Ear infections in grown ups?

[SuddenlyMadameGlamour]

Have had a cold recently, but now have dramatic hearing loss and pain in one ear that has persisted for a couple of days. Is it worth me going to the drs, or is there not much they can do?

Go to the doctors.

I've had ear infections a few times as an adult - if it's not cleared up in two days, go to the docs. First they'll give you drops - which never seem to work for me - in case it's candida I think.

If it doesn't go in another couple of days (by now it'll be properly painful) go back and they'll give you anti-biotics.

I've had some nasty ones where they've had to take a swab and give me super-duper anti-biotics, and as a result of the time that took to resolve I have scarring and slight hearing loss in one ear.

Go to the doctor.

Go to Drs. DH gets them quite a bit and is always in a lot of pain with them. He gets antibiotics for them.

Go to docs. I ended up in hospital on intravenous antibiotics and morphine... Not fun :(

Go to GP. I'm heading back there today with an ear infection that I've had for a week.

Ear infections are horrible whatever age you are. I assume that you have already taken paracentanol/ ibroprofen.

As a general rule most ear infections are viral and anti biotics are useless. I think that after a couple of days then its worth seeing the GP.

"Go to docs. I ended up in hospital on intravenous antibiotics and morphine... Not fun "

What happened? The worse ear infection I ever had was when I had mastioditis. I was given strong anti biotics and codyramol. (sp)

Perforated ear drum if I remember correctly.. It all happened very quickly though, I had a cold and an earache, then one morning I had lots of fluid coming out of my ear.. It took a few days to get dr to take it seriously though

Thanks guys. I'm taking OTC cocodamol which seems to control the pain quite well, but as soon as it wears off it comes back bad. Also got splitting headache and face ache which I'm guessing is my sinuses. Made an apt and am going to see nurse p now. Just feel a bit embarrassed as have practically been living there recently. Had an op with a post op infection, then a chest infection and now this! If I get antibs for this it will be my 3rd course in about a month!

Norma, that sounds rough btw, hope you are back to normal now!

Went to see nurse p and she says eardrum does look a bit inflamed and bulging, but probably a viral infection so just get some sudafed. Still deaf as a post, but managing to keep the pain at bay.
Was speaking to dad and he says he regularly gets ear infections when he has a cold but he wakes up with blood and discharge on his pillow - presumably as his eardrum bursts! Yuk, poor bloke, as least mine is not that bad yet! Although the gp says apparently the eardrum bursting can be better as it relieves the pressure and usually heals on it's own. He had grommets as a kid and i remember getting lots of ear infections as a kid, and now my dd gets them too, so it just seems to run in the family unfortunately.