk.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I keep poking at it.
This is so freaking WEIRD.
AJ: --I--
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I had one like that before. It was way down there, and hurt like a mother.
Against the advice posted by Sara, I messed with it until I finally got it popped and you should have seen the amount of pus and blood that came out on my little kleenex.
Gnarly.
But it felt much better after that.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Well I think a --|-- is a sign that our mack is still alive and kicking, ear or no ear. Though I've been getting worried since she hasn't been flipping people off enough lately... AJ
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I'm trying to mess with it right now. Maybe it's a spider bite!
AJ: --I--
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Stop poking it. I had a zit that was right by my ear canal. My dad's a doctor, he gave me samples of Bactroban to put on it several times a day until it goes away. I'm assuming you could do the same thing with OTC antibiotic ointment, although it wouldn't be as efficient (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I had mastoiditis when I was four. I had to go to the hospital, but it miraculously resolved during the night before I had to go in for surgery. I think there are lymph nodes inside the mastoid process, and that's what was up with that.
I hope it's just a zit, though. Unbeknownst to most, getting at zits in unseeable places is one of the key benefits of marriage. (edit to insert winky)
[ September 29, 2004, 01:17 PM: Message edited by: pooka ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Belle, I did the same thing. I don't recommend it professionally. Personally, I found it tremendously satisfying.
kq, I don't think there's much difference in coverage between mupirocin (bactroban) and something like neosporin (bacitracin/neomycin/ polymyxin B), but I could well be wrong. I would think, though, that the topical ointment would act as a topical agent (i.e., not really penetrate down to the area of inflammation), and the oily base would serve as a comedogenic. I think that's why dermatologist don't recommend topical antibiotic ointments for acne, even though they do sometimes prescribe oral antibiotics.
On the other hand, I did use it after the experience above, once the integrity of the skin was breached.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
pooka, I'd expect mastoiditis to show up behind the ear, not in it. The mastoid process is below and behind the ear canal.
But wow, you had mastoiditis? You poor thing, that must have been awfully painful.
Yah, true love is a glorious (and sometimes oddly, oddly beautiful) thing. Seeing my baby in pain means I do just about anything to stop it, and it's all luuvvv.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Sara and Adrian:
I'm bad, I kept poking at it (it's really bugging the crap out of me). So...of course it hurts more. Bump isn't even SMALLER. Dammit.
*wants satisfaction*
That was stupid. Now my everything in the ear side of the head hurts.
*gets ice for ear*
Posted by AmkaProblemka (Member # 6495) on :
You know, I really like Tea Tree Oil as an antibiotic/antifungal. It also penetrates the layers of your skin so it can get a bit deeper. My dad who has problems with ear infections will put it in olive oil (to dilute) and put a couple of drops in his ear. He hasn't had to go to the doctor for an outer ear infection since my parents discovered this stuff. In my experience, I have found it to be the best topical antibiotic.
I've never had to use it as such, but I've also been told that it is a fantastic antifungal. And studies have seemed to uphold it.
A word of caution though: it is drying and could irritate your skin if you use it too much. Once or twice a day on cuts and scrapes is sufficient. Like oitments, I don't think it is a good treatment for acne or zits.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:29 PM: Message edited by: AmkaProblemka ]
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Okay, what if I've had a little bump on the top/back of my head, in the crown area, more or less in the center of my thin patch, for the past six to eight months? It's sensitive if I put pressure on it.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
If you keep poking it and it is a zit and it hasn't yet "come to a head," you will just irritate the area and make it swell more. Let it go until there is something at the surface to poke at. (Otherwise, putting it under pressure can just cause it to tear the inner flesh downwards, as there may be less resistance there than at the taut, stretched skin at the surface. You can kind of explode them downwards, causing more inflammation and scar tissue.
Okay, I cannot discuss this anymore.
skinema.com: The Skin of the Stars
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Icarus: It's probably just an alien implant. Have you experienced missing time lately? I wouldn't worry too much, you're just doomed to be their slave now.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: ketchupqueen ]
Posted by AmkaProblemka (Member # 6495) on :
Lymph node? I have one behind my ear that is chronically swollen and is tender if someone actually presses on it. I have one in both my legs too. At least, I assume those are what the lumps in my legs are that have lasted a few years. I figured that because I had a doctor look at a similar lump and say it was a lymph node reacting to the planter's wart I had, and that sometimes they never recede or it takes years.
It could also be a boil that is no longer infect but calcified (??) Had this offered as a possible outcome when my daughter had a pretty nasty boil I took her in for.
But these are the ramblings of a patient, not a medical professional...
Am I totally off base here, Sara?
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote: I think that's why dermatologist don't recommend topical antibiotic ointments for acne, even though they do sometimes prescribe oral antibiotics.
(Hmmmm -- my son is taking both a topical, actually two topicals, and an oral antibiotic for his acne. The meds cost me almost $100 per perscription. But his doc is an MD, not a dermatologist -- I wonder if he should get another opinion?)
FG
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Icarus, anything like that in an adult I'd have checked out the next time you see a physician or nurse. It is unlikely to be anything serious (especially because painful = generally good, as cancer tends to be painless), but that is an area of strong sun exposure, so worth checking out. Can you see it with a mirror? Is it just a smooth lump under the skin, or are there surface changes?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
No, there's topical stuff for acne, usually a Retin-A gel of some sort (I use that, as well as an oral antibiotic).
Exploding DOWNWARDS?! Whoa.
This thing isn't even visible unless you have a flashlight to my ear.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I've got a pilonidal cyst that was giving me all sorts of trouble a few years back; although antibiotics took care of the infection in the cyst, it would come back within a few months, and I'd have to go back on antibiotics again. My doctor said he wanted to cut it out if it got infected again. I really didn't want that. The next time an infection started I put ti tree oil on it every night for a week, and that completely took care of it. I can't believe how well that stuff works.
Off topic, I know, but Amka's post made me think of it.
A little more on topic, but not much: anybody else ever get little zit like, cysty type things inside your ear lobes? I get these occasionally, and they're fairly painful. I generally have a hard time keeping myself from messing with them, and they usually end up popping (although, since they're a cyst, no fluid comes out). I hate those things. Sara, Theca, is there a name for them?
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
I should have been more clear (and accurate!). I was speaking of antibiotic ointments. The topicals used for acne, IIRC, aren't antibiotic ointments (like bactroban or neosporin) -- they are gels or lotions. And many are used with something like benzyl peroxide both to improve penetration and to prevent antibiotic resistance.
If your son has been prescribed an ointment, Belle, I'd ask questions. Otherwise, sounds like he just has a really bad case and they're using all the modalities they can. If there are open lesions of any sort (unlike a single closed cyst), the topical antibiotics would be more effective.
Also, there are topicals that are not antibiotics; e.g., Retin-A. Different mechanism, different pharmacology.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Amka, I don't think you are off base at all. This doesn't sound the typical site of a lymph node chain, though, so I'd be a bit more doubtful of "lymph node" as diagnosis. A cyst soulds like a great possibility.
Yeah, tea tree oil is a great anti-fungal, too.
Noemon, I've had one of those tiny little guys in my earlobe, too. Don't know an officiallish name for them, but I'll look.
Have to go back to work. But, you know, a good cyst discussion makes for a great reason to get up in the morning.
[ September 29, 2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Before I go, breaking news that's all over the Canadian media:
An Israeli scientist has invented a handheld ultrasound emission gadget which "opens up" pores to permit medication from a patch to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The disrupted membrane returns to normal in 12-24 hours, which is why they are keeping a patch during that time (prevents entry of unwanted things).
Christy's OB/Gyne had raised a concern about teratogenicity of ultrasound, although I haven't been able to document that. I wonder if this will bring such concerns to the forefront.
More on-topic, I wonder if this will really aid the treatment of acne?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Very interesting Sara. I'd like to play with one of those.
Completely off subject: hey, has anybody tried to Dr. Scholl's wart freezing stuff that's available OTC now? What is it? How cold does it get? I want to buy a package of the stuff to play with, but I keep forgetting when I'm in the grocery store.
A little bit more on topic than that last bit, but still pretty tangental: Anybody ever feel like their ears are on too tight? Every now and then I'll feel that way. The area where the ear meets the side of my head will feel...tight. If I, say, turn my head all the way to the left, I'll be able to feel tugging at the base of my left ear that verges on being painful. If I grab my ear and pull it out away from my head it kind of pops, and is somewhat more comfortable for a little while, but before too long the sense of tightness will have returned. Eventually this problem goes away, but I experience it 5 or 6 times a year, I'd guess.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
quote:I generally have a hard time keeping myself from messing with them, and they usually end up popping (although, since they're a cyst, no fluid comes out).
(Nominates Noemon for Most Judicious Use of the Passive Voice, 2004. )
The OTC freeze stuff for warts is likely to be real handy. I think it isn't quite as freez-y as liquid nitrogen (which is -195 C), being something like propane with dimethyl ether (which is -57 C). Haven't tried it -- I prefer to play with the stuff at the office.
[re: the ears on too tight thing? Definitely alien abduction. Or, you are from another planet, and your prosthetics need to be adjusted. Oh, yes, definitely. *owl-eyes ]
[ September 29, 2004, 02:34 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Nominates Noemon for Most Judicious Use of the Passive Voice, 2004
I wish *I* had easy access to liquid nitrogen at work. I've always wanted to play with it, but have never had the opportunity. It's probably for the best--when I was younger I was fairly accident prone.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Ooooooooow.
I'll whine HERE, AJ.
The outside of my ear is swollen. o_O Underneath, below the ear canal.
*glares at ear*
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
quote: *glares at ear*
they should start selling laparoscpes OTC for that sort of thing.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
You'd be amazed at what you can do with two mirrors.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
FWIW, mac, mastoiditis is a complication of otitis media (the typical kid's "ear infection" from behind the eardrum), it is a late sequela (not happening in hours), and the incidence of mastoiditis after an acute otitis media is 0.004%, peaking at ages 6-13 months. It's very rare.
I don't think you have mastoiditis. I think you have I-messed-around-with-my-ear-pimple-itis.
But I could be wrong, and should you want more reading on mastoiditis, try here or here.
Warm pack, ibuprofen, tincture of time, tea tree oil if you like, and wait for some kind of white coalescence before you even think of smushing on it some more.
[ September 29, 2004, 04:01 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Warm is BAD. Cold is GOOD. Warm makes my ear warmer than it already is. Cold makes it feel better.
Did I mention that I had a burn that blistered and I actually managed NOT to pop it on purpose?
Of course, it decided to pop on its own anyway and I wasted an opportunity for blister popping.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Hate it when that happens. Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
It's mostly healed and the skin is a nice, shiny red.
Human bodies are so strange.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
I burned the inside of my left forearm with hot water from the cafeteria (no, I didn't sue, as I had no medical costs and it wasn't a third-degree burn. I did, however, make sure the safety issue was addressed).
It wouldn't have been so bad except it doused my sweater, which clung and held the heat to the skin. It blistered, and the blister popped despite all efforts ( ), but I managed to salvage the blister roof as protection. (That sounds weird. I mean, I kept it intact-ish even with the fluid gone.)
It healed, looked like a tanned map of Australia with a hammer sticking out the top, and now has mostly faded.
I feel so Cold-War-y.
[ September 29, 2004, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I learned a bit about conductive metals the other day. I was blow drying my hair while wearing a thick, antique gold necklace. Apparently, gold conducts heat well, as the necklace was so hot after about five seconds that it burned a nice little Wife-of-Frankenstein-shaped line on one side of my neck.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Ouch! Still hurt?
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
And good on yer, mack. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote:Anybody ever feel like their ears are on too tight?
Noemon --- sometimes you are just.......weird.
(and I love the way Sara always get me and Belle mixed up)
FG
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Oh, Jimminy Christmas. Grrrr ...
<- hits self on head
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
I also get those little cyst things in my earlobes. They are sometimes quite painful, though usually not at all. I haven't been completely without them for as long as I can remember. Do we have a name for them yet?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
o_O
How cool. It's now most of my ear canal!
Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
Noemon,
That freez-a-wart stuff can be nasty. I've used it twice, on the same wart. First time I wasn't agressive enough, and it didn't do a thing. Second time, I think I got it right: the skin blistered, puckered, and the wart was pulled away from the underlying flesh along with the top few layers of blistering skin. Then the wart fell off (with some help). It left behind a ragged hole (think "Olympus Mons"). Then the skin fell off, leaving a dime-sized red patch. After a few weeks, it was all healed.
I have a friend with a wart on her ear. I've told her specifically NOT to use it on her ear. There wouldn't be much ear there left.
It's neat stuff, though. Incredibly cold. I tried the regular Wart-X (whatever) multiple times for this partcular wart, but it never quite did the job. If you have access to an LN2 container, try touching the wart to a sharp frozen edge/corner of the fittings, day after day for a week or so. I did that in High School, and it did a beautiful job (no disgusting blistering) of removing a wart from a finger tip. Of course, if the wart's on your ear, you're going to look pretty silly...
Mack,
Sounds like, in one day, you've made yourself all ready for the doctor! (Maybe it's not a carbuncle...maybe it's just your alien transponder has accidentally come to the surface. Most dermatologists can remove these, or re-implant them, without letting you know about it.) JUST KIDDING.
--Steve
[ September 29, 2004, 06:38 PM: Message edited by: ssywak ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Stop poking it! Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Listen to Sara. Poking never helped a zit. Add that to "you should never put anything except your elbow in your ear", and you get STOP POKING IT!!!
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I DID!
I even took a nap. I woke UP with it like this.
*mutter* Now it hurts to chew. Stupid ear.
Off to fencing. *glares at mask that will hit ear*
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I can't believe I keep checking this thread. But I know I won't stop, and I will be tremendously relieved when it is over.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
It's like a train wreck, isn't it? The Ear that Ate Brooklyn.
Poor, sweet mack. Maybe you can freeze some water in a lipstick top and press it against the outside of the canal? Freeze a wet washcloth in a pointy shape?
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Sucks to be bound by the Hippocratic oath, so you can't just suggest putting a wet Q tip in the freezer and put that in your ear. I can't believe this thread just went to two pages.
[ September 29, 2004, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: pooka ]
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
As long as we’re discussing ear stuff – one of my ears has been weird for about six months. Sometimes it feels like pressure on the eardrum, but most often it feels like little ants with feather dusters crawling around deep inside. I talked to my allergist, and he couldn’t find anything wrong – no wax buildup, no redness or swelling, no dryness, nothing. He said my ear could be the poster ear for “healthy and normal.” But it still tickles so much it makes me want to stab an ice pick in my ear at least once a day.
Anyone (Sara?) know what could be causing this? Or more importantly, what to do to stop it?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
So, I had a friend look at my ear.
She said my ear canal in the affected ear is all red and half the size of my other ear canal.
o_O
And yes, she also made fun of me.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Well, that sounds like an infection of the ear canal, then. Not a zit.
So, you probably should see a doctor.
I'm disappointed, I was hoping for an update that said you finally popped it and detailed description of all the gross stuff that came out. Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Popping a sucker like that would been...man.
Such a loss.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Why do we have this sick fascination with that process? I mean, it's totally nasty.
But I can't let well enough alone - I've got to get the suckers.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
There's just something satisfying about popping things. Bubbles, joints, zits, blisters, bubble wrap...
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I was going to say "ewwwwww" to all of you people, but then I remembered the grim, grotesque satisfaction I took in hobbling around a vacation town in Italy collecting impromptu medical supplies in order to cut away four different blisters on my feet, each the size of a half-dollar.
-Trevor
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
dkw, I get that when my allergies cause swelling that leads to constriction of the tubes that connect the sinus cavities to the ear (I can't remember the word right now). The best thing I can do for it: take Allavert to treat my allergies and relieve the pressure.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
quote: There's just something satisfying about popping things. Bubbles, joints, zits, blisters, bubble wrap...
Mack, I totally sympathize.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Noemon --- sometimes you are just.......weird.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I have a doctor's appointment at 2 this afternoon.
It ALL hurts. Dammit. My ear, the side of my head, my jaw...
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I have an ear infection. By the time I went in to see the doctor today, I had a fever and some nicely enlarged lymph nodes. After he looked at my ears and felt my neck, he said "Okay, I'm going to give you some eardrops I want you to put in two drops four times a day, and amoxicillin three times a day for ten days."
me "I've never had an ear infection before."
him "Well, there's a first time for everything, because you certainly have one now."
THEN he said I'm not to go fencing today.
And THEN he looked at my chart and said "We haven't done a liver function test in 3 months, so we should do that right now."
Classic bait and switch.
*sigh*
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
::is glad mack went to the doctor::
::also thinks it's probably a good thing that mack isn't going fencing today::
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
liver function test??
How did he switch to that?
FG
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I take a variety of meds, mostly psych meds. Because they could be taxing on my liver, they periodically do liver function tests to make sure my liver is okay. He glanced at my chart and noticed I hadn't had a function test in 3 months.
So while I was THERE...they drew blood for 'em.
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Wow, what a coincidence. I'm on amoxacillin too! ::breaths strep all over the place::
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Good for your doctor.
YOu've got a doc that cares about your long term health. That's awesome.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
He's great like that. All my doctors are. They also know me very well and he made it a POINT to tell me not to fence.
'Cause I'm a little stubborn.
Just a little.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
So no poppage, then? Dang. Though it was an infection... so I was sort of right.
quote: connect the sinus cavities to the ear
eustachian tubes? I know those actually drain the ear to behind the tonsils. I had tender ears and ear infections a couple of times a year most of my life.
But I can pop my ears without holding my nose or chewing gum. I have voluntary control over something that clicks in my inner ear. That may be what dkw was describing. I also don't get heartburn, as far as I can tell. I'm a medical oddity.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
*still shocked and amazed that Jamie never had an ear infection up to this point*
[ September 30, 2004, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: sarcasticmuppet ]
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I've never had an ear infection.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Wow, never? I had them all the time as a kid and have had about 10 since I turned 14. (It appears I have inherited strangely shaped sinuses from my dad which predispose me to ear infections and sinus infections.)
Posted by RRR (Member # 6601) on :
quote: But I can pop my ears without holding my nose or chewing gum. I have voluntary control over something that clicks in my inner ear.
I can do that, too. I can also pop the joints in my fingers without touching them.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I can wiggle my ears without touching them.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I never had an ear infectin until I was fifteen or so. From fifteen to twenty-five, I had them all the freaking time.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
If he's giving you eardrops, then he must have diagnosed you with otitis externa (swimmer's ear), not otitis interna (middle ear infection, typical kid's kind, where we only give drops if you have intact tubes placed in the eardrum to get behind it). That started with a bump? No, like, drainage or iching or anything? Very weird.
I'm glad you went to see a physician after that whole side of your head started hurting and you developed a fever.
I'm still betting on a carbuncle, but the oral antibiotics should take care of that. Keep us posted!
[ September 30, 2004, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Yeah, I too kind of skimmed through most of the posts and I apologize for doing that.
I was treated for acne in the ear in high school. I ended up taking Tetracycline 500 two times a day for a month to clear it up. It never came back, but it was very gross and embarrasing.
I am therefore glad and sad that you have otitis, mack, and have to smack myself for spelling it wrong the first time to resemble a part of a woman's anatomy that I should not be commenting on.
Posted by whiskysunrise (Member # 6819) on :
quote:A little bit more on topic than that last bit, but still pretty tangental: Anybody ever feel like their ears are on too tight? Every now and then I'll feel that way. The area where the ear meets the side of my head will feel...tight. If I, say, turn my head all the way to the left, I'll be able to feel tugging at the base of my left ear that verges on being painful. If I grab my ear and pull it out away from my head it kind of pops, and is somewhat more comfortable for a little while, but before too long the sense of tightness will have returned. Eventually this problem goes away, but I experience it 5 or 6 times a year, I'd guess.
I have had that happen. But I have never tried to pull my ear to make it pop. The feeling does go away after awhile. Nice to know that someone else has this problem too.
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
quote:dkw, I get that when my allergies cause swelling that leads to constriction of the tubes that connect the sinus cavities to the ear (I can't remember the word right now). The best thing I can do for it: take Allavert to treat my allergies and relieve the pressure.
Owwww. Congested eustacian tubes hurt. Not only that, when it happens, the affected ear clicks, loud, every time I swallow. Like it's doing now. It also tends to start feeling all crawly in there (sort of like dkw mentioned). I've found that the best thing to do is to keep the ear warm. Aiming a nice warm stream of air from a blow-dryer at the ear for a few seconds works. Going to bed and nestling that ear into the pillow so that it warms up works even better. Especially since I hate, hate, hate taking drugs, even the over-the-counter kind.
Edit: for rank stupidity.
[ October 01, 2004, 01:33 AM: Message edited by: littlemissattitude ]
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Yeah. Funny I started getting swimmers' ear after I joined the swim team, and stopped getting it when I stopped swimming so often. :-p
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
No clue what's wrong with my ear. He said infection. Gave me drops and drugs.
*shrug*
I figured, had I not gone to the doctor with my head hurting and a fever, that I would've been carried in bodily by my friends.
And I actually felt crappy enough that going to fencing dropped from my mind entirely.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
mack, I think you and I have already come to an easy understanding about this, but just to be clear: I don't think it's effective for me to tell you to go to the doctor or not to go to the doctor. I think you make good decisions on your own, even when the world gets a little wacky -- that is, you have great survival skills, and when you mess up, you fix things for yourself.
I know you rely on people in your life who are close to you to help with the mania and when to go in for that, but I'm pretty sure that isn't the way we work best together. And I'm so glad you do have people who are closer to you than I am to help that way. (I have my own crew for similar concerns about my hobgoblins, too. )
It's an approach I've pretty much decided to take with all of Hatrack, the more I think about it. Be frank about when I worry about my friends, link to information that may be helpful, but back off on telling people what they should do. I don't like it when people do that to me, and I suspect telling other people what to do may be more of a power trip for me than a help to them. I'm pretty sure, too, that it doesn't improve outcomes of any sort.
But I'm glad you are on antibiotics! If it's turned into a little abscess, it might have to get drained before it will fully heal (depending on the size, the antibiotics & white blood cells may not be able to get to the center of it). Did you and your physician make a contingency plan for what to do if it doesn't improve? Ar you supposed to call back?
Hope to hear (ha, ha ) it's better in the morning.
[ October 01, 2004, 02:26 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I know, Sara. It's good to have knowledgable friends who are about you. Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Isn't it funny how much of life is learning about yourself?
I'm in Ottawa, and though I love my time here, I've finally realized that I absolutely loathe vacations. I will never want to go look at buildings or see re-enactments of famous battles. I will try to justify this in my head by looking down on the plebian exercise of, say, getting in line to go to the top of the Toronto CN tower, but it isn't based on anything subjective. It's just my personal preference.
I will never give a rat's poot about a football game, either. I mean, I can still go and get what out of it I can, but I've given up on getting swept away by it.
For me, the only good vacation would be very very tailored to my specific needs, involve lots of solitary reading or parallel play, and be, frankly, boring.
What a curmudgeon!
Anyway, awesome to have you as a friend, too.
[ October 01, 2004, 02:40 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Hey, I am on vacation too! But I stayed home and got the home ready for fall and winter...
quote: Isn't it funny how much of life is learning about yourself?
Yes, this week I learned that shaving is overrated, and I am growing a beard like those dudes from ZZ Top.
I also learned that I hate it when people ask questions that I am afraid to answer, because I do not know if yes or no is the appropriate answer, like:
Are you not glad that you did not get to not go to the football game...?
I mean even if I think the right answer is, "yeah, I am" they might have been expecting a "no, not really: because of some wierd regional dialect or grammatical difference.
I should go to bed...
[ October 01, 2004, 02:49 AM: Message edited by: Alucard... ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
That's my kind of vacation ...
I'm up awake because my sweetie and I quarrelled about different debarking-from-the-train habits, and so I felt rotten because of the quarrel, and so while he was in a meeting I went and got my eyebrows waxed. Definitely a masochistic pleasure. They hurt like fire now.
Ah, good grief, I just want to be a squirrel. Except for the fleas and the food shortages and the scar-inducing fights with dogs and other squirrels, and the high mortality rate, and the sleeping outside in all kinds of weather, it looks like a pretty good life.
Toronto has black squirrels.
Ottawa has a feral cat colony on the capitol grounds. That's where I'm going tomorrow. I think they capture and neuter, and there is food provided. For the cats.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Is food provided before or after the neutering?
P.S. Mack, sorry to turn your otitis thread into a conversation!
Today I mowed a field, scared some birds out of my spouting with a 22, changed the oil in everything, and had the fuel tanks for the furnace and propane tank filled.
I am becoming a redneck and have come to favor overalls, coveralls, and John Deere ballcaps. I also chew Red-Man and am learning how to Clog...
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
You know, I generally feel the same way you do about going to see buildings and stuff. Generally, when I'm on vacation, what I like to do is get a feel for the pulse of life in another place. Unfortunately, most vacations don't last long enough to really make that happen. When Christine and I were in Thailand for 4 months or so, we did do some of the touristy "visting the different wats" type stuff, but it was our least favorite part of the trip. We much preferred just living there, eating at little hole in the wall restaurants on the street, watching the people, and generally getting a feel for the place. I do enjoy looking at and being immersed in beautiful natural places, and I enjoy poking around in ancient ruins and such, and I'm a sucker for a good natural history museum, but I don't feel the need to visit, say, the Statue of Liberty, or the Lincoln Memorial, or anything like that.
About the whole poking through ruins thing, it's funny. When I was driving through England 13 years ago, I went to a number of castles. I'd always wanted to see real castles. The ones that were completely restored, with Madam Tossaud dummies and all that, and with their long lines of gum smacking tourists bored me silly. I was much more interested in ruins like that of Raglan Castle.
Oh, about the "tight ears" thing, I misspoke--when I turn my head all the way to the left, it would be my *right* ear that would feel uncomfortably tight, not my left.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
But isn't it fun, Alucard?
quote:propane tank filled.
Did this hurt you and much as it hurt me this week? Mine was $1.30 per gallon to fill the 500 gallon propane tank. That will only do us through about 2 months or so of winter (depending on winter weather)
Farmgirl
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Good god, that adds up FG! I haven't had a propane tank since I started paying the bills myself (grew up with one in the back yard though), but I had no idea what the price of propane was these days.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Noemon, you just described my idea of a perfect vaction! You really do rock.
Raglan Castle looks cool.
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
Re: rising energy prices: Of note, China is trying to buy into Alberta (Canada)'s oil reserves, and the provincial government is warning off the national government about any thought of nationalization.
My David had predicted this sort of scenario over on GreNME. I'm going to try to get him to post some Globe & Mail links to the stories.
[ October 01, 2004, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Ear drops are a special kind of torture.
You know, my kind of vacation has two parts. One is going out and doing something hard, athletic, and something I haven't done before (sea kayaking trip I haven't taken, summiting a mountain I've yet to climb to the top of, snowboarding at resorts I haven't visited). The other half involves sleep. And reading. And writing. And watching DVDs.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
What's wrong with ear drops? I've only had to use them a couple of times, but I love the way they feel.
I don't have a problem with eyedrops, either, which is good since I'm a contact wearer. But when my husband gets something in his eye, I practically have to tie him down to rinse it out with saline! Sheesh.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
They're torture 'cause they tickle the inside of your ear and you have to just let it HAPPEN! o_O
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I have trouble with eyedrops, I think it's pretty natural if one doesn't wear contacts. One time I had a tentacle grow out of my inner eyelid. The doc snipped it off, and it grew back and this time he gave me some topical NSAID drops. I stuck with it- nothing like a tentacle coming out of the eye to overcome minor squickiness. It wasn't prehensile, spotted, or covered with suckers but still...
[ October 01, 2004, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: pooka ]
Posted by margarita (Member # 6856) on :
Nothing is more satisfying than ear drops when I have an itchy ear canal. Especially Debrox-types, which break up wax buildup. Though, a nurse once told me I could get the same effect with some hydrogen peroxide....
And then there was the third time my eardrum was ready to burst, except that we got to the doctor in time (hadn't the first two times) and she put these wonderful, wonderful drops in my ears that made them stop hurting. And then put me on antibiotics.
Unfortunately, that was not the last of my ear problems.
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I can't stand ear drops. The actual dropping was a huge ordeal when I was a little kid (Mom would practically have to chase me around the house and hold me down to give me my drops). Sometimes it was refrigerated so it was a cold shock getting the drops, and for hours afterward I could *hear* them rolling around in my head. Uuurgh.
I have had many, many ear infections, but I have *never* had a tentacle in my eye. One more thing to add to the "thank God that didn't happen to me" list. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
You're young yet. I can't remember if I was pregnant at the time. It may have been before that.
Posted by suntranafs (Member # 3318) on :
hmm. interesting really. I had a really bad ear infection when I was about five. Most painful experience of my life. Also for a while there kept getting zits in my ears, drove me nuts. they hurt like heck, and at worst can feel not unlike an ear infection. poor mac. She's a bit injury prone I guess last time I remember seeing one of her topics it was about how she gave herself third degree burns with easy mac. Just a hypothetical question, mac, you do use foils for fencing and not dueling swords, right? Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yes, I use foils.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Hey, Mack...
Can we change the name of this thread to:
Talk about anything you want in Mack's thread?
FG,
quote: Did this hurt you and much as it hurt me this week? Mine was $1.30 per gallon to fill the 500 gallon propane tank. That will only do us through about 2 months or so of winter (depending on winter weather)
I was able to acquire a 1000 gallon tank @ $1.59 a gallon, but I only fill it about once a year.
It hurt like a mutha... Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Posted by Yozhik (Member # 89) on :
The juxtaposition of sharp pointy swords and zits is kind of interesting, in a gross way.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Well, they do both involve the swift application of pointy things at some point.
-Trevor
Edit: Typos
[ October 04, 2004, 12:29 AM: Message edited by: TMedina ]
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
What up with the ear, mack?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Way way way better. It doesn't hurt anymore and it isn't red anymore. My head doesn't hurt either, fever is gone.
But I get to keep up the antibiotics for another week! whee!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Glad to hear it mack!
Posted by Sara Sasse (Member # 6804) on :
All right! Posted by Lime (Member # 1707) on :
So... can I ask an ear question, too? Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
I am glad I read this thread. It reminded me to take my last antibiotic. I like Z-packs because you only have 5 days of pills. Less to remember. It is really hard to remember to take medicine when you don't feel crapy anymore.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Fire away Lime!
Hey, while we're on the subject, does anyone here other than me have attached earlobes?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I do.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I've always thought that attached earlobes looked really cool--a touch elven, maybe, or perhaps slightly wolven.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yeah, but my ears are also creepy small. I don't think they've grown since I was very very little.
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
quote:does anyone here other than me have attached earlobes?
One attached, one detached.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
o_O
Weirdo.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Yeah, but my ears are also creepy small. I don't think they've grown since I was very very little.
The good part of that is that when we're all elderly, you'll have nice, normal sized ears, while the rest of us will have huge flapping Dumbo ears.
Hm. The only person I've ever known with tiny ears also had a tiny nose. Maybe it's a cartilage thing.
::off to Foobonic to see if mack has a tiny nose as well::
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Nope, normal nose. You're right though--tiny ears.
Skillery--have they always been that way, or did someone take scissors to one of them at some point?
For some reason a number of girlfriends of mine over the years have expressed a desire to snip mine.
Posted by Lime (Member # 1707) on :
Ok:
I had an ear infection during college. I honestly didn't know what was going on at the time because the last one I had was when I was very young and I don't remember it.
Anyway, it was pretty bad. Not lots of pain, really, but a growing steady ringing in my right ear with bouts of (sometimes) severe vertigo. At one point I think I remember a sharp pain and then nothing - probably my eardrum popping. I didn't go to a doctor because I had no health insurance; probably a mistake, but I had very little money to work with and that went towards books and making my diet slightly better.
But the vertigo continued, finally culminating in a visit to a baffled emergency room. I came home and took care of myself. I started eating better, and the vertigo disappeared and hasn't resurfaced. I think that, at least is related to the combination of horrible food, lack of sleep, etc.
But the ringing in my right ear remains, so much so that it has diminished my hearing in that ear about 30%. Due to the fluctuations that my employment has gone through since graudation, I haven't (yet) gone to the doctor for this, though I plan to in the immediate future now that I have a great benefits package at my disposal.
My question is: could the ringing in my ear be attributed to heavy wax buildup from the ear infection? What's the best way to clean out deep ear wax?
(Lime admits that he's been pretty dumb about this and promises to be going to the doctor ASAP.)
[ October 05, 2004, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: Lime ]
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I've been dillegent about taking my allergy medicine, and I have no other allergy symptoms, but I still want to stab an ice pick in my right ear. It's driving me crazy!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I would recommend *not* stabbing an icepick in your ear. I'm just going off of gut instinct here, but that sounds like a bad idea.
Lime, I have no idea whether or not a buildup of wax could cause the ringing you're reporting (let us know what a doctor says about it after you've been checked out though--I'm intrigued), but a buildup of wax can certainly cause a degree of temporary deafness. Every now and then Christine will go to the doctor and have the wax cleaned from her ears. There are also OTC solutions you can pour into and suck out of your ears that liquify earwax, and she's used those in the past too with some success, but they squick me out, so I'm officially not recommending that you use one. If you were to use one, though, make sure that it isn't expired. As we found out (to Christine's dismay), the solution becomes acidic after its expiration.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
But it tickles.
</whine>
I seriously think I'd rather deal with pain than with constant tickling. It's hideous.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Does the judicious use of a Q-Tip help at all?
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Nope. The ants with the feather dusters are in way further than I can reach. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't work either. Or rather, it works while it's there, because the fizziness distracts from the tickling, but as soon as I drain it out the tickling starts up again.
Posted by Lime (Member # 1707) on :
Thanks Noemon! I'll try an OTC solution for the earwax thing and see if that works. I'm digging into the information in my health package atm, and will report back what the doc says.
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