Ear Perforation - help and advice needed!!

strummers

After 3 trips to medical establishments, being advised to have ears syringed, having ears syringed, then a further 2 trips to the 'experts', my other half has just had a perforated ear diagnosed (after telling them from the start that's what it was!).

Anyway, it's only 2 weeks to the PJ Euro gigs and he's worried about flying/going to gigs.

The people he spoke to after being diagnosed were pretty non-commital and said it 'should' be ok.

Does anyone have any advice?? Obviously he doesn't want to miss the shows and I don't want him to miss them either - but if there's any serious risk then obviously that wouldn't be good!

Thanks in advance for any info.

Back_Pedal

I don't have any advice, but that sounds painful, so I hope you feel better soon!

strummers

Back_Pedal wrote:

I don't have any advice, but that sounds painful, so I hope you feel better soon!

Thank you! Strangely he's not felt much pain at all, which is the weird thing. Looking up some good ear plugs - anyone have any recommendations?

mookeywrench

is Ear Perforation "English" for Ear Infection?

strummers

mookeywrench wrote:

is Ear Perforation "English" for Ear Infection?

Haha. No, it's different - it's when the skin in front of the ear drum is either torn or has a hole in it. It's usually caused by infection, loud noise, change in pressure, insertion of a foreign object (such as cotton bud or 'q tip') or hitting your head/ear.

mookeywrench

strummers wrote:

show previous quotes

mookeywrench wrote:

is Ear Perforation "English" for Ear Infection?

Haha. No, it's different - it's when the skin in front of the ear drum is either torn or has a hole in it. It's usually caused by infection, loud noise, change in pressure, insertion of a foreign object (such as cotton bud or 'q tip') or hitting your head/ear.

ahhh yea, good thing I didn't go to med school

strummers

mookeywrench wrote:

show previous quotes

strummers wrote:

mookeywrench wrote:

is Ear Perforation "English" for Ear Infection?

Haha. No, it's different - it's when the skin in front of the ear drum is either torn or has a hole in it. It's usually caused by infection, loud noise, change in pressure, insertion of a foreign object (such as cotton bud or 'q tip') or hitting your head/ear.

ahhh yea, good thing I didn't go to med school

Honestly, some of the people we saw knew just as much as you (or as little??)!

Went to the first few saying he felt air rushing through his ear when he was trying to 'pop' it to clear the muffled hearing (surely an indication of perforation) but no-one took it seriously. Ear canal was quite waxy so was advised by 3 people to get it syringed (having a jet of water pushed into ear canal to clean it out) despite reading on the web if there was a possibility of perforation it shouldn't be syringed.

After that was done and his ear was totally clear - was examined and still told there was no perforation and it was all fine. Still couldn't hear properly out of ear the next day so went back to another place and was told he had 'quite a perforation' and that one of the things you shouldn't do under any cicumstances was get water in it :roll: :roll:

mookeywrench

well looking at that picture, I'd say the PJ shows are a no go for sure.

would ya rather skip a pj show and heal?

or go to the show and risk never hearing Pearl Jam out of one of your ears again?

iluvcats

people need to be careful sticking objects or water into their ears.

this article has children in the link, but it pertains to adults as well. I hope he does not suffer from hearing loss or have "dizziness." Be careful

http://www.childrensenthouston.com/eard ... ation.html

strummers

iluvcats wrote:

people need to be careful sticking objects or water into their ears.

this article has children in the link, but it pertains to adults as well. I hope he does not suffer from hearing loss or have "dizziness." Be careful

http://www.childrensenthouston.com/eard ... ation.html

Hearing loss is the main symptom unfortunately. It's meant to be quite common and usually heals itself (it looks worse than it is apparently!), a couple of of friends have had it happen to them. He doesn't have an infection at the minute (touch wood!), and everything I've been reading suggests that flying and gigs aren't a problem as long as the ear is protected from possible infection - usually caused by getting water in the ear.

Even if he has to stay at the back of the gigs it's better than not going at all. I'm sure if there was a risk then he would have been advised to definitely not go when he told them of his plans. Was kind of just hoping there may have been an expert in our community!!

Who Princess

strummers wrote:

Looking up some good ear plugs - anyone have any recommendations?

I use these at concerts. They are comfortable, work better than any others I've ever tried, and they even come with a case to carry them in:

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

chime

I use Alpine Musicsafe plugs at gigs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpine-MusicSaf ... B000VO8PR0

iluvcats

I had alot of hearing tests last year. I go to an Otolaryngologist. What kind of a doctor did he see?

strummers

iluvcats wrote:

I had alot of hearing tests last year. I go to an Otolaryngologist. What kind of a doctor did he see?

Just nurses and GPs - his GP surgery is terrible, he had real trouble getting a referal for something else a while back so he's not looking forward to having to plead his case for an ENT referal! The emergency centre we went to, after the head nurse at his GP practice said there was no perforation, tried to get him referred direct from them - but the ENT department at the hospital refused to take him that way and said he had to be referred from his own GP (which also takes at least 2 weeks to get an appointment with).

As soon as this is sorted he's going to move to a different GP practice!!

iluvcats

strummers wrote:

show previous quotes

iluvcats wrote:

I had alot of hearing tests last year. I go to an Otolaryngologist. What kind of a doctor did he see?

Just nurses and GPs - his GP surgery is terrible, he had real trouble getting a referal for something else a while back so he's not looking forward to having to plead his case for an ENT referal! The emergency centre we went to, after the head nurse at his GP practice said there was no perforation, tried to get him referred direct from them - but the ENT department at the hospital refused to take him that way and said he had to be referred from his own GP (which also takes at least 2 weeks to get an appointment with).

As soon as this is sorted he's going to move to a different GP practice!!

I'm very sorry about the run around :( The doctor that I go to Otolaryngolist, is a fancy name for an ENT....but it does take months to see him. I got a reminder in the mail to go back for my yearly hearing tests and I think they actually make me worse. I have tinnitus. We hear sounds we've heard before and I still hear my sounds during tests, a year later.

strummers

iluvcats wrote:

show previous quotes

strummers wrote:

iluvcats wrote:

I had alot of hearing tests last year. I go to an Otolaryngologist. What kind of a doctor did he see?

Just nurses and GPs - his GP surgery is terrible, he had real trouble getting a referal for something else a while back so he's not looking forward to having to plead his case for an ENT referal! The emergency centre we went to, after the head nurse at his GP practice said there was no perforation, tried to get him referred direct from them - but the ENT department at the hospital refused to take him that way and said he had to be referred from his own GP (which also takes at least 2 weeks to get an appointment with).

As soon as this is sorted he's going to move to a different GP practice!!

I'm very sorry about the run around :( The doctor that I go to Otolaryngolist, is a fancy name for an ENT....but it does take months to see him. I got a reminder in the mail to go back for my yearly hearing tests and I think they actually make me worse. I have tinnitus. We hear sounds we've heard before and I still hear my sounds during tests, a year later.

Sorry to hear that, tinnitus must be a nightmare! A friend of ours has it, but he's had it for as long as he can remember so it doesn't cause him too many problems as it's all he's known. Hope it gets easier for you!

And thanks to everyone about the ear plug recommendations - I'll definitely check them out!

Horos

I might be niave, but can't you get around over there by taking a train?

Chalk another one up for public health care.