My Battle with Eardrum Rupture and Sclerosed Mastoid
I’m a 29-year-old woman, standing at 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 50 kilograms. Health is important to me, so I make a point to eat healthily—I mostly avoid restaurant meals and plastic food containers, include fresh fruits in my diet every day, and maintain a daily exercise routine. Overall, I keep fit and aside from the occasional cough or cold, I’ve had no significant health problems. For as long as I can remember, my ears have experienced persistent itching, which I had always considered rather commonplace. To alleviate this sensation, I often used Q-tips, which felt amazing. Occasionally, when I probed deeper, I would hear an enhanced sound echoing in my head—an enjoyable experience! Throughout my life, I visited several ENT specialists, and they all recommended ear drops. Applying these drops brought more unique sensations, like the delightful trickling of liquid down my ear canal, followed by soft crush-like noises that I found equally satisfying. After lying on one side for about five minutes, I would sit up to find the liquid trickling back out, accompanied by more itching that always brought me back to my trusty Q-tip. Sometimes, I even resorted to vigorously shaking my pinky-finger in the canal for relief. This ear-related ritual continued for 25 years. The itching wasn't constant; it’d occur a few times a week, which I mostly tolerated. Recently, I was alarmed when I discovered that the Q-tip emerged with a foul-smelling discharge. Additionally, clear fluid began draining from my ear and formed crusts along the canal. Concerned, I made an appointment and visited the doctor after a two-week interval. He examined my ear and informed me that I had a ruptured eardrum, while X-ray results indicated that my mastoid was sclerosed. Surgery is now necessary, which has left me feeling quite defeated. He prescribed me a regimen of Bilastine, Montelukast, and Cefuroxime Axetil tablets, to be taken twice a day for two weeks. The doctor was adamant that I must keep any water completely out of my ear. Lately, I’ve also been feeling pain around the mastoid area, with a small painful bump just beneath my earlobe. My ear often feels blocked, and if I lightly tap my temple near the affected side, the sound ricochets in a strange manner. Until now, my ear had mostly brought me pleasure and occasional itching, with no pain involved. Currently, the discomfort is centralized around the mastoid region; I don’t feel any pain within the ear itself. Oddly, the ear drops still provide some satisfaction. What on earth is going on with me? Is this surgery critical? With my final exams for postgraduate studies approaching in just a few weeks, I’m feeling quite stressed about the timing. I deserve any criticism for the negligence towards my ears. I just wish the doctors could have provided more insight during my earlier visits!
Answers (1)
8/9/2025, 6:40:54 AM
OpenHealth AI
I'm truly sorry to hear about your situation. It sounds like you've been managing a challenging and uncomfortable issue with your ears, and it's understandable that this has become a source of distress for you, especially with your upcoming exams. Let’s break down the key points and what you can do next.
Main Points:
- Ruptured Eardrum and Sclerosed Mastoid: Your recent diagnosis indicates a significant ear issue that requires careful attention.
- Symptoms of Infection: The foul-smelling discharge and additional symptoms suggest an infection, which is serious.
- Surgery Necessity and Stress Management: Surgery can be critical to address complications from the rupture and sclerosed mastoid.
Explanation:
A ruptured eardrum can lead to fluid leakage and infection, which seems to be the case given your symptoms. The presence of a sclerosed mastoid indicates long-standing issues that may require surgical intervention to prevent further complications, such as chronic infection or hearing loss. The routine with Q-tips and other probing measures likely contributed to irritation and potential infections over the years.
Feeling pressure or strange sounds when tapping your temple is not uncommon with these conditions, but it's a sign that your ear's health needs to be prioritized. The medications you've been prescribed are likely intended to manage pain, inflammation, and infections.
Next Steps:
- Adhere to Medical Advice: Follow your doctor’s instructions regarding medications and keep your ear completely dry. This is crucial to avoid further complications.
- Seek Clarity on Surgery: It's understandable to want to know more about the necessity of the surgery. If possible, consider reaching out to your doctor or a nurse for additional information on what the procedure entails, expected recovery time, and how it may affect your studies. Don’t hesitate to express your concerns and ask for reassurance.
- Pain Management: While you're waiting for surgery, manage pain with over-the-counter pain relief, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, unless contraindicated for you. Always follow dosing instructions.
- Stay Calm and Focused: With finals approaching, plan short, dedicated study sessions. This can help manage your stress levels. Consider relaxation techniques like breathing exercises to help alleviate anxiety about your situation.
You’re doing your best to stay healthy; now, you must focus on healing your ear. If any symptoms worsen, such as increased pain, uncontrollable discharge, or fever, don’t hesitate to seek immediate medical attention. You're taking important steps towards getting better, and I’m here to support you through this process.
Related Questions
Healing Progress Post-GBS: Toe Concerns
I am a 28-year-old male, measuring 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 131 pounds. My current medications include Fomadatine and Zyrtec, prescribed due to my ongoing battle with Chronic Gastritis and SIBO. I maintain a healthy lifestyle, abstaining from both smoking and alcohol. My health concern revolves around the toe adjacent to my pinky toe on my left foot, as well as my pinky toe on the right foot. Since August of last year, I have been on the mend from Guillain Barre Syndrome. Recently, I've noticed that at night, the skin on my feet tends to turn a reddish pink, although this usually improves after I walk around. However, two of my toes have remained red, with one appearing slightly swollen. Generally, my pinky toes are quite thick, but the condition of my left foot's toe is worrisome for me. It seems that I'm unable to upload an image to illustrate my issue.
Challenges with Appetite and Discomfort While Eating — Difficulty in Gaining Weight
As an 18-year-old male, I find that I become satisfied after consuming rather minimal amounts of food. This situation presents a considerable challenge, particularly since I only need to have a standard breakfast, lunch, or dinner to feel completely satiated for the remainder of the day. My goal of increasing my weight has made this issue even more complicated. When I limit myself to one meal per day, I often face weight loss or an uncomfortable sensation of fullness that leaves me feeling sluggish. Opting for two meals makes me feel excessively bloated, distracting me from my daily responsibilities. Moreover, I suffer from an unusual issue with my throat, where almost any food I consume causes discomfort, as detailed in the list below. I have contemplated focusing on having just lunch while continuing my weightlifting regimen to maintain my current weight and gradually build muscle. What advice could you offer? Could there be an underlying cause for these symptoms? Lastly, would it be wise for me to consult a healthcare professional? Foods That Cause Discomfort: Bread, flour, pizza, fruits, sugary or starchy items, seed oils, chips, and essentially everything else. Foods That Are Tolerable: Rice, salads, chicken, fish, and vegetables. Overall Symptoms Include: * Quick satiety after normal meals * Challenges in gaining weight * Bloated and lethargic sensations when consuming more than one meal * Persistent throat sensitivity to a wide variety of foods
Seeking Insights: My Journey with Undiagnosed Neurological Symptoms
Hello everyone, I'm a 34-year-old female grappling with neurological symptoms that first appeared in October, and I’m eager to hear from anyone who might have faced similar challenges. My journey began with unexpected migraines, blurred vision, and an ongoing sensation of being off-balance or intoxicated. Gradually, I began experiencing mainly sensory-related symptoms, such as tingling and burning sensations, feelings of extreme heat and cold, sharp pains radiating in my arms and back, as well as discomfort in my hands and toes, alongside intermittent numbness. I also endure varying degrees of weakness and heaviness in my right side, specifically my arm and leg, although I haven’t suffered complete functional loss. The nature of my symptoms is erratic; they fluctuate rather than consistently deteriorate. An MRI revealed mild, scattered lesions in the white matter, which were deemed nonspecific. Further tests from a lumbar puncture returned normal results, showing no markers of inflammation, and the oligoclonal bands were not present. A thorough range of lab tests yielded no significant findings. After evaluating my case, the neurology team suggested a possible diagnosis of MS and administered a three-day course of intravenous steroids. While I noticed a slight improvement in some sensory pain, my symptoms persist and continue to vary day by day. I still experience headaches and pressure in my head along with episodes of blurred vision, but there have been no new deficits since treatment. I am reaching out to connect with others who have had similar experiences. I would like to learn about the insights or diagnoses you encountered and what treatments proved beneficial (such as those related to migraine disorders, dysautonomia, or sensory neuropathy, for example). If you have navigated a similar path, I would greatly appreciate your sharing your story. Thank you!
Should I Seek Medical Attention for Left Ear Pulsatile Tinnitus?
A 31-year-old woman reports an ongoing issue with pulsatile tinnitus, which she is currently experiencing solely in her left ear. Although she's noticed this condition intermittently before, she hadn’t paid it much mind due to the absence of pain. Recently, however, her curiosity piqued her interest in researching the condition, where she stumbled upon information suggesting it could be serious. Usually, she avoids searching online for health worries, but now she is contemplating whether a visit to the doctor might be warranted. Can anyone advise on the need for a medical evaluation in this case?
Unusual Heart Sensation
I’m an 18-year-old, weighing 50 kilograms and standing at 170 centimeters (and yes, I’m aware that I’m quite slender). For the past couple of years, I’ve developed a habit of smoking about half a pack of cigarettes each day. So, the other day I was lying on my left side, relaxing, when I stumbled upon an unusual sensation. It felt as though my heart was pulsating so intensely that it was almost outside my body. Out of curiosity, I pressed a bit on the area and was instantly hit with a rush; my head started to tingle, my vision momentarily blurred, and it felt as though my heart dropped. It was as if my entire system had malfunctioned. Just for context, I’ve experienced something similar before after a ketamine overdose, and it persisted for about a month afterward, occurring occasionally while trying to sleep or during random moments in bed. This current episode has me quite anxious, especially since it hasn’t happened in a while, but this time felt particularly alarming.