I've been experiencing a hear loss in my left ear for nearly a month now and am struggling...?

through the HMO system to get to see an ear specialist. I reported my problem 3+ weeks ago and the earliest apt. I could get with a specialist is at the end of the first week in Sept so I sure could use knowlegable opinions on this please. My ear feels plugged but checks from accute care Dr's show it's clear. A basic hearing test shows a great drop off in hearing higher pitched tones in that ear. I feel a lot of pressure in my head and it feels like it's shutting my ear closed actually! I am now getting pretty dizzy several times a day because of the equilibrium issue..the wierd part though is that I can put my finger in my ear and pull it open to relief the pressure for about 10 seconds or so then it closes back up. Early opinion was that it may be viral realted..I had/have a once moderate respitory infection which seemed to improve after taking amoxicillian for 10 days. Anybody experience this? The head pressure and dizzyness and the lack of an apt. are terrible! Thank you!

Answers:
The check from the acute care doctor may show that your eardrum and external ear canal do not show any signs of redness or inflammation, no bulging, and no other overt signs of infection. That doesn't necessarily mean that your ear is "clear." You may still have fluid in your middle or inner ear, but not enough to cause a bulge in your eardrum that the doctor could see with the otoscope.

Yes, you may have an ear infection. Most common is otitis media--a middle ear infection. Most of these infections are caused by viruses, and so you may have to ride it out. You mentioned pressure in your head--do you have sinus trouble? Could this be a sinus infection with the ear problem as a complication? Is the feeling of pressure located in your forehead or in your cheekbones? If yes, then it may be a sinus problem (allergies, sinus infection). Any headaches? That can also be a sign of sinus trouble.

From personal experience I'd recommend a couple of things. First, drink plenty of fluids (preferably water). This will help to thin any mucus buildup in your sinuses or in your eustacian tube (the tube that links your middle ear to the back of your throat). Second, try some medications. Nasal sprays (saline nasal spray to moisturize, Afrin to clear a stuffed up nose) may be helpful. Be careful with Afrin--it has a rebound effect (your nose will feel even more stuffed up after it wears off than before you used it). Consider trying a decongestant (pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine) to get some relief from the sinus problems (reduces the pressure feeling). If you have allergies, try an antihistamine. Of course, consult a healthcare professional (doctor, nurse, pharmacist) before taking any new medication.

Check out the links below for more information on middle ear and eustacian tube problems.

I hope this helps!

Sorry to hear about your problem!

I once experienced what it is that your talking about, but it ended up only being plugged up ear wax. A short trip to the local Doc recommended a ear flush. It's basically a huge syringe filled with warm water, and no needle ofcourse. They spray your inner ear with the warm water, and it feels really weird, then they suck it all back out, and in the process, freeying up anything inside that might be clogging everything up.

Buut, I may be wrong, and I'm not saying that you have what I had, it's best you wait for the Prof. Doc to determine exactly what it is you are suffering from. I wish you the best.
Unfortunately I seen a show on discovery on a man who had the same symptoms and if I remember correctly he had a weird condition where his brain was oozing into his ear because he naturally had a hole in his skull right by his ear canal. It took a long time for them to find this out though. Sorry don't mean to scare you, I think the guy was ultimately ok but he suffered for a long time before they actually found the cause.
If you are having symptoms like dizziness and nausea can you try another doctor in the meantime..if your ear is clear then there has to be something else going on or even go bnack to the last one and tell him your symptoms are more severe. Hope you feel better.
You should call your HMO and put pressure on them to get you in faster - squeeky wheel getting the grease bit. There are parts of the inner ear that control hearing and other parts that control balance (equilibrium). It's not wax that causes you dizziness. Wax is in the outer ear and your problem seems to be an inner ear issue. You may have an infection of the part that controls balance.

Another thought is that there is a cavity between your throat and the ear. That's why when you swallow you can feel that popping sensation in your ear. If you have an infection in that canal you may experience "pressure" issues as you described within your ear.

It sounds like an infection to me. I've experienced one where I was dizzy almost constantly for about a week. Whatever the case, because you have dizziness, do NOT drive at all.
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