[danm]

I don't know but if I get busted I'm going to say that my online physician prescribed it.

[Nutty]

With a couple of days left to go of my DWS holiday in Mallorca, I picked up a bit of lurgey (thanks Sam) and have ended up with one completely blocked ear. I have zero hearing on that side, an unpleasant on-off ringing/roaring noise and a bit of vertigo. Perfect preparation for a week in the Verdon starting on Saturday! Went to the pharmacy who said go to my GP, went there but can only get an appointment with a practice nurse, who and I quote "can have a look but can't syringe it or anything." Anyone know a good witch doctor/got any old wives tales with a cure I can try before now and Saturday? 

If it's earwax, the otex express combi pack with the syringe bulb is amazing in my experience. I get big lumps of dried wax that will eventually completely block an ear and this sorts that out. I don't even have to use the drops, syringing with luke warm water does the trick. It's slightly disgusting what you flush out, but visibly shows why you couldn't hear. I'm not a doctor but just passing on what has worked well for me having suffered from this (the first time this happened I visited the doctor who syringed my ears but when it has reoccurred I've done it myself).

[Bubba]

Anyone know a good witch doctor/got any old wives tales with a cure I can try before now and Saturday?

If it's wax buildup then buy hydrogen peroxide from any supermarket pharmacy. You may want to dilute it a little. Lie on your side and pour that shit into your ear. You get some extremely satisfying fizzing as it melts through the wax. Use cotton buds to remove the smeg.

http://www.md-health.com/Ear-Wax-Removal-Hydrogen-Peroxide.html

[SA Chris]

I've had that from surfing sometimes. Usually releases when you tip your head at a certain angle. Can be embarrassing if it happens during a meeting....

[tommytwotone]

As someone who's had lots of problems in this area, you've stumbled on my area of expertise!


[Edit] if it's not one of the above...it's probably going to one of a few things:


1) Ear infection - pretty straightforward, your GP should be able to tell you by looking and give you some drugs to treat if needed though will probably tell you to rest, get lots of water etc.


2) Wax buildup - I've had this and my symptoms exactly matched yours, hearing gradually going until I eventually went totally deaf in both ears and also had weird off-balance feeling coupled with rumbling bass-y noises too.


Spoke to the doc and got told they don't syringe on-spec as a) it can damage your eardrums and b) sometimes it sorts itself out.


I had to wait 10 very depressing days during which I tried Otex, olive oil, warm olive oil, massaginy my ears, popping my ears and nothing helped. When I did eventually get them syringed the relief was immediate and I could have kissed the nurse that did it!


3) Something else - my family has a history of Meniere's Disease, but from what I gather you'd probably know if you had or were likely to get it.


As it goes I've had some hearing problems lately (tinnitus and loss of hearing in my left ear) which culminated in an MRI last week (quite a weird experience!) which thankfully was all clear, but the diagnosis seems to be "tough" and the treatment is "man up"...

[Wood FT]

Dan, I went deaf in my ear once after DWS in Annecy (great stuff), I tried olive oil/otex/stabbing it but it just took time. Around one week after I got back it sorted itself out while I sat at work, the audio clarity washed over me in an awesome wave.

[a dense loner]

May I suggest that nows the time to watch Fiends entire back catalogue of bouldering vids 

[SA Chris]

I've had some hearing problems lately (tinnitus and loss of hearing in my left ear) which culminated in an MRI last week

I've got fairly severe tinnitus (worse in left than right) a culmination of 2 years in Artillery and too many noisy gigs and clubs with shit sound systems. Why did they recommend an MRI? I've never bothered about going to docs about it, from any reading online it seems like there's little you can do.

[danm]

Thanks for the advice and info everybody! Looks like both earholes are clogged up with wax, one worse than the other. Been given a mini syringe and told to put olive oil in every day which will soften the wax up. If it doesn't clear on its own I get them syringed in a couple of weeks time. Until then, I have to lump it.

My hearing has got pretty bad recently, which I put down to too much loud techno. This may mean I can hear Grimer again if syringing improves my hearing, is it a price worth paying? I very occasionally get vertigo, suffering quite a bit of it now the ears are blocked - there is a history of it on my maternal side. Hopefully this will clear up as well, the Verdon is going to be terrifying enough as it is!

[Paul B]

With a couple of days left to go of my DWS holiday in Mallorca, I picked up a bit of lurgey (thanks Sam) and have ended up with one completely blocked ear. I have zero hearing on that side, an unpleasant on-off ringing/roaring noise and a bit of vertigo. Perfect preparation for a week in the Verdon starting on Saturday!

I'd suggest abbing in to Ctuluh as your first route. Any 'blockages' will soon be removed by your body.

[jwi]

yeah, and it's only 6c+ and all...

[Fultonius]

I've had that from surfing sometimes. Usually releases when you tip your head at a certain angle. Can be embarrassing if it happens during a meeting....

Surfers "Brain Drain"?

[SA Chris]

That would imply we have one.

[tommytwotone]

I've had some hearing problems lately (tinnitus and loss of hearing in my left ear) which culminated in an MRI last week

I've got fairly severe tinnitus (worse in left than right) a culmination of 2 years in Artillery and too many noisy gigs and clubs with shit sound systems. Why did they recommend an MRI? I've never bothered about going to docs about it, from any reading online it seems like there's little you can do.

More of a precaution apparently (and probably the benefit of going private) - the ENT specialist said there was a chance, albeit tiny, that there could be a tumour (which he assured me would be benign if they found one!) of some kind impacting the acoustic nerve.


As it went they found nothing - in fact the radiologist's comment on the scan said "the patient's brain is unremarkable"...so it's just a case of living with the tinnitus now.

[SA Chris]

Ok. I could go private too.

Do everything you can to protect your ears because once it starts it can get worse quite quickly. I carry a set of docs proplugs in my wallet and put them in any time I think i need to, especially at gigs.

Some good info here.

http://tinnitus.org.uk/

[tregiffian]

The NHS current kit, from Denmark, really works even for severe/profound hearing loss. Thank you blonde scientists in white lab coats - and Clement Attlee.

[SA Chris]

The NHS current kit, from Denmark, really works even for severe/profound hearing loss. Thank you blonde scientists in white lab coats - and Clement Attlee.

Elaborate please? What kit?

[tomtom]

I had some great ear wax potion once from a chemists in Oz.. it had mild hydrogen peroxide in it, and you could hear it crackling in your ears as it bubbled away the wax. It felt oddly tingly and strangely pleasurable (in a scratching a scab kind of way)...

[Sasquatch]

I've had that from surfing sometimes. Usually releases when you tip your head at a certain angle. Can be embarrassing if it happens during a meeting....

Or in the grocery store while chatting up a girl....

[tregiffian]

The hearing aids that elderly people have lurking behind their ears with tiny tubes leading in towards the eardrum. My new one has a tiny bell on the inside end. I can now hear folk sitting to my left fairly well rather than having to twist around.

[measles23]

I've got fairly severe tinnitus (worse in left than right) a culmination of 2 years in Artillery and too many noisy gigs and clubs with shit sound systems. Why did they recommend an MRI?

We scan everyone with unilateral tinnitus or asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss to look for acoustic neuromas, which are benign tumours of the nerve sheath - they are rare; pick-up rate from the scans about 1%, but although benign can cause problems and occasionally warrant surgery or radiotherapy..
If there's a good reason for the hearing loss (like shooting fuck-off big guns) I wouldn't scan you

The old adage for tinnitus was mtfu but things have moved on a bit - normal hearing aids are actually pretty good at settling it; otherwise you can get white noise or pure tone emitting aids that can train your brain to tune it out - cognitive behavioural therapy is also good but difficult to access in NHS - most NHS audiology departments will offer a tinnitus 'therapy' service to explore above options..

[tomtom]

I lost 90% of the hearing in one ear for about a week once - due to wax that took ages to budge (never use cotton buds in them - it just rams the stuff closer to the eardrum - let it come out of its own accord). Positives were that I slept fantastically if I slept on the hearing hear - as I could no longer hear MrsTT's night time snoring/chuntering/gurgling/plumbing noises

-ves were - not being able to hear stuff obviously - but because you lose your stereo hearing - it becomes really hard to hear where someone is talking. This is fine if theres only one person - or you're watching the TV - but if you're in a 'busy' place like a pub etc.. its really really hard to hear what just one person is saying as its just a mashup of all the noises going on. I started to hate going out where there were loads of people around - of course being a sociopath didn't help either Anyway, I never thought about that until it happened... Father in law is deaf in one ear - and hates busy places - now I know why...

/ramble

[Falling Down]

Look after your ears.  I have surfers ear in both ears plus bad hearing from too much loud music as a yoot and suffered from labyrinthitis for several years until I saw a proper ENT specialist who did a full diagnosis and the epley manouver.  I won't snorkel again or dive in to the sea or a pool to deep and have to wear plugs plus tea tree oil and post swim drying liquid every time I swim and surf.  There's a labyrinthitis thread on here somewhere that has some great advice on what to and what not not to do.

[Falling Down]

Found it http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=21297.0

[Oldmanmatt]

So, as a mark of respect to cobblers and they're art (and hopefully lighten some lives a little), I hear by cry NNFN, for the death of these shoes...

Self re-soles by A.N.Xspurt.









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