to think that if I have a perforated eardrum and ear infection I should be allowed to wear earmuffs to work?

[lissielouskissingsantaclaus]

probably am, but here goes..

I work for a well known frozen food supermarket and have been ill for 2 weeks with a cold which turned into a chest infection, laryngitis, a perforated eardrum in one ear and infection in the other. cold/laryngitis has now cleared up but ears are still v bad. anyway, cold makes them v sore and i work till which is right under air con.

i went back to work today because they needed me back and have been v busy, asked if i could wear black earmuffs (dark hair) for couple of days til ears are better and was told no. they arent uniform.

so now my ears are agony again and (tmi) leaking, think other eardrum has perforated, i have no balance and feel dreadful. i dont WANT to wear earmuffs, i look ridiculous, but have been v ill and am wearing them in the house now because of the pain!

you sound as though you probably shouldn't be at work!
Hope it clears up soon, sounds painful

This is awful. YANBU at all.

I hope you get better soon!

i go back to docs tomorrow and finish ABs tonight so will see what they have to say, cant believe how much they hurt though! I cant get any water in them, dh has to wash my hair for me and io was made to feel like I was being ridiculous!

DON'T GO TO WORK!!

It sounds excruciatingly painful, stay home and look after yourself and let it heal x

Would cotton wool in your ear do the same job as ear muffs?

DO NOT GO TO WORK!

They can always get Kerry in to do some temping work. ;)

i knew this was going to be you lissie. poor you I think they are being stupid and you most definitely should not be working if you are in such pain.

thanks all, apparently the reason i cant wear the earmuffs is becuse i wont be able to hear customers etc, however i can hear more than with 2 clumps of cotton wool shoved in my ear. i will speak to doctor again tomorrow, see if I can get some more ABs.

yes you shouldnt be at work

stay off work. simples

You should not be at work with perforated eardrums.

If you stay off do you lose pay?

Dont work.Trust me it is not worth it. I had a really terrible ear infection in January, I couldnt take it easy at the time and ended up with months and months of dizziness and nausea, it was horrendous and really got me feeling down.

please dont put cotton wool in your ears if you have perforations you will just trap germs in there and can cause more problems in the long run

mmelindt, yep. not eligable for CSP, also had quite a bit of time off in september for mc so hate taking time off sick now, especially this close to Christmas.

I just cant believe how ill I am! swine flu was a piece of cake compared to this, feel really drained and ill balance is all off kilter and cant hear people properly anyway.

maggymay, really? didnt know that.

i really am screwed arent i?

Don't go to work tomorrow Lissie, please. You really need to be well to have a lovely Christmas with DS and DH.

ok, will speak to the doctor in the morning about it.

Lissie- your doc should really sign you off until you're healed

Sorry it's not improved much.

I had an ear infection the other week and tbh it's still a bit painful but i'm ignoring it (probably a bit silly of me, might try using the drops again) and if I was you I would not even be going to work!

i really dont know what to do, feel better today, ears are still sore and throbbing, but feel a fraud calling in sick!

I'm calling sick and I'm less sick then you by miles. Honestly will another day at work in the cold mess up your ears again? You can choose either take the day off and go back to docs or go to work and insist on wearing the earmuffs. I would stay off. If your ears are weepy you should be signed off. Do you get SSP? If you are on HB then tell them about the time off sick and they'll adjust your HB.

YA sooo NBU I have had constant ear probs. Had booked dream hols to Bali with 3 stopovers/flight changes involved we only made it as far as first stop Amsterdam and had to abandon whole trip and returned home by ferry/train my left ear drum perforated on plane's descent and it is BLOODY painful. Earache pain can be up there with labour pains and childbirth in my books. You poor poor thing cotton wool does work but you sound like you should have another week at home otherwise your immune system will suffer. I have an understanding GP and when I get ear probs he gives me prescription pain killers like Voltarol as nothing else kills the blardy pain. Have you been given antibiotics as it sounds like a nasty infection which would genuinely benefit a couse?

Please say you stayed at home today Lissie.

im ashamed to say i went into work and was directly under air con all fecking afternoon. cotton wool shoved in ears so couldnt hear customers. but not in til saturday, might go back to GP for more AB's though.

bernadette, that sounds awful! im not really prone to ear infections, its laryngitis with me

kat, wouldnt be eligable for SSP because I went back into work on monday. so the 7d period starts again!