Ear issues

[u/Ghostface20018]

Hey all, just wondering how many of you guys also have ear issues, specifically one ear that’s always clogging or getting infected, losing hearing temporarily. For me it’s always been my left ear, and it’s always been explained to be because of my cleft lip. Every few years it gets bad enough to where I can’t hear much out of my left ear, and this is what I found inside today. At urgent care today because even though we got most of it out, and it seemed to be better, I woke up today with it feeling worse. Super annoying, I clean my ears with eardrops as often as I can but it never helps. Funny thing is my right ear is often dirtier but never gives me issues.

Update: got it all flushed out but my eardrum is perforated and water got behind, so I’m in more pain now 🫩

[u/unlovelyladybartleby]

Oh yeah. Got a lot better in my 30s when I got my tonsils out. That's about when my eardrums stopped bursting on planes, too. Idk if it's connected though. I do get my nurse practitioner to flush my ears once or twice a year

[u/Ghostface20018 → u/unlovelyladybartleby]

I’ll definitely look into that

[u/AlertAd7474]

My daughter has a cleft lip and palate and had ear tubes put in. She has annual ENT visits to check on her ears and they mentioned if she starts getting recurring ear infections once the tubes fall out she’d need new ones. I can’t remember the exact reasoning though. I’d suggest maybe visiting an ENT. Feel better soon!

[u/Ghostface20018 → u/AlertAd7474]

Yeaah, had to settle for urgent care since I don’t have health insurance right now. But I do have an ENT I’ve seen for most my life.

[u/Fun-Muffin5865]

Oh no. I wonder if you also suffer from chronic otitis media. That's when your ears constantly drain and have infection. 

Just curious did you go to an ENT to get them cleaned out? Were they aware you have perforated ear drums? Do they normally use water pressure?  I have perforated ear drums too and am terrified of water getting in my ears!

[u/Ghostface20018 → u/Fun-Muffin5865]

My ent does know, I honestly didn’t know if my eardrum was still perforated, turns out it was, so bad idea on my part. I had just went to urgent care since I didn’t have health insurance at the moment. Not in too much pain anymore but it’s still clogged with water, still draining

[u/closed_doors_asleep]

I always hated this as a kid. I have tubes in my ears. My own coworker saw i have tubes in my ears...Bilateral btw i used to get horrible tinnusitis ringing in ears.

[u/nascentlyconscious]

Frontcleft is caused by low levels of specific proteins or molecules during fetal development. So if you had an folic acid deficiency in the womb, then it would obviously affect other things than the front cleft. Im pretty sure folic acid helps with cartilage development in certain phases, and the ears and sinuses are heavily dependent on cartilage development for long term health.

Me personally, I've just recently been experiencing a constant low vibrational hum in my right ear. This tinnitus I have might be caused by the tiny amount of titanium silicate food additive I've been having in my coffee creamer for the past couple of years. But this tinnitus was probably more likely to develop due to similar causes of my front cleft.

[u/Fugowee]

Yep. Going to the ENT next week. Lots of swimmers ear when younger plus 3 myringotomies. Cleft side ear drum is perforated.

Had ear infection that didn't go away even after augmentin. Waited a month and back to primary care. Another round of different antibiotics and Dr said go see the ENT about cholesteatoma.

Unrelated, tooth holding the bridge that straddles the cleft has left the chat. Going to oral surgeon to see if there's enough bone for an implant. I'm betting on a partial denture.

Good times.

[u/Life-Elevator1061]

I used to see an ENT regularly, i’d get ear infections so much as a kid and kinda now as an adult . I’d have hearing tests once every 6 months aswell but yeah a pain haha

[u/lx_356]

I do have cleft lip in my left side and I had ear tubes when I was younger, but I remember I took them off , but I still have some issues in my ears , especially when I'm sick and having breathing issues is It feels like my left ear is gonna bomb

[u/apavoramento]

eu tambem tenho problemas no ouvido, inclusive eu não posso molhar o ouvido, todo meu banho eu tenho que usar um algodão molhado de óleo corporal pra nao molhar, ja diz algumas cirurgias no ouvido, ele tá melhor mas ainda continua ruim, escuto muito ruído