More detailed question than before: Fluid in ears?

Question

My husband has always had very little hearing in his left ear. We don't know why. I guess when he was born they didn't know much about hearing problems? But that was only 27 years ago. We still don't know why he has barely any hearing in his left ear. He has learned to cope with it, and unless we tell someone, no one knows he even has a problem.


However, his right ear has been fine up until about two years ago, when he first started noticing a clogged feeling in his right ear. He says it feels like swimmer's ear where everything is muffled and he can hear and feel a fluid feeling moving around in his ear. He also gets really dizzy and nautious. He has all the symptoms of Vertigo. He drinks Ginger Ale or takes Dramamine, and this makes the Vertigo symptoms subside temporarily for a couple of hours. They always come back. The clogged feeling never goes away. He can't sleep. It's hard for him to drive, work, etc. I can tell it is very aggravating to him.

For the clogged feeling, he has tried allergy medicines prescribed by our doctor (who swears it is all allergies, yet he has never had trouble with allergies before, and the medicines don't help), rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, medicine for swimmer's ear, and more.

We are at a loss for what else we can try, or where to go to get help. We've searched the Internet to no avail. Does anyone have any advice at all? We do not have health insurance. We are desperate for a solution to this problem. Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to provide.

I am reposting a question that I posted earlier, just with more details now.

Thank you to those of you who have made suggestions already, and take care.

Answer 1

See excerpt from second source listed below:

Vertigo is a false sensation of movement associated with difficulty in balance or gait. Typically, the perceived motion is rotary—a spinning or whirling sensation—but some patients simply feel they are being pulled to one side. The patient may feel as though he or the environment is moving. Symptoms may be acute and severe, causing nausea and vomiting, and may occur episodically.

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Vertigo results from lesions or disturbances anywhere along this pathway (see Table 2: Approach to the Patient With Ear Problems: Causes of Vertigo). Vertigo secondary to disorders of the inner ear or 8th cranial nerve is considered peripheral vertigo, whereas vertigo secondary to disorders of the vestibular nuclei and their pathways in the brain stem and cerebellum is considered central vertigo. Occasionally, vertigo may be psychogenic. Elderly patients may have multifactorial dizziness secondary to drug adverse effects or to age-diminished visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive abilities.

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See the links below for more information...get well, soon!

Answer 2

Get him to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. The fluid build up over a few years time can errode the bones in the ear, causing hearing loss. He could get a PE tube in that eardrum to release the fluid. My daughter had this trouble, and is fine now, with only mild hearing loss.

Answer 3

Just by reading your question I wasn't really sure enough about the symptoms were, or , what the situation was, without really having to look at your husband on a one to one basis. So, I was looking up something, and found the following forum http://forum.purseblog.com/general-discussion/fluid-in-my-ears-help-39056.html
The person on here seems to have the same complications your husband is / was having. One person had recommended a medicine called Sudafed * which they claimed help clear it up for them* So, I am not saying go and buy it and consume it, I'm saying, check again with your doctor, and do some research on this medication, and what it is for. Ask your doctor as well for information on this medicine, and as it worked for the person on the forum, I hope it does the same for your husband as well.

Keep me updated, and best wishes to you.

Answer 4

Have your husband go to a ear nose and throat specialist (ENT).

These doctors are specifically trained in the ears nose and throat areas. It is possible that your husbands tubes deep inside his ears could be clogged and causeing this problem.

Hope this helps :-)

Answer 5

It couldn't be something as simple as a lot of wax build up, could it? I know you said he went to the doctor, so I assume they checked that. But my dad, sister, and I all had similar problems. My sister's case was the worse: she felt very dizzy, nauseous, and often complained that her ear felt plugged, or that it felt like something was moving around in there. She went to the doctor and found that she had a lot of wax build up, so they used a water pick to clean it out. After that she didn't have a problem.

Answer 6

call your local pharmacist and ask them as they are very good about things like this. then make an appt next week with your doctor to get the ear checked. when i had an inner ear problem it caused me to be dizzy and could't hear as well but the doctor gave me an antiobitc and it went away.

Answer 7

It sounds almost exatly as something I had a few yrs ago..!wich was and viral infection that caused me to have Labyrinthitis..(which explain all the diseness and everything u described)..w/ the right treatment (very easy treatment by the way ) it doesnt even take long to cure.
I woudl recomend a doctor instead of just going to the pharmacy ...

Answer 8

Get another opinion from an ear, nose and throat specialist
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/FamilyPractice/messages/673.html

Answer 9

See a board certified EENT to rule out minere,s disease or presbyopia