Has any adult had to have tubes put in their ears? I have an ADT and may need tubes for drainage. THX?
607250
my dad has to use tubes when swimming. :) he's an adult... i think.
320595
Your ear is primarily made of cartlidge, wihch is semi-deformable. Your ear was forced to adjust its shape slightly when you slept with the plug in, reulting in pain when you took it out. Once the cartlidge resumes its normal shape again, you should be fine.
1074030
Have you checked with medical supply on-line sites?   Most often it takes a nurse to pass n/g  tubes because if you get it wrong will put fluid into the lungs and child will get pneumonia and possibly die...be careful
548581
You could have an infection in the tube between your ear and throat.  I had exactly the same symptoms and was eating cough drops like crazy to soothe my throat.  I was at the doc's office for something else and mentioned it.  She looked in my ears, nose, throat and at the swollen node.  She swabbed my throat but it came back negative for strep.  But, she said my eardrum had some liquid behind it and thought it was an Eustachian tube infection.  Sometimes if you have post nasal drip from allergies you'll get a sore throat, but not the swollen gland behind the ear. She put me on a 7 day course of antibiotics and it all went away.
820549
I caught God knows what overseas.  I was sick for about a year and finally I got better except that my ears burned constantly.  I had to keep them wet all the time.  It made it difficult to get to sleep and getting a haircut was pure torture because I had to sit there without putting water on my ears.  I ended up working as a lifeguard because on that job I could put water on my ears any time.  It's been about ten years now and the burning is much less intense, but it hasn't gone away.  None of the doctors I've spoken to have ever heard of such a thing.
930198
i have me ears, noes and I once had y belly button pierced.  But to take care of them just make shure you keep it clean, soak it in sea salt, move it around a little bit each day to make shure your skin isn't going to grow on to it.  And if anythng seems wrong call your piercer.  I am planning on getting more piercings later on so that is why I know how to take care of them.
286875
I'm not sure if you are referring to outer ear infections (i.e. in the ear canal) or middle ear infections (i.e. fluid behind the eardrum). Since you mentioned that they give you drops & mentioned that you don't swim, I am assuming that you are referring to outer ear infections. In which case this could be caused by a number of things, but most of them stem from putting something in the ear (i.e. Q-tips). It takes VERY little to cause an abrasion in the ear canal, as the skin is streched very tight & is very thin. Once an abrasion is present, it is left open for bacteria to invade, causing infection. The best prevention for this is to not stick anything in the ear.\n\nIf you are referring to middle ear infections (fluid in the ear) that has a completely different cause. That is caused by inflammation in the Eustachian Tube (the tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat). This tube is responsible for keeping the pressure in the middle ear the same as outside pressure. When the tube is inflamed (as it often gets when one has allergies or an upper respiratory infection of some type) it doesn't open as it should when you yawn, chew, swallow, etc. Thus causing negative pressure in the middle ear & allowing fluid to build up in the middle ear. When this becomes a chronic problem the physician usually puts tubes in the eardrum to allow pressure equalization in the middle ear & allow fluid to drain out.\n\nIf your regular physician is not taking care of the problem I suggest you request a referral to an ENT (ear, nose & throat physician).\n\nHope this helps some!
1104049
Try ear candles. You can get these at a health store. Make sure to use a container like an aluminum pie tin, sold at grocery stores, the disposable ones. Just cut out a hole big enough for the candle to fit through as it burns. Also you need another person for lighting the candle. You won't believe how good it feels to get your ears vacuumed out,, and what comes out, yuck.  My sister in law gave me these candles years back and my whole family lines up for it with anticipation once or twice a year. We probably don't do it often enough, though.   It feels great!! And won't damage your ears at all!! You do need two people for this though!
902744
Just do this . . . place your head on a pillow or something so you are sideways and relaxed. Then have someone pour in enough hydrogen peroxide to fill your ear canal. Pull your ear out some to be sure the fluid gets all the way in. Lay like that for a few minutes and then use a bulb syringe to squirt some warm water in. Don't force it, just squirt it. It might take a couple of times, but I'm positive a big hard chunk will come out.
247694
http://home.earthlink.net/~jodette/fluid.html\n\nSymptoms\nSerous otitis media is the medical term for "fluid in the middle ear." Its symptoms are primarily hearing loss-with pressure or pain-are frequently experienced by children and adults alike, and typically follow an upper respiratory infection.\n\nFindings\nGenerally, the problem is found to be a blockage of the Eustachian tube. This narrow canal connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and permits air to enter the middle ear cavity, allowing the hearing mechanism to function properly. An audiogram shows hearing loss due to fluid in the middle ear. A tympanogram shows less eardrum motion due to fluid.\n\nTreatment Of Adults\nMedical treatment is usually effective in adults. Antihistamines, decongestants, and steroids may be used to reduce swelling of the Eustachian tube. Myringotomy and allergy management are sometimes recommended.\n\nYou should see your Doctor right away for treatment, if you have not already.\n\n\n\nBelow is a link for the American Tinnitus Association which seems to be geared more towards a ringing in the ear:\n\nhttp://www.ata.org/\n\nGood luck!
860830
Whatever you do, don't dig around inside your ear or syringe the canal yourself.  Speak to your primary care provider and request another referral to another ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat specialist -- same as an Otolaryngologist).  I know you've seen one already but try it again.  The pain you feel is real.  Be prepared to describe the fluid.  Taking with you a specimen, as was suggested, is a good idea.  If you are again told that there's nothing wrong with your ear, be glad for that and make an appointment with your dentist to rule out dental involvement.
780036
It's possible your ear is clogged with ear wax.  The doctor can flush it out, or you can buy an ear bulb and flush it out yourself with warm water.  Don't use anything else, as the pressure could be too high.  You could damage your ear drum.  The best way to do it is to get in the shower and flush it and flush it with the ear bulb.  Sometimes it takes several times to unclog it.  Once you get it unclogged, then just every time you take a shower, let the water from the regular showerhead flush it out.  If you do that, you may never have a problem again.
657842
Would you please call your family doctor it could be lots of things. From an inner ear issue or worst Please get to some sort of Medical provider. Do not go alone.
239784
A myringotomy is a surgically placed tiny incision in the eardrum. Any fluid, usually thickened secretions, will be removed. In most situations, a small plastic tube (a tympanostomy tube) will be inserted into the eardrum to keep the middle ear aerated for a prolonged period of time. These ventilating tubes usually remain in place for 6 months to several years. Eventually, they will move out of the eardrum (extrude) and fall into the ear canal. Your doctor may remove the tube during a routine future office visit or it may simply fall out of the ear without your child realizing it.\n\nMy son had this done a few years ago and it was relatively simple.  He recovered quickly and it helped his hearing and he got no more ear infections afterwards.
335556
My ears when I was 9 years old.  Keep in mind this is here in the hills of eastern Kentucky and it was 1969.  My aunt froze my ears with ice cubes, cut a potato in half and put a large darning needles with thread it in through my ears and I had to keep the thread moving and clean for quite awhile before I got my first pair of small earrings with little giraffe's on them.
705169
no problem at all using earplugs.\n\n:>peace
154870
A middle ear infection is a build-up of fluid behind the eardrum and often accompanies a head cold, or in young children can occur during teething, or in infancy can even happen if the baby is bottle fed while laying flat.  To relieve the discomfort, OTC pain relievers are usually recommended, and it often helps to apply heat, such as a hot water bottle, against the ear.  If accompanied by fever, antibiotics are often prescribed and it is VERY important to administer them properly for the full dosage to ensure that ALL the bacteria have been killed.  Otherwise, the bacteria can regrow and may become resistant to the milder antibiotics.  \n\n     If the infections keep coming back, or if the fluid doesn't drain even after the antibiotics have killed the bacteria, surgical options may be considered.  This is especially true in the case of young children, if the decrease in hearing is not resolving because it can effect the child's speech development.  The surgeon makes an incision in the eardrum, draws out the fluid, cleans the middle ear space, and usually places a tube through the incision.  The tube simply maintains an opening through the ear drum to maintain equal air pressure in the middle ear.  Most tubes are designed to fall out of the eardrum as the healing process occurs -- usually about six months after surgery.\n\n     The surgery is very common and is done as a same-day procedure in most cases, only because the space is so small that the patient must be very still.  With adults, many specialists will perform the surgery in their office using only a local anesthetic.  If the child snores a lot or has other trouble breathing or frequent sore throats, then inflamed or enlarged adenoids or tonsils may be blocking the Eustachian tube and preventing the fluid from draining.  They may also be removed during the surgery, which is a more difficult recovery, but again, by removing the cause, you no longer have to keep medicating the symptoms.\n\n     Once the tubes are in, most children feel immediate relief and many of those who have had speech difficulties show improvement.  It is important to keep the ears dry so water doesn't get through the tubes into the middle ear space where it can breed infection and cause drainage.  Custom ear plugs provide the best protection, and other types of plugs are available at drug stores.  For swimming it is also helpful to wear a swim cap or special headband that covers the ears and keeps the plugs in place.  These should be available through the Ear doctors' office.\n\n     My son had chronic ear infections as an infant, even though he was breastfed and I was diligent about administering his medications properly.  His father had ear infections his whole life, so I guess he just inherited the tendency for ear infections from his dad.  His first set of tubes was around his first birthday.  The hardest part was not feeding him before and after -- he was so mad and he didn't understand.  Another set of tubes and an adenoidectomy were done when he was five.  Then he started getting frequent throat infections so we had to remove the tonsils a couple years later.  He's now 14 and only gets earaches occasionally.  \n\n     I'll admit that I was still reluctant to go through with surgeries with my own son, even though I'm an Audiologist and see the improvement in many patients year in and year out.  In retrospect, I wish I had been a little less chicken, so he could have had relief sooner in his life.  So although the though of SURGERY sounds so daunting, tubes are actually a more natural alternative than trying all the antibiotics/decongestants/antihistamines under the sun.  If you're not comfortable with the surgeon you've consulted, feel free to seek out a second opinion.