To ask have you had an ear infection as an adult?

[Lis1992]

My ear feels hot and lots of sticky wax. It looks bright red on the outside. Dry, flaky skin on earlobe and slight pain but mostly radiating to gum on that side (like wisdom tooth but that area has been fine lately) and bit of pain in neck and top of head on that side. Nothing too severe. I’ve been freezing cold all day too if that’s relevant! I’m up at 6am for work tomorrow so need to sleep 😭 any ideas if this is how an infection can start if anyone had one before?

It sounds like it. A hot water bottle usually brings some relief, earache is nasty!

Yes I'm 2 weeks in to one, it has good and bad days. They don't like to use antibiotics now unless necessary for ear ache. I find paracetamol and ibuprofen on the worst days helps.

Could be. Last time I had an ear infection (over a decade ago) it felt hot, I lost the hearing in that side, & it was excruciatingly painful to swallow even water. Obviously symptoms can vary.

Are you sure it's not a tooth issue. My wisdom tooth went septic & had to be removed as an emergency, I had neck pain right through to my shoulder & up my head on that side. And yes, a raging temperature.

Hopefully it's nothing severe, do you have any anti-inflammatory medication in the house? If that helps can you manage overnight?

If you have any pain or tenderness on the bone behind your ear, make sure you get seen ASAP.

Could be , I get about 2/3 a year . You could buy a spray called Ear Calm from the chemist or if Drs appointment Otomize .

@MudLady Ouch that sounds so painful! I’ve had wisdom tooth problems and I sympathise. This feels more connected to the ear though. The pain is more like radiating. And the sticky wax and itching in ear makes me think it’s more that.

Yes I have and the pain reduced me to tears. I really feel for you it's horrible.

@mikeyboo None thankfully but thank you!

I get them regularly 😢 I’ve got one at the moment actually and there’s loads of brown stuff pouring out of it. I’ve had a perforated eardrum about three times so I’m just waiting for the pop so I can hear again! Use a warm compress on the affected side and take ibuprofen.

Yes it does sound like it - I'd try and get an appointment to get it looked at as it might need antibiotics.

Go to bed lying on a hot water bottle tonight, I got lucky once with this method and in the morning my ear was better and a load of gunk/ pus stuff had drained overnight.

Please get it checked, and go with your gut feeling - I had an ear infection five years ago, which felt like someone was pushing knitting needles into my ear, and at one point I almost fainted from the pain - they finally then gave me antibiotics but I permanently lost some hearing in that ear and now have hearing aids.

I’ve had a couple and was in absolute agony, if you can get to a late night chemist you can buy ear drops over the counter, take some ibuprofen & paracetamol and if it’s no better in the morning get a GP appointment.

Thanks all. I’m worried about work in the morning. I would feel bad if I missed work because of it because it’s obviously not contagious but if I still feel like this I’ll have to see!

I use both of these for fairly permanent ear infection. Ear calm is very good

Yes, I've always suffered with them, they usually perforate too. My daughter has the same weak ears as me also! You do need to see a dr, they always give me antibiotics, but then that's because mine are usually the wrong side of the ear drum. The fact that you're feverish would be a concern and my Dr once said to me that she didn't like to mess around with them as the ears are a bit too close to the brain to be too relaxed about. I would certainly get it looked at tomorrow just to be sure

I would be very careful about putting anything in your ear until it's been looked at just incase it does perforate. Just keep it warm and dry tonight

I'm about 2 weeks in. OK during the day - stabbing pain down into my jaw at night. I'm having to sleep in the spare room because DH snores and it's too painful to insert ear plugs. Dr has prescribed Otomize but if it is working it's doing so very slowly

I had one not too long ago. The whole area was red and hot, and I had a crunching sensation when moving my jaw.
Doctor gave me antibiotic ear drops and was ‘gone’ in a day.

Yes - my chemist gave me a antibiotic ear drops

Yep, I get them often - have one dodgy ear. You have my sympathies :(

I always get given antibiotics, but I don't know if that's because I suffer with them a lot and my hearing has already taken a hit from it. I'd call the GP if I were you.