Ear Infection/Hearing Loss

[ultrarunner]

Thought I would post what I learned about my hearing loss...

I'm always very safety conscious and have no problem buying my own protective gear.

This year, I had a lot more outdoor tractor/equipment projects so I wore my shooters "Ear Muff" hearing protectors a lot.

After I was done, I would hang them on a nail in the barn or on the tractor.

I've had antibiotics four time in my life and 3 of the 4 were this year due to ear infections... left side, right side and then left side.

It is my Doctors opinion that leaving my hearing protection in a damp barn and then wearing it for hours at a time is the reason for my sudden problems...

I looked inside very carefully in bright light and could see discoloration...

Just wanted to put this out there.

Doc said to bring them inside the house, don't store them in dark/damp location and wipe them down with alcohol occasionally. (Didn't recommend a brand... ;-)

Hearing is slowly coming back... it was a shock to go from excellent hearing to not being about to understand conversation or the TV...

 

[troutsqueezer]

I bought a big box of disposable foam ear plugs. Keep a few dozen in the toolbox (each pair encased in plastic) and grab a pair whenever I head out with the chain saw, mower or tractor.

 

[Mace Canute]

Years ago I had a stretch of time, between one to two years, when I would easily get ear infections. I've lost about 5 decibels right across the audible range and I attribute it to the infections. It was an absolute necessity to wear ear protection when I was outside during that time when it was cold out and I used a cheap pair of Princess Auto ear muffs. They worked for me just fine and after awhile, my susceptibility to ear infections dropped back to normal. Isn't it strange how one person's cause was another person's cure?

 

[ultrarunner]

Didn't realize the problem of damp and dark when it came to personal protection devices...

At least no more leaving the muffs or my extra respirator out in the barn for me.

 

[kidr]

I like to use swimmers silicon i get in walmart. I can't stand stuff in my ear canal. The silicone wax covers the canal but doesn't go inside. they're clean, comfortable,disposable and I can wear a broad brimmed hat.

 

[JasG]

I've had problems with "swimmers" ear mainly due to my having to use hearing protection at work. It might be the ear muffs or that you are not allowing your ear to dry enough, which is my case. Doesn't matter where I store my hearing protection or what brand/type I use. I also sweat a lot and so with hearing protection in place my ears get damp. This has been an on going battle for 20 plus years. If I don't take certain steps to avoid the issue, I get an infection.

What I have found to help out is a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. Use it after I swim or shower, it helps dry out my ears and vinegar is an antifungal. I also only wear the hearing protection when needed. Where in the past I would leave it on from the start of my day till the end.

BTW my hearing is tested yearly and I have had no real hearing loss from noise. Every year my first test is checked against my current. I have had some, but everyone does with age.

Colds, ear infections and other things can have an effect on hearing.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've had problems with "swimmers" ear mainly due to my having to use hearing protection at work. It might be the ear muffs or that you are not allowing your ear to dry enough, which is my case. Doesn't matter where I store my hearing protection or what brand/type I use. I also sweat a lot and so with hearing protection in place my ears get damp. This has been an on going battle for 20 plus years. If I don't take certain steps to avoid the issue, I get an infection.

What I have found to help out is a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. Use it after I swim or shower, it helps dry out my ears and vinegar is an antifungal. I also only wear the hearing protection when needed. Where in the past I would leave it on from the start of my day till the end.

BTW my hearing is tested yearly and I have had no real hearing loss from noise. Every year my first test is checked against my current. I have had some, but everyone does with age.

Colds, ear infections and other things can have an effect on hearing.

I'm sure this could be part of my problem... I was leaving them on for most of the day when I was operating equipment.

I appreciate the responses!

 

[Soundguy]

my boss a couple years ago got an infection in a bone in his ear.. he slowly went tone deaf then near deaf in that ear.. after months of Ab he finally got it back. took like 6m

I use disposable plugs and muffs.. all inside kept..

I used to have ear infections all the time.. my ear/throat/ose guy said most of my stuff was actually sinus related. I started using a saline nasal rinse, and have not had one since..

good luck

 

[IslandTractor]

Wet ear protectors have nothing whatsoever to do with middle ear infections. Middle ear infections are the ones that leave you with some fluid behind the tympanic membrane (ear drum) and that fluid definitely does cut your hearing for a matter of weeks until the fluid is reabsorbed. I suppose that really wet ear plugs might be a risk factor for otitis externa (swimmer's ear) but while that is a painful condition it really shouldn't cut your hearing except in extreme cases and even then only until the acute swelling (the pain) goes down.

Bottom line: middle ear infections are related to your throat and sinuses and have nothing to do with the outside of your ear. Keep your head phone style ear protectors any place you want including hanging on a nail in the barn. Ear plugs should be allowed to dry out between uses.

 

[Soundguy]

Bottom line: middle ear infections are related to your throat and sinuses and have nothing to do with the outside of your ear.

cool.. that agrees with what my DR said..

 

[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.