COVID and ear pressure

[Toasticles]

I am pretty sure I am recovering from COVID. DH was on a plane a week ago and started with sore throat, chills and runny nose but bounced back in 48 hours, but not before passing it to me. I have been ill since Tues eve. I had chills, racing heart, headache, sore throat, sneezing and dry cough - and today have lost my sense of smell. But the worst symptom is my ears. The congestion is driving me insane. I can barely hear anything, I am swaying and dizzy and the ear pressure is awful. It's like descent when flying but they Will. Not. Pop. I have taken to having 3 x 30 min steaming hot showers a day. It doesn't solve it but it might enable one to pop briefly and then refill within ten mins. I am congested but even when my nose is clear my ears are like being underwater.

I am taking lemsip max which has decongestant in. I have menthol in the shower and in an inhaling pot. I have tried chewing gum and even got a thing from the pharmacy where you blow up a balloon with your nostril. Still didn't clear the ears.

Please someone tell me it will get better in a day or two. It's driving me mad.

That sounds grim - lots of sympathy. I often get blocked ears with sinus congestion, and one of the only things that relieves some of it is hot compresses on my ear. Plus sucking on menthols seems to alleviate some of the intensity, something about the sucking motion I think. Also pulling on my earlobes, weirdly.

Have you tried the vaslava (sp) technique
You hold your nose closed and close your mouth and blow down your nostrils
Also try yawning
Chewing gum
Opening your mouth wide

I had COVID 4 or 5 weeks ago and still have threat pressure/blocked your talking about. It’s slowly getting better but so infuriating, it’s like living under water

My Covid ears lasted about 6 weeks. I was crying in pain some days. I saw a doctor for that and other lingering symptoms. There was nothing they could do to help my ears. I did get some help for my lungs.

Hot compresses were the only real relief. I ended up using a hot compress with a heating pad because just a wet flannel wore off too quickly. I was just very careful.

Oh no.

I have tried the valsa thingy. Not working. I haven't tried hot compresses. Will give that a go.

Off to go sit in the shower....again.....!

DH found an old test btw and it's def COVID.

I had this the 1st time I had COVID and it took several weeks to go. I couldn't hear a thing from one ear. It wasn't blocked with anything just inflammation I guess. Was v. Worried that my hearing wouldn't come back. It eventually went and my sense of smell returned too. I don't think my sinuses have been the same since.covid though. I feel every time I get a cold they get inflamed now..

Sudafed (proper OTC stuff, not the stuff you get off the shelf in the supermarket) works better than lemsip ime. And a tip I was given was pouring boiling water in a mug, leave for a mo then tip it out. Place the opening of the mug around your ear and hold for a bit. Helps with the pressure. Nasal spray helped too.

I had vertigo after my last bout of covid and GP prescribed prochlorperazine which really helped too.

Rest. Lots of rest. And when you think you're better, rest more.

Hope you're feeling better soon

I had this when I had Covid during the first lockdown. I could actually feel liquid moving around inside my ears and hear popping and gurgling inside my head.

I had a telephone consultation with a GP - obviously no face to face appointments in lockdown. He prescribed antibiotics because of the concern that I was developing a secondary infection.

Hopefully you will feel better soon. I found massaging around the outside of my ears helpful for some pressure relief.

Any update on this? I’m getting desperate 😩

I’ve had an awful 3 weeks of just constant illness and misery honestly. Started with a virus that felt like the flu, covid tests were all negative (I took 4 to be sure over the course of a week). That then turned in to a sinus infection and that’s when the ear blocked/pressure thing started. Took antibiotics for that and the pain in my face, teeth, jaw etc have all gone but the horrific intense pressure in my ear continued.

Went back to the doctors 4 days a go as I truly felt awful again. The congestion was back in my nose, sore throat, coughing up mucous and my ear felt like it was literally going to explode. The doctor said it looked like an infection and ruled out impacted wax (gutted as I was hoping getting it microsuctioned would be a quick fix 🥴) so prescribed me a different type of antibiotic to take for 5 days.

I was a bit demented on Friday just gone and couldn’t stop having panic attacks over the thought of never hearing from my one ear again. I also was so over the constant congestion. Saw I had a Covid test left and to my surprise it was positive, faint but absolutely visible and there.

5 days on from my last doctors visit I have 2 antibiotics to take and honestly my ear feels no different. It does occasionally pop and crackle when I yawn now but does not fix this awful pressure, under water feeling where all I can hear is my own booming voice, raging pulse and the ringing is driving me to the point of insanity.

It’s been 3 weeks since that initial first virus, 2 weeks since ear became blocked and I’ve been negative for Covid since yesterday. PLEAAAAASE tell me this got better for you? I am utterly miserable. I have no patience with my children, I’m horrible to be around and I am just sick of feeling poorly with it all. I still have a blocked nose, sore throat in the night and upon waking up and coughing somewhat. It’s just my ear that’s driving me crazy honestly.

Yes it sorted itself out. I think it took about ten days in my case. You have my sympathies, it was horrible.

Thanks so much for getting back to me. Was it ten days from when you felt the ear pressure/blocked feeling? Or ten days from the positive Covid test? Like I said I’ve had back to back illnesses so makes sense why it’s lasting so long but oh my god I’m so over it, it’s making me miserable 😭 I’m crying and panicking every day I’ll never hear again from my one ear.

Ten days of dodgy ears.

Gosh it worries me why it’s lasting so long for myself but maybe it is just the fact my poor immune system hasn’t had a break? 😭 Did you just wake up one day and it was better? I worry I should be trying all manor of things but doctor told me it would fix itself and not to panic. I have tried steaming, nasal sprays, antihistamines etc but nothing works.

This is me right now too...I'd say my ears have been blocked for a week now. Nothing seems to work and it peaks at night so lack of sleep is making me very grouchy too!!

Mine seems to peak late afternoon and evening time too actually. In fact, I’m sat here now and the pressure feels so built up I’m afraid my ear is going to just burst, I’ve never known anything like it. Have you just had Covid? Have you been to the doctors at all?