So I told you all about the perforated ear drum that happened almost three weeks ago now. My ent said to wait until the beginning of August and come back to give it a chance to heal on its own. The hearing test from last week showed hearing loss across the board in the right ear instead of the usual low frequency. Was told it was because of the rupture and hearing should get better when it heals. The day it happened I felt a quick jab of pain and then what felt like my ear filling up with fluid. And indeed that is what it was because with in thirty seconds blood was dripping from my ear. I had just been to the ENT the day before and nothing looked unusual. The bleeding stopped the day it happened and that was three weeks ago. The tinnitus is worse and is more like a high pitched ringing and hearing seems like it's getting worse not better. Actually it is fluctuating daily. A couple of days ago I felt like it was getting better and now today if I close my left ear (my good one) then I can hear noise out of my right ear but I'll be damned if I know what is being said. If I close my right ear, no change than if I was using them both. Now, the past three nights when I get up my ear is soaking wet and there's wet spots all over my pillow from it draining something through the night. Doctor still wants me to wait to come back in August. I know it's a crap shoot but has anyone here had any experience with a ruptured ear drum and what in the heck is the drainage. It is not supposed to be draining anything. When I went to the doctor last week they said it looked fine with the exception of the rupture. No sign of infection, etc.
I am sorry Moody mom, I don't have experience with that. You have really been through it. I am convinced less than 1% of the doctors are worth anything.
Both times mine ruptured there wasn't much bleeding, so maybe not comparable, but I don't recall the drainage lasting more than a day or two. I had a hearing test at that time, and it did affect my hearing and gave me a gentle introduction to tinnitus (this was pre-MM), but that was all gone in about a month. If the ENT won't see you, maybe your PCP could take a look. I'd want someone to look. That sounds distressing.
I'll call my ENT again if it doesn't stop after tonight. It doesn't drain during the day. Only at night when my head is laying down. The drainage is clear and has no odor but when it dries it is crusty like. Gross I know. Sorry. My husband said it's my brains seeping out. LOL
Hmm this sounds kind of familiar, I've had such a drainage before. It usually happened from itching my ears a lot, it would be clear then crust up but not to the extent of seeing dripping on my pillow. Did your ENT clean your ear wax as well on that day and perhaps scratch your ear canal while doing so? That could be the reason of the fluid. If not, during this drainage have you been feeling better at all? Perhaps now that your ear has ruptured, it has caused a change in the pressure in the eustachian tubes and PERHAPS, your inner ear is draining as a result, which would be nice...
No, he didn't clean out any ear wax. Just looked in it and all looked good. And the drainage started about two and a half weeks after the rupture. Very strange. If it's strange you can bet I'll get it. As for am I feeling better, actually, yes. Never thought about that Prozeal. Despite the strange drainage I have felt pretty good this week. Perhaps you're right. If a busted ear drum is what it takes to make me feel better then I'll take it any day.
Good to hear that moodymom, that's a great sign. The reason is I've talked to someone here bubbagump I believe his name was maybe a year ago, he said that once he got a grommet in his ear drum, his symptoms went away. A grommet is like a tube they insert into the ear drum similiar that allows the pressure changes to occur and ventilation. So while this may have been not a good experience at first, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise I would recommend you tell your doctor this and ask for a tube/grommet so that if this keeps up, it could just be the solution for you like it was for someone else. Personally I have not tried this yet but it's in queue if I ever need to go that far. Keep me updated please, hope this all keeps up.
I'll definitely talk to my doctor about it. When I got up this morning it was still draining. I took a qtip and wiped the outside of my ear off and it was yellow. And now pain radiating from my ear to my jaw. Waiting to hear back from the doctor. Fun times.
Moody: In a word: It's broken. And no, I'm not trying to be a smart ass...it's just the way I look at my ears now. Meniere's (like Diabetes) affects (effects?) many systems in the body, so there are constant changes happening. People ask me what's wrong with my ear...I simply tell them that it's BROKEN.