Has anyone had fluid in ears/ ear infection

[Ch07]

So about 10 days ago I came down with a nasty cold which led to a sinus infection but for a week now my left ear has been blocked and full of pressure. I went to the doctors they said my ear is inflamed and maybe a bit of trapped fluid. I have just finished a course of antibiotics iv tried nasal decongestant nasal steroid spray, steaming 5x day with olbas oil and I have tried the balloon device and nothing is working. I feel like I am underwater constantly. Has anyone had this before and how long did it last. My anxiety is through the roof with it.

OMG, yes I have!

I got water in my ear from a swimming pool in the Far East. It did become infected too but the actual infection cleared up pretty quickly with medication from the G.P. but the fluid was constantly swishing around. Like you, I tried everything to clear it without success.

Hate to tell you but it took about 10 weeks to return to normal. ☹️

It's fluid trapped behind the ear drum. It might burst, the fluid drains but then the drum will heal and the fluid builds up again. Once the infection has gone your body needs to absorb the fluid which could take a few weeks I'm afraid

Yes this! I had the same thing op. It started as a really heavy cold then became a sinus/ear infection and my right ear felt completely blocked like glue ear. The doctor looked in it and said there was no wax and to do steaming and use a nasal spray like Beconase x2 per day. I did try antibiotics but stopped them as they made me ill. I've been doing this for weeks and it's only just gone but I'm left with tinnitus and my ears crack inside too but at least I can hear!
Hope yours soon gets better.

did any of you have dizziness or lightheadedness with this?

Yes. Mine was so bad I couldn't drive! I was signed off work for nearly 4 weeks. I honestly thought I'd have to have a hearing aid!

Sorry to hear you have all been suffering with this too it is awful and surprising how much it drains you mentally. I have been off work for a week as when it first started I had quite a lot of pain with it but that seems to have calmed down.

hmmm
I have been feeling dizzy at times since Covid in October, but its been getting worse and now my ear feels blocked. GP thinks it could be Menieres disease. But the actual dizziness is quite fleeting, whereas I have a general feeling of lightheadedness that is quite persistent.
I really expected him to tell me my ears were full of wax but they weren't

Omg! Never heard of that disease. I had covid last summer and ever since have had the constant feeling of one ear blocking and then unblocking. It happens when I blow my nose, etc. It's like a clicking feeling. The doctor explained it was trapped air in the eustachian tube and to use nasal spray twice a day. I admit I haven't used it twice a day, just once, and it's still there. Drives me mad sometimes!

does the nasal spray relieve it in the short term?

I've currently got this! I had Covid last week and had a lot of head congestion with a really 'full' feeling in my left ear. I then started with a throbbing in my ear which is tinnitus but you can hear your heartbeat. I've been steaming and I spoke to the GP yesterday as the tinnitus was driving me potty! Said to give it 2 weeks and keep steaming. Suggested it could take up to 6 weeks to clear up.

I should also add that yes if I move quickly, I suddenly feel dizzy and light headed. 😬

Yes I have tinnitus aswell. Ah gosh 6 weeks with this will be no fun. Hope you feel better soon

Not for me it has done absolutely nothing and iv been using everyday

Yep, my left ear is like this following a bad cold. 10 days in and getting better now in the sense that it's no longer painful, but it's still sloshy. I've had this so many times now I know I just have to wait it out.

Yeah it works for a bit. I don't have the dizziness now. How are your symptoms now?

Amazing how many have been affected by this. It does take 6 weeks to clear. Some say it's a new variant of Covid and it's not always showing on tests.

It wouldn't surprise me if it was a new Covid variant. At least this one really does behave like a really bad cold.

Basically I had an ear infection that lead to sinusitis and the doctors are telling me I have etd iv been to the gp multiple times as I’m dizzy nauseous and getting bad headaches, iv also been to a&e and then finally got a ent appointment for them to just do a hearing test on me that found that u have mild hearing loss because of a sinus issue and I need to go back and get checked over.

it’s been 8 weeks now and it’s just not getting any better!

those who had the nasal spray, how did it work out long term? I'm still suffering and ENT have just ruled out BPPV and given me the spray but without really explaining it, if anything I think its made it worse

I had this following influenza last year. Lasted about 4 months but even now the slightest hint of a cold makes it block.
i think it was an effusion in the middle ear. Blue Sudafed helped a bit (pseudoephedrine). Basically it reduces the inflammation in the Eustachian tubes so that the fluid could drain

Oh and I was told by a GP that they suggest beconase nasal spray for the same reason - it reduces Eustachian tube swelling but without the rebound that you get from Sudafed

Does that help with the dizziness and headaches?

ah, that kind of makes sense
the ENT guy was very emphatic that I should keep taking it but when I aksed why all he said was 'its all connected you see'

@Ch07 hey! Im going through this atm! How long did it last?

@AnneWhittle hi! Was it meneirs? Ive had the same issues as you but for that disease dr said u have to have vertigo and hearing loss. I am going through this and driving me nuts x

no it wasn't
I've had an MRI scan (6mth wait)
and some kind of manipulation (6 mth wait)
given exercises to do (Cooksey Cawthorne) (18mth wait)
referred to audiology- here I was seen by someone who actually listened to me and tested my eye movements when my head was moved- this person definitively ruled out menieres and BPPV but told me to do the same exercises. Turns out I should have been doing them multiple times a day instead of just once as previously advised.