Is it necessary for the doctor to cut an incision in my ear drum?

Question

I swam about 2 months ago.Water went into my right ear.A few weeks later I’d hear a swishing sound in my right ear w/out even moving my head. My ear also felt full.My right ear started hurting later on and sometimes a ringing sound would come and go, then the sound stayed.I went to the doctor and I had to use wax remover for a week.I went back and he said I had an ear infection and put me on antibiotics, and it went away.I went back to him again because the ringing in the right ear was still there.He gave me prednisone and said another alternative is to do an incision in my ear if it doesn’t help because of the sticky fluid behind the ear drum-there’s a possibility I could lose my hearing.I want to avoid that if I can. The prednisone seemed to help in lowering the volume of the ringing sound. Sometimes it seems to go away almost completely.Other times it's louder. Is the incision still necessary?If there is still fluid behind the ear drum it possible that it can clear up on it’s own?

Answer 1

sounds like he might be talking about putting tubes in your ears to drain fluid behind your eardrum, they have to put a small hole in it to put the tubes in , this procedure is routine ,my youngest son has had it done numerous times , his was always done with a local anesthetic

Answer 2

Your ear drum (Tympanic membrain) sould have a pearly colour to it. such as the mum of pearl in an oyster shell. it would appear as if a flat disc besides. Any bulging or discoloration would nicely be an indication of an contaminated ear. How ever in case you at the prompt are not complaining of any ear soreness then the doctor will maximum probable no longer take care of it. he will enable your body seem after it and then you'll construct immunities to it.

Answer 3

I was very interested in your question because a couple of years ago I began to have trouble with swimmer's ear, and I thought you might be discussing that, but swimmer's ear is very very painful.

I started doing some searches and I found this regarding what you're describing. Your doctor is talking about a myringotomy, which is considered a last resort.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I had fluid behind the ear drums and I had to get tubes in my ears twice in both ears and twice just in my left. I still get ringing in my ears every now and then but it's not as bad as it used to be. As for a loss of hearing...just in my left ear.

Answer 5

it would usially go away after using a steriod like predisone. the small cut in the ear drum is a very common procedure and the drum will repair itself. the rinning in your ear is called tinnitus. id give the predisone a few more days and opt for the procedure if you want to feal better, good luck

Answer 6

get a second opinion before any thing like that.
the cut is more a pin hole to drain the stuff and will heal.
try another round of antibiotic's first and get off the steroids.

Answer 7

looks like the doc. is doing everything right so far. I would also see a ear,nose, and throat specialist(ENT) for a second opinion but i wouldn't wait long for fear of symptoms worsening.