I just lost about 75% of my hearing in my right ear . . . EDIT: It's back!

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I just lost about 75% of my hearing in my right ear . . . EDIT: It's back!

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:40:27 AM EDT

I was taking a shower, and was washing my ears out when everything in my right ear went mostly silent. It sounded like my ear was filled with water - no big deal. I shook my head, and nothing happened. A few times the sound seemed to come back like a switch was turned on, but then it would go out again. After the shower it was still mostly silent, so I took a q-tip to get water out. I got some water and wax out, and I very gently rubbed the cotton fuzz against the rear of my ear, but there was no improvement. Now, about 18 hours later, my ear still sounds like I have an earplug in. There's nothing blocking my ear.

Does anyone have any clue what happened? There's no pain associated with it, but as far as I can tell, there is NOTHING blocking my ear.

UPDATE:

ARFCOM comes through again! Thanks for the advice, everyone! I got some hot water and used an eyedropper to jet water into my ear, and stuff began to come out. It didn't seem to make a difference, but I kept at it, and after almost ten minutes of work a couple big chunks came out, and my hearing is back to 100%!

I've never had this happen before, so I didn't know what to think about it.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:42:40 AM EDT

[#1]

it's ear wax

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:43:17 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

I was taking a shower, and was washing my ears out when everything in my right ear went mostly silent. It sounded like my ear was filled with water - no big deal. I shook my head, and nothing happened. A few times the sound seemed to come back like a switch was turned on, but then it would go out again. After the shower it was still mostly silent, so I took a q-tip to get water out. I got some water and wax out, and I very gently rubbed the cotton fuzz against the rear of my ear, but there was no improvement. Now, about 18 hours later, my ear still sounds like I have an earplug in. There's nothing blocking my ear.

Does anyone have any clue what happened? There's no pain associated with it, but as far as I can tell, there is NOTHING blocking my ear.

I am not a doctor but my advice is to see a doctor

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:44:59 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
it's ear wax

This. Takes a syringe full of warm water and you'd be surprised what is in there.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:45:11 AM EDT

[#4]

Turkey baster, hot as you can stand water, tip said ear south, blast hot water into ear hole, watch the big nugget of wax fall out, take pic and post here in your thread.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:45:30 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

it's ear wax

Yep.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:45:39 AM EDT

[#6]

Yeah I think the first thing I'd do is try to remove any excess wax. Use peroxide or buy some Murine if you want.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:45:42 AM EDT

[#7]

You probably pushed wax against your eardrum. It happens a lot to me, and you can rinse with H2O2 or go to a doctor.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:46:13 AM EDT

[#8]

Could be the sudden temperature change of the water hitting your ear, though that usually just causes dizziness and not hearing loss. Usually when I get water in my ear, I just lie on my side and let it drain out or as you did use a Q-Tip and all is better. If it doesn't clear up soon though, go see an ENT doctor.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:48:21 AM EDT

[#9]

You've dislodged the FEMA listening and tracking device. Prepare your anus.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:48:22 AM EDT

[#10]

If I suddenly lost most of my hearing in one ear, I'd get myself to a doctor to see if there's a treatment for ear AIDS.

Good luck.

__________________________________________________________________
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Posted: 10/21/2012 10:49:01 AM EDT

[#11]

Tilt your head with the problem ear up
pour in capful of rubbing alcohol
tilt head opposite direction
If it’s water that should drain it out. Used to do it every day I swam as a kid

If problem remains, time to hit the doc in a box

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:49:12 AM EDT

[#12]

Another vote for ear wax.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:50:04 AM EDT

[#13]

Try a little olive oil in there to soften it, then washing with warm water.

We were on vacation this year, and my wife, who is really clean, and pretty fussy about hygiene and taking care of herself, got some seawater in her ear. We tried everything, and she was miserable. We ended up at the emergency med place on the island, and the doc took a rock hard chunk of earwax about the size of a pea that had been building up in her ear, from way deep down in her ear. Instant relief, vacation saved. She keeps her ears clean, but there can be buildups deeper than you want to stuff q-tips, or maybe that's how it got squished in there.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:50:49 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Does anyone have any clue what happened? There's no pain associated with it, but as far as I can tell, there is NOTHING blocking my ear.

No, I don't know because I haven't examined your ear with an otoscope.

However, when I've examined patients who describe a similar situation, it's virtually always wax.

The best way to clean out the ear canal is to use lukewarm soapy water and use one of those bulbs to gently irrigate the ear canal, being careful not to touch the eardrum. The wax will warm up and get soft enough to be flushed out. A Q-tip should never be used to clean the ear canal because it will push the wax in further. They sell OTC meds such as Debrox that you can use to pre-soften the wax before using the water to wash it out.

It could also be Meniere's Disease or Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss but your story doesn't sound typical of either of those.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:51:06 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
You've dislodged the FEMA listening and tracking device. Prepare your anus.

Yeah, if your balance isn't affected, you can still grab your ankles. At least you have that going for you.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:51:59 AM EDT

[#16]

Water in your ear. Go stand on your head in a corner until you can hear.

Posted: 10/21/2012 10:57:09 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:

it's ear wax

This. Takes a syringe full of warm water peroxide and you'd be surprised what is in there.

FIFY

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:05:05 AM EDT

[#18]

Sometimes you still need to see a doc to clear it. Also eliminates the chances of it being some type of non wax related infection-which I believe can cause you to permanently lose hearing.

The wax buildup thing, when a Dr is involved, will produce amazingly disgusting results.

And you will now be able to hear a mouse fart at 100 yards.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:06:44 AM EDT

[#19]

Try spinning around really fast.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:11:06 AM EDT

[#20]

It's most likely just impacted wax. Happened to me a few years ago. Sudden hearing loss in my left ear. Went to the ENT that afternoon and he checked for wax, but it turned out to be a benign tumor (acoustic neuroma). Removal of the tumor requied bisection of the auditory nerve, so that ear will be silent forever. I also have a neuroma on my right side, but it hasn't grown large enough to worry about yet. In another few years, it will likely have to be removed as well.

Not saying you have a tumor, but sudden asymmetric hearing loss can sometimes be the result of something that requires a doc to diagnose.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:11:57 AM EDT

[#21]

Stop using Q-tips.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:12:27 AM EDT

[#22]

has happened to 2 guys that I work with in the last 2 years and neither regained their hearing in the one ear. not trying to scare you but stuff like that can happen for no reason. but its probably compacted ear wax

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:13:19 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
I was taking a shower, and was washing my ears out when everything in my right ear went mostly silent. It sounded like my ear was filled with water - no big deal. I shook my head, and nothing happened. A few times the sound seemed to come back like a switch was turned on, but then it would go out again. After the shower it was still mostly silent, so I took a q-tip to get water out. I got some water and wax out, and I very gently rubbed the cotton fuzz against the rear of my ear, but there was no improvement. Now, about 18 hours later, my ear still sounds like I have an earplug in. There's nothing blocking my ear.

Does anyone have any clue what happened? There's no pain associated with it, but as far as I can tell, there is NOTHING blocking my ear.

Swing by a hearing aid place and/or doc and have them look in your ear with an otoscope, it's like an earwax build up deep in the canal.

(ETA) If there isn't any earwax build up, it will be time to see an audiologist and have further tests done.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:13:58 AM EDT

[#24]

I had the same thing happen to me. Went to the doctor, he shot a jet of water into my ear and a ball of wax about the size of a pea came flying out into a cup. Pretty disgusting but it cleared up my hearing.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:15:57 AM EDT

[#25]

It happened to me last year. My doctor sprayed water in it and it looked like a pea rolled out...

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:18:15 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
it's ear wax

This. Takes a syringe full of warm water and you'd be surprised what is in there.

This.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:20:12 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:

Quoted:
it's ear wax

This. Takes a syringe full of warm water and you'd be surprised what is in there.

get it vacuumed out by a ear nose throat doc,
you can try to flush it out with water, but it is a ton easier to just get it sucked out,
I have to get cleaned out once a year or so.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:21:10 AM EDT

[#28]

WHAT? I can't hear

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:23:59 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:
it's ear wax

This. Takes a syringe full of warm water peroxide and you'd be surprised what is in there.

FIFY

I recommend peroxide as well. You can hear it melting the wax in your ear lol. It sounds like a crackling noise.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:25:45 AM EDT

[#30]

Had that happen once when I was young, broke, and limited to no health insurance.

Ignored it, and my brain compensated in a few days. A few months later, I was walking up the stairs, heard a little pop in that ear, and a small trickle of water came out. I had super hearing in that ear for a couple of hours afterwords, and no further issues.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:27:10 AM EDT

[#31]

Are you sure it isn't 87%?

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:30:02 AM EDT

[#32]

If your balance is off, go see a doctor asap. Could be "sudden hearing loss," and no that's not a bs term. I had it, and is very cureable with massive steroids if caught quickly within 10 days. I lose 50% of mine and after 2 weeks of steroids got back to 90%.

Hopefully just earwax but donrisk it if it persists.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:31:00 AM EDT

[#33]

I think all this advice is falling on deaf ears.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:31:45 AM EDT

[#34]

What ever you do, don't go see a doctor.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:34:57 AM EDT

[#35]

Fire up an ear candle.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:36:33 AM EDT

[#36]

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:45:39 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ydXenL7iu0w/0.jpg

KHANNNNNNN!!!! You just made my day sir! Thank you

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:46:46 AM EDT

[#38]

All these people are full of shit.

You got one of them worm things from Ceti Alpha five (5) crawling around your head now.

So sad

WTF: 2 of us with in 10 minutes. NERDS UNITE!!!!

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:52:56 AM EDT

[#39]

Stick an ear plug in your right ear. Have your buddy with a 50 BMG machine gun let off 200 rounds while standing to the left of you. I guarantee you that you won't be concerned about hearing loss in your ear.

Posted: 10/21/2012 11:55:43 AM EDT

[#40]

Is it safe to assume that your wife sits to your right on the couch?

/It's micro evolution in progress, your body selecting to improve your chances of survival in your environment

Posted: 10/21/2012 12:01:59 PM EDT

[#41]

Probably just some earwax. Dig around in there with a straightened out paperclip, Or, do like the doctors in the thread have said, spend the 5 bucks on the stuff to do it right, and pass on punching a hole in your eardrum.

Posted: 10/21/2012 12:04:59 PM EDT

[#42]

Yeah its definately just earwax. EXACT same thing happened to me.

Went to the ENT Doc. He shot a super soaker into my ear and then pulled out a giant cork of earwax.

After that I had hearing like Spiderman.

Posted: 10/21/2012 12:13:02 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
it's ear wax

yep, use to happen to my brother a lot. after finally using warm water to clean it out he had giant pieces of ear wax come out that were the size of a common slug, about 4 piece like that.