Do you hear me?

A few months back, I remember reading one of Bing's posts entitled I Hear You. In it she recounts her experiences dealing with a fungal infection in her right ear.

Well, a couple of months later, I can relate. I was recently diagnosed with otitis media or an inflammation of the middle ear.

Recently the inside of my left ear has been quite itchy and on occassion would leak clear fluid. Sounds coming from the left are also a bit muffled. The best way of describing the sensation is that it is like the feeling you get when water gets trapped in your ear after swimming. Then add the itchiness.

Like Bing, my predicament was caused by my penchant for cleaning my ears frequently. I was told that I ought to clean them only about once a week. Contributing to my unpleasant situation was my rather nasty habit of picking on my ear. It's not unlikely that I unknowingly contaminated my middle ear with some dirt or infectious material. Reminder for me: stop picking on my ears...especially with unclean fingers. I also suspect that my recent bout of sinusitis as well as frequent use of earphones may have contributed somewhat. I guess I have to lay off the MP3 player for a while.

I made some research, and according to WebMDHealth, the causes of ear canal inflammation or infection are:

  • Scratching the ear canal with a cotton swab, bobby pin, fingernail, or a sharp object.

  • Excessive cleaning of the ear canal. Do not use cotton swabs to clean the ear canal. The ear canal is self-cleaning.

  • Use of earplugs or earphones that fit inside the ear canal.

  • Bubble baths, soaps, and shampoos.

  • Chronic skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, or seborrhea.

  • Allergies.

Well, I have to admit I was guilty of at least a couple of those causes. As a result I was prescribed antibiotics to deal with the infection. Hopefully the infection will subside in a few days. With any luck the itch will disappear and my hearing will be back to normal.

Don't take your sense of hearing for granted. Take care of your ears people!



Comments

rain said…
ako rin, makulikot sa tenga!hehe
September 01, 2005 11:49 AM
Anonymous said…
ingat ka pre, when going up & down our express elevator.
September 01, 2005 1:02 PM
Ronald Allan said…
Rain: Masarap di ba? :-)
Anonymous: Yeah. Sudden Air pressure changes can be a bit uncomfortable. Thanks for the tip. :-)
September 01, 2005 5:22 PM
rain said…
hahaha sinabi mo!kung tapos ko na ung akin, gusto ko ung sa iba na naman ang kakalikutin ko!hahaha
September 01, 2005 5:42 PM
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