Hearing loss due to virus. Help me unblock my ears!

[PavlovtheCat]

I am sick of everything sounding far away, can't hear the kids (although not hearing them arguing is not so bad!) and fed up with feeling disorientated with it, especially if I am not wearing my glasses, like I am in a bubble. When I tip my head forward one ear almost unblocks/crunches and when I lift it up it crunches back to blocked again.

I have seen the GP, on thursday, who ruled out a build up of wax and at that time no ear infection. She said it was sinus related/swollen tubes between ear/nose/throat or wherever it goes.

I have tried facial steam, 3 times in the last two days and today I got a lot of green gunk from deep inside I presume my sinuses, but the ears are still very blocked! Tried 'popping' them by holding nose and blowing - not worked.

I don't have a blocked or runny nose, so although it may be congestion I don't know if it is congestion or swelling.

So, any advice so I can go to work with some vague sense of being able to hear around me would be good...please?!

I have had the same thing happen and the pharmacist told me to take a decongestant tablet. I was sceptical at the time as didn't think I had a blocked nose or anything but it worked very quickly.

oh i shall see if I have any in my medicine cupboard, as otherwise it means a quick trip out before the shops shut!

what one would you recommend? sudafed? any other ones?

bingo! I was just about to go check and DH said without knowing I needed anything 'right, i am going to the shops' so I shall get him to buy me something.

I tried a Vicks face steam, nearly burnt my eyes off.

I think I used sudafed but active ingredient is probably all the same. I hope it works for you.

Try blowing up a balloon or through a straw

DH has just bought me Beechams Ultra All in One - fingers crossed!

I had the same feeling, had a cold which lasted for nearly 2 weeks, after the first week I got that blocked feeling in my ears exactly as you described, I also had ringing in my ears. It was all very disorienting. I went to the gp who said I might have a mild outer ear infection and prescribed antibiotics and eardrops. After a week it still hadn't cleared up so I went back and saw a different doc. She said that I had had an inner ear infection and prescribed a nasal spray called Avamys. That was last Monday, today I'm glad to say I'm nearly back to normal. Ps I'd been using Sudafed which dried me up and made me feel generally better, it just didn't do anything for my ears!