I think I caught a cold earlier in the week and my left ear is about 85% deaf right now...

Doc gave me an ear guy to see, but he cant see me till Wed...

Anyone have any tips or ideas on a quick fix?

I hear letting a cotton ball drip alcohol into the ear!?!?

ear flush from the drug store?

i'm so frustrated right now.

Yeah, if it's fluid you can get the stuff for swimmer's ear. It's probably the same thing as the alcohol drip, but I'd rather use alcohol MADE to go in my ear.

Another option is to clog up your right ear for symmetry.

I wouldnt fuck with it..ear,nose, throat.. all connected.. let it run its course.. and if you dont like that answer- make an ear trumpet

i use debrox and it's pretty effective. that's my suggestion. i can sympathize with your frustration because i used to have the same problems often.

i used that stuff before, it's pretty good. the only thing you have to be careful of is if there's a clog [i know, gross] and you introduce more liquid to it, you could wind up with an infection. i know b/c ive done it.
you cant imagine what it's like to wake up at 2am in screaming pain b/c yr sleeping on an infected ear.
not recommended.

that sucks, and yeah, i know what you're goin' through. my ear was clogged last year for a few days, and it drove me CRAZY.

I do like the idea of clogging my other ear (for tonite at least), cause the GF and I are going to see a Gratful Dead / Phish and friends type show tonite....I woulnt mind being able to tune it all out

But the ear trumpet is equally as appealing!!!!

I went to the drug store.. They had no direct medicine for ear clogs, so I picked up a ear syringe, and Im gonna shoot warm water up in there, and see if it helps at all....

ugh!!

more like....

Take a strong decongestant like Mucinex or Sudafed. I'm guessing that if you've already gone to the doctor, you've tried this, but it always works for me.

A few weeks ago, I got new earplugs. I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to jam them all the way in my ears, so I did a bit of damage when I shoved them in. Used Debrox and was fine. Debrox = magic.

All better...

I used the ear syringe and warm water...bolasted it a few times.....repeated 20 minutes later....then gently massaged the ear canal, and I can hear again!!!!

still gonna find me some of that debrox though, just in case!

thanks!!!!

that avatar is the greatest thing known to man or beast.
especially beast, in this case.

http://www.ototekloop.com/design.html

You'll never use Q-tips ever again. Debrox works too, but I think using the Ototek Loop is more effective in the long run. Call a few drug stores to see if they have it and try it out.

By the way, if you use Q-tips, STOP. It only makes things worse and compacts the earwax. My dad went temporarily deaf in one ear over years of using Q-tips and an ear specialist had to scoop/suck the junk out for him to hear again.

Otolaryngologist

knife

depends if the 'infection'/blockage is in the outer or inner ear.
outer ear blockage can be treated with hyrdogen peroxide dripped into the ear. let settle for a couple mins, then drain. peroxide is mainly what's in the expensive ear flushes you see in the store/ pay out your ass in the doctor's office.

if inner ear, and less than seven days durations of symptoms, it's probably viral -- not much an md can do for you except this: use mucinex and/or plug your nose and GENTLY push air into your inner ear. the air and mucinex will help fasciliate the losening of the blockage.

if more than a week-10 day duration, you probably need antibiotics. go to your family doctor, an expensive otolaryngologist probably isn't necessary.

hope that helps.

what?