My partners gone deaf in one ear ...

[justanothermanicmonday1]

Possible sinus infection, been given a steroid spray however no luck.

Any tips on how to unblock??

Thank you!

It could be blocked with ear wax.
If no improvement in the next day or so go back to doc and see will they syringe it.

Good luck finding a surgery that provides syringing, I had to go for microsuction at Specsavers!

It's my understanding that GPs don't do unblocking/ microsuction any more. Can I suggest that if you do feel you want to get your ears checked, it's worth going to a proper audiology service rather than a company like Specsavers who may allow people not trained in audiology to poke about with ears!I hope they get it sorted.

Has a healthcare professional actually looked in his ears? If they could see a lot of impacted wax requiring microsuction I imagine they’d have said.

If he has only been assessed and treated for Sinusitis thus far, and nobody has looked in his ears then your first point of call is a GP appt to report the new symptom of unilateral deafness.

Has he gone truly deaf in that ear? Or is his hearing blocked/muffled?

Pinch nostrils together, keep mouth tightly closed and blow as hard as you can through the nose whilst pinching it shut. Repeat several times until ear is unblocked.

Thanks for your response.

So now he's saying it's more blocked and muffled. His other ear started to do the same, but thankfully that's to normal.

His right ear is still the same.

This is being accompanied by a slight headache and a sore right upper cheek below the eye.

They said it looks "enlarged" inside his ear. No mention of wax and advised no need for antibiotics. Just a steroid spray and an every day beconase.

Tried to no avail unfortunately.

my father had this and it was a wisdom tooth having affected a nerve.
so i would make sure the situation was properly examined, with more than an office visit and some oral meds.

Specsavers who may allow people not trained in audiology to poke about with ears!I hope they get it

Specsavers have trained audiologists (I've been seeing them recently, and they've asked my GP to refer me to ENT becauseyhey will have better kit in hospital.)

If you go for syringing or microsuctioning, they will ask you to soften up any wax beforehand by using olive oil drops in the ear(s) for a week before thr appointment. You can do that even if you're not going to see anyone.

Thank you

I'll see if we can get some drops tomorrow.

Enlarged? Or inflamed? I don’t know what could be “enlarged” inside the ear.

If they could see an inflamed tympanic membrane then it’s not likely to be impacted wax/need microsuction and olive oil won’t help.

Sometimes the TM’s are inflamed during/after a viral illness which might well be why he also has sinusitis. I would take ibuprofen for a few days as per pack instructions and see if things started to settle down with the anti-inflammatory. It’s really not unusual at all to have sinus/eustacian tube/middle ear issues for a week or two after a Viral URTI.

Whats the total duration of his illness so far? It might jsut be something he needs to live with for a week or two until the inflammation of everything gradually settles down. Doesn’t sound like an emergency and I wouldn’t fork out for audiology/microsuction.

If things don’t start to show a general trend towards improvement in a week or two then I’d speak to the GP again.

Muffled hearing is very different to a new sudden onset of complete deafness.

Sorry it was inflamed.

It started very suddenly on Sunday evening. He kept saying he was really hot then he went quite pale and couldn't hear.

He has been complaining of a stuffy nose for a couple of days. The children have had a few colds etc lately so I think you're right in saying he's had a viral infection of some sort.

I'll advise on the Ibrofen as he's been taking paracetamol with no luck.

Thanks again.

I have this right now and have tested positive for covid. I have similar nose spray and the effervescents to reduce mucous. I saw a gp as it's been like this for 4 days now. It's an awful feeling. Still no taste or smell either, so I am literally senseless. 🙈

Covid?

I couldn’t hear recently when I had Covid. Sight was very blurry as well. Ended up with a sinus infection and antibiotics so possibly that?

I do ear irrigation at my surgery.

If they've said no wax then it could be Eustachian tube dysfunction.

I would follow the advice already given.

Boots do drops that fizz in the ear, and bubble out the wax

Eustachian tubes and/or teeth and/or sinuses.

You can buy a brilliant ear popping thing for thr Euatahcian tubes to help them drain- it blows air gently up your nose and it really works. I used to get a middle ear infection after every cold, but no longer!

I get this with every bout of sinusitis. It’s often an increase in fluid in the inner ear. Not much to be done and you have to ride it out. Regular ibuprofen helps with the inflammation in the sinuses and the ear.

Are people still mentioning Covid? Who’s still testing?!

@Glitterandunicorns I work for Specsavers Audiology and we certainly do not allow untrained individuals poke about in your ears.

People like me who are immunosuppressed for a start off. I’m eligible for free tests and treatment.
My in laws test because of MIL.

I apologise; I must have been confused with other places which allow you to do ear microsuction without proper training. Sorry for the confusion!

Didn't even think of this! Could it be that if he seems ok otherwise?

But then again I've woke up with a terrible cold and cough 😷