Ear Infection/Hearing Loss

[ultrarunner]

The most recent bout came about after a hard sneeze that left a hole in my ear drum... Doc said about 20% of the surface area.

About a week later, I got a real bad infection. Most of that week I was wearing ear protection because I took the week off to catch up on some of my tractor projects.

Just saw the Doc yesterday and lucky for me, it has started to heal!

Hearing has also come back some which I'm thankful for.

I do keep the hearing protection in the house now I wipe it down with alcohol wipes for insurance.

Really appreciate all the replies.

[IslandTractor]

The most recent bout came about after a hard sneeze that left a hole in my ear drum... Doc said about 20% of the surface area.

About a week later, I got a real bad infection. Most of that week I was wearing ear protection because I took the week off to catch up on some of my tractor projects.

Just saw the Doc yesterday and lucky for me, it has started to heal!

Hearing has also come back some which I'm thankful for.

I do keep the hearing protection in the house now I wipe it down with alcohol wipes for insurance.

Really appreciate all the replies.

So you really had a perforated ear drum which will definitely change your hearing for a while. Think of what sound is made by a drum vs a drum with a slash in it. Usually these heal over a matter of weeks. If not there are simple surgical procedures to repair it.

Sneezing creates quite a blast of air and if you have your mouth closed that air pressure will back up into your eustachian tube (connection between middle ear and throat). You have demonstrated that a sufficiently violent sneeze can actually blow out an ear drum though that is unusual and might indicate you had some weakness from scarring in childhood or something like that.

I recall one of my professors saying that it is a bad idea to blow your nose as that also backs up pressure forcefully into your middle ear (and can force mouth bacteria in to the middle ear). She always used to recommend sniffling rather than blowing your nose. Physiologically she was correct but that doesn't work so well in polite society.

Keep your hearing protection any place you like but don't worry that it will cause an ear infection if you forget to wipe it down.

[rback33]

I had a perforated ear drum once... amazingly mine did not hurt, but sure sounded funny... Mine got blown in rather than out if you will... took an elbow to the side of the head in a basketball game and pop went the ear drum.... sounded like a wind was blowing right through my head...

[msch2112]

my kids ear doc told us this week ear infections don't lead to hearing loss. i've had a hearing loss since who knows when and always thought it was due to ear infections as a child. but then....they call it a 'medical practice' for a reason.

mike

[IslandTractor]

my kids ear doc told us this week ear infections don't lead to hearing loss. i've had a hearing loss since who knows when and always thought it was due to ear infections as a child. but then....they call it a 'medical practice' for a reason.

mike

Your doc was right. However, ear infections and even the common cold often do cause a temporary mild hearing loss related to fluid in the middle ear. It self resolves over a couple weeks or so. Nothing permanent after a simple ear infection though so no reason to be concerned.

[troutsqueezer]

It is the viral ear infections you don' t want. Had one last Sept and they do cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus in many cases. Most of my hearing came back but I'm left with tinnitus in one ear.

[ultrarunner]

It is the viral ear infections you don' t want. Had one last Sept and they do cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus in many cases. Most of my hearing came back but I'm left with tinnitus in one ear.

It's been months and this is what I have experienced... some hearing did come back tests showed... Doc said it probably will never be 100% and I now have tinnitus...

[Bubbanewf]

I find it ironic that in this day and age where the younger generation run around blasting big boom boxes they purposely mount in their vehicles and spend their time in places with loud music such as the old discos or clubs, the worry is about ear infections causing hearing loss. I bet a large percentage of this generation has at least a partial hearing loss before they are 30 years old. I lost part of my hearing when I fired one shot standing too close to the house. The sound bounced off the glass door and into my ear. Now I have Tinnitus and ringing all the time. They say that the loud noise, about 90 decibles is cumulative. So the longer you listen to such sounds the worse the damage. At least manufacturers have to meet standards with their mufflers on tractors and such today. But, tractors and other equip. such as weed eaters are best used with hearing protection. You may go without for years but one day there it is, that ringing that never goes away.

[troutsqueezer]

Fortunately, the brain adjusts and life returns to normal. It may take a few months or a year, but it gets there so it's not a death sentence.

[Don87]

One of my sisters had an ear infection that the doc couldn't get rid of. By the time he got around to putting tubes in her ears, the infection had eaten a hole thru one of her eardrums.