To go to A & E?

[EarProb]

Even though I'm not strictly sure it's an issue for them because I am so desperate.

I am having really bad problems with my ears. My GP is at a loss and has referred me to ENT months ago but nothing has come of it yet. I keep going back to the GP but they say there is nothing they can do.

My ears are completely blocked with gunk. GP says not infected but the one time I managed to pay privately to have them cleared out he said he thought they were.

Both my ears are completely swollen on the outside and the inside. My ear drums have not been visible for the best part of a year and I sometimes wake up with stuff leaking all over my pillow and even running down my face. It's absolutely vile. I have even woke up before now with blood dripping down the side of my face from the inside of my ear.

It looks awful too so my self esteem has plummeted.

I now cannot hear at all when I am lay down and only slightly when I'm stood up because they are that swollen and full. I cannot hear my baby stirring in the night.

I am so desperate. I feel incredibly depressed with it and I've no idea where to turn. The ENT referral has been chased several times by my GP but nothing yet. It was sent in April.

I don't know what else to do. Sometimes I honestly feel like I don't want to be alive anymore it's affecting me that much.

My dh has had hearing problems. He was told to go to Specsavers for a hearing test
I’ve gone to BUPA with my knee. GP wasn’t interested in the slightest.

Nobody on here can say it is “definitely infected” as we haven’t examined OP. I’m not saying it isn’t- it could be- but there are quite a few other things that cause these symptoms which have nothing to do with infection. You can also get fungal infections- less common but do happen. In that case the steroid+/- antibiotic ear drops will do nothing, and could even make it worse.

OP- has your GP said why they think it is not an infection? Have they treated for infection? Have they taken swabs? If they have not taken swabs or ever treated for infection, I would go back to your surgery and ask for a second opinion from another GP and for swabs to be taken. They can check for presence of bacterial and fungal infection.

If you go to a&e, whether you will be seen and by whom will depend on local policy. In our area, if you turned up at a&e at this time of night, you would most likely to be re-directed to OOH GP. You might see a Dr in a&e, if they were quiet, but highly unlikely to get the on-call ENT to attend.

@yikesanotherbooboo

Don't go to A&E; it isn't appropriate. What is a junior Dr in A& E be likely to do? Is it recurrent otitis externa?

Prescribe antibiotics? Why wouldn't an A&E doctor be able to deal with it?

But the GP didn't say 'wait', they referred to ENT which seems appropriate if they can't diagnose a treatable infection. So based on the OP's post, in what way didn't the GP do their job properly. Will the referral not coming through magically change the nature of the problem and make it a treatable infection? I'm not saying there's not a problem if the referral hasn't come through though you said the GP isn't doing their job properly.

I’m so sorry you’ve been so let down.

Go. Do whatever you need to, to be seen and treated.

Go to a&e x

Bad night to go to a & e, op. It will be full of drunken scum. Phone 111 and you might be able to go to out of hours clinic. Or wait until tomorrow and phone GP surgery

Definitely go. But not tonight as it will be carnage.

As other PPs have said, I’d go tomorrow morning to A&E. Tonight will be short staffed and busy with football fallout. Sadly. Tomorrow you’ll have access to on call ENT specialists. Good luck, and hang in there. This is chronic, not acute, hopefully, so fingers crossed for a rapid solution 💐

If you are in pain and have nasty, smelly gunk coming from your ears you MUST see someone urgently. I have had problems all my life and had two mastoid operations on one ear. I now have mastoid problems with the other ear. This is a serious problem and can eventually lead on to brain abscesses if left untreated. It can certainly cause hearing problems. Obviously, I am no doctor and am speaking from my own experiences, but ear infections are not always mild as so many people think they are. I would go for another private appointment asap.

Except for a few PPs, the posts that seem to think everything is a bacterial infection treatable with antibiotics that have no adverse effects matches my routine experience of the public.

Hi everyone thank you.

To give a bit more info, I have seen a few GPs and OOHs. I have also paid privately to have them cleared once but I can't afford to do that often as it cost me nearly £100 (it's both ears). When he'd cleared them he said my ear drums were very scarred.

I have had various drops and creams prescribed and neither have ever worked, they have taken swabs as well a couple of times.

Its all been a mess of information with the OOH saying there was fluid behind my eardrum (the time they managed to actually see it), the GPs saying it's not infected but the private guy saying it is. The GP I saw last said to me it is the worst ear case she's ever seen. They can't syringe them at the moment because they are so swollen, they can barely see in them apparently.

I don't have a temp that I know of and other than the pain from my ears (sharp shooting pain) I feel okay, I'm not saying it's an infection or not I genuinely don't know. I am just at a loss and so miserable and desperate. I've been in tears again for hours to DH about this tonight. I don't know what else to do.

No o wouldn’t go to A&E. it’s not live or death and nothing your GP can’t fix by giving you antibiotics. Phone again and demand to speak to a different GP.

Something isn’t right OP but your answers won’t lie within an already stretched A&E:

Hope you get it sorted.

And yes they smell extremely bad. It's gross.

It depends really. You might be lucky enough to see a specialist in A&E or more likely, you’ll be sent home with painkillers and referred back to your GP.
If it starts bleeding again I’d definitely go thiugh

If that infection gets to your brain, you're screwed.

You need to be seen.

and nothing your GP can’t fix by giving you antibiotics

I'd give anything for this to be the case!

Have you ever had a swab taken?

@DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou

Have you ever had a swab taken?

Yes to check it's not fungal which it isn't.

I'm guessing they look for bacteria as well though?
How long ago was the swab?

I'm going to call the GP in the morning again. I'm really not one to waste time but I am at such a loss I just don't know what to do. I can't sleep with it either which just makes things feel 10x worse too.

When I saw the GP last time they told me they'd chased the referral and said it was urgent. That was about 3 weeks ago now though and it's been chased since too. I don't know how people have managed to get seen same day

@DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou

I'm guessing they look for bacteria as well though? How long ago was the swab?

They told me it was to check if fungal but I don't know if they also check bacteria.

I have had a few swabs taken, last one about 3 weeks ago.

Go to A&E (pick a quieter time than tonight if you can). This is yet another example of GPs being the weak link in a system which systematically fails people time and time again. My paramedic friend presented his father at A&E when GP referrals were taking an age and he’d become ‘lost in the system’. He knew he’d be taken seriously and fast tracked to the relevant consultant. He was, and it was very serious, sadly he is no longer with us. The family have since had a letter of apology from the GP.

Put yourself first and get yourself seen, you should not have to live like this!!

Sorry haven't read all the messages - I had an ear infection that presented like this after the birth of both my babies. The first time gp tried oral antibiotics but they didn't work - I had private healthcare so used that and they prescribed anti biotic ear drops which sorted it. I managed the second time to get it from my gp although they don't normally prescribe that brand as standard - can you afford to see a private ENT? I dont think it cost more than £200 which isn't great but got it sorted within a week

Suggest you attend an A&E near you at 9 am that has an ENT emergency clinic during the daytime hours. I suspect you have chronic otitis external. You may need an antibiotic wick inserting.Hopefully youcan be directly referred.