Last week I was a little congested and got on a plane. Since then it's turned into a full blown flu.

I've since gotten over most of it, but I've become half deaf from what sounds like liquid in my ear. 

I've tried every from neti pot, to hot showers, to Sudafed, and all the congestion clearing face massaging videos on YouTube. Nada.



How the hell do I clear this?

>>70779276 (OP)

Had this happen. You may have actually gotten swimmer's ear and have liquid behind the eardrum. Doctors will prescribe you ear drops to help with that.

I did go diving a couple days before flying. 

Is there a drop I can get without a prescription?

Not sure. Probably not since the one they gave me was a low-dose steroid drop.

 

What got me Swimmer's Ear of all fucking things was sleeping with an ear-bud in my right ear for youtube. Also hell yeah nice seashells.

>>70779276 (OP)

Try squeezing hydrogen peroxide in your ear. Lay on your side and let the ear soak until the warm bubbling fizzing sensation stops. Then drain it. It should take about 20 min. If that doesn’t work, you could try a nasal spray like Afrin but I would just go to the doctor if the hydrogen peroxide doesn’t work.

>>70779276 (OP)

Did you wear a mask on the plane?

If not...fool!

See a doctor, you may have a build-up of black pus behind the eardrum.

Seems like the consensus is doctor. 

Why not, I've got good insurance. 

I'm just tired of doctors saying there's nothing they can do, sleep it off. 

Unless of course they can find a reason to push their drug of the week lol

Yes, see a doctor. You might have to have a gromit put in your eardrum (minor op) to drain the water out. Then the gromit falls out a month or so later when your eardrum heals up. But do ask for general anesthetic, not local (saying this from experience) assuming it gets to that stage.

That's some nightmare shit Jesus. 

I'm going in tomorrow, I'm just gonna pray it's a simpler deal than that.

How do they even do local anesthesia on that? Is your whole head numb?

No, you get a shot in the ear but it's seriously uncomfortable when they start putting the gromit in, and it wears off fast. So yeah, go for general, done in under 10 minutes. It's not as as bad as it sounds - but see what your doc says (I had the same thing: not flu, but got ill on a flight and had a killer cold for over a month and then my left ear got blocked for months after).

Broooooo

My right ear cleared 



Swallowing water with my nose pinched, and then doing a bunch of neck yoga. 



It sounded like a big plop, making me think it's like a huge glob of ear snot. 

Absolutely rancid, planes are disgusting.
