My ear is being wierd:(

stlgrl5

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I have a weird problem going on with my ear. Like I wake up during the night with my left eye clogged(I can't hear out of it) So i open it back up it takes a little while. Then like during the day its like cloudy(lol i know weird wording), but its like open and i can hear out of it and all but it feels like it could go clogged but it doesn't.. Anyone else have this kind of problem?? I have no health insurance so I can't go to the doctor and get medicine for it. You think there's any over the counter stuff I can use?
 

carolpetunia

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Been there, done that, many times. What you have is too much wax built up in your ears, and as it shifts around in there, it's sometimes blocking your eardrum enough to affect your hearing.

And yes, you can treat it yourself! Go to the drugstore and find the eye-and-ear section. There's a product called... hmmm... I can't remember the name, but it's a smallish white box, and inside is a little squeeze bottle of eardrops and a small plastic syringe (not the kind you give a shot with -- this is just a little bulb with a long pointy tip).

What you'll do is apply the eardrops as directed, probably several times. As you do, the wax will melt and bubble and shift some more, and for awhile, your hearing may be even more blocked than before. Then, when you feel everything in there is softened and ready, you'll run a bowl full of very, very warm water and use the little plastic syringe to flush the water repeatedly through your ears. The excess wax should come out easily. (And if you do this once a month or so as a preventive measure, you should have no further trouble.)

Afterward, you may want to dab some Vaseline in your ears, because they'll be a little bit raw and itchy from the drying effect of all that water.

If this doesn't work the first time, you can try it again... or, if you feel the problem is just too severe to respond to home treatment, you can ask a doctor to "irrigate" your ears. A nurse will probably do it, actually, and she'll use an instrument that looks like a cake decorating tool -- it can deliver higher water pressure than the syringe you use at home. WARNING: Be very, very sure you trust the person who does this for you! If done correctly, it's no problem... but if too much pressure is used, you could have permanent damage.

Surprisingly, irrigation doesn't hurt. But be careful when you start to get up afterward -- the water pressure TOTALLY destroys your equilibrium for a few minutes, and you WILL fall if you get up too soon!

I wish I could tell you the brand name of this product, but you won't have any trouble finding it. It's the leading brand, very common, and it's the only one I've ever seen that comes with the little syringe. Good luck!
 

jdpesz

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I've also used "Otix," a very similar, if not identical, product. If it goes too long, the doc has to go in with a waterpic and flush the stuff out.
 

ollyextra05

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Earwax is probably the most likely culprit, but there are a few other things that could be up with your ears:
One, your sinuses could be clogged, thus affecting your ears. But, you'd know if your sinuses were clogged, so that's probably not it. although, if you are just getting over a head cold, this is probably the problem.
Also, people with TMJ often have ear problems (I speak from experience) when I have a bad TMJ episode I experience the same sort of "fog" in my ears. But, again, if you had TMJ you'd probably know it--but if you grind your teeth, clench your jaw, every have "popping" sensations in your jaw...TMJ might be the problem.

Good luck with the ear, I know how annoying that can be!
 

blue_monday_88

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

And yes, you can treat it yourself! Go to the drugstore and find the eye-and-ear section. There's a product called... hmmm... I can't remember the name, but it's a smallish white box, and inside is a little squeeze bottle of eardrops and a small plastic syringe (not the kind you give a shot with -- this is just a little bulb with a long pointy tip).
I used a product called Debrox before I went on my business trip (about three weeks ago) and it saved my ear! I had the same exact problems you are describing and it was freaking me out. My physician told me that I had one perfect ear, and one plugged one!!! I used the round of meds for 4 days and I've been fine since.
 

fwan

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Nope, but ive been having sharp pain in my ears, and it feels like im starting to have hearing loss.
 
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