Ear/Throat Pain????

[COEXjetboi]

In October of this year I got bronchitis and the md said it was from my smoking. The bronchitis cleared up but I also had pain in my left ear. The md looked inside and said that it was a little red. He prescribed me amox. and a decongestant. I was taking the medication off and on. My bronchitis went away but my ear pain didn't. It's now december and I now have the pain in both ears and my throat's a little red and irritated. Whether I'm flying or not I have this ear pain, it seems to bother more @night and when I'm outside for a long time. It feels like pressure and it feels clogged up. Anyway, I went to the md again and now he's treating me for my eustacion tube that equalizes the pressure in my ear. I'm taking amox, prednisone, and humibid. I've been taking my meds since last monday and I still have the ear pain. I now have an appointment with an ear specialist. I'm really nervous about what the outcome is going to be. Can anyone please comment on my situation???? What should I do????

[flymeaway]

In reply to:<hr />
He prescribed me amox. and a decongestant. I was taking the medication off and on.



Were you taking the amoxicillin off and on? If so, that could have contributed to the infection still being present. Antiobiotics should be taken exactly as directed and taken until the bottle is empty unless otherwise noted - otherwise they aren't as effective, and have the potential of making the bacteria immune to it.

It sounds like you have a nasty infection and ear block. When you have an infection/inflammation of the eustacian tube, it gets clogged up and doesn't allow the pressure to change between your ear drum and the back of your throat. The meds you're currently on are going to take care of the infection and help with the inflammation too - keep taking them, and take the antibiotics till you're done, even if the pain goes away!

Don't be too nervous. :grin: It's not all that unusual, unfortunately. You're getting really dehydrated flying and sleeping in those dry hotel rooms (the indoor heat in the winter makes it worse). You're hopping from climate to climate. You're being exposed to new places with allergens and germs that your body isn't used to, and in close quarters with a bunch of other people with germs from all over the place! Add to that the cabin pressure and ups and downs of multiple legs - that's a lot of trauma on sick ears, and just makes it all worse. This is why most people get sick in the first year of flying - I know I did.

You're body isn't used to it, but it will get better. In time, you're immunity will increase. You'll get more efficient on the job and be less tired. You'll learn to drink a LOT of water and wash your hands way more than most people do. And don't be afraid to take a (non-drowsy!) decongestant before your trip if you're feeling a little stuffy. (After you get rid of this infection, of course). It can help prevent ear block if you clear out your sinuses before you fly.

In case you don't know, if you're flying and feel any *serious* pressure in your ears that doesn't get better when you land, go to the employee clinic. There's one at all three hubs, and of course there's no charge. They even have a little machine that can measure the pressure behind your ear drum...and if it's not safe for you to fly, then you'll know for sure. Some crewmembers end up getting tympanostomies (tubes in the ear) if they consistently have a hard time with ear block - but I bet once you get over this bug and get stronger, you probably won't need it.

Until then get lots of rest on your days off, limit the hotel bar visits for a while and drink lots of water. :grin: And of course, let us know what your ear doc says!

[skygirl2003]

COEX, did the Doctor rule out Strept (Sp?) Throat?

[Audrey]

COEWjetboi... Whatever you do, don't fly if you're in pain. I had strep a couple of times and I was an idiot and didn't book off. The ENT finally said it was time for tubes... :crazy: Take care of yourself!

Audrey

[COEXjetboi]

No, the md never mentioned anything about strep throat. He did put me on amox. but it's not helping. I ran out of my medications this afternoon and will be calling the md tom. I still have the ear pain.

[flymeaway]

Don't be afraid to call in sick if you need to for your ear...I perforated my left ear drum once flying on a really bad ear infection. (Years ago, before I was a FA) Believe me, you don't want to do that. :frown_2:

How long till your appt with the ear doc? Take care, and get better!

[bridget74]

Flymeaway,

I agree with you. If your ears are in pain, it's your body's way of telling you that something isn't right. I wouldn't chance it. I've gotten a few ear infections over the past couple of years, and it grounds me for at least a week. My doctor warned me that the eustachian tube and eardrum are actually pretty fragile, and either can rupture if under too much pressure (as in flying).

I've also found, however, that with frequent flying, my ears over time have gotten more "tolerant" of the pressure changes. When I first started working for the airline, it was pretty bad. Now I hardly even think about it.

You said CAL has an employee clinic at each of their hubs? What a neat idea...can the doctors prescribe meds and such?

[COEXjetboi]

Well, everyone i called another ENT specialist and she took me this morning. She checked me out and said that she didn't see any signs of an infection in my ears or throat. She did check the Eustacion tube and said it was a little inflamed. My soar throat is being caused by post nasal drip and probably the dry heat. Anyway, she prescribed me two different types of nasal sprays and a decongestant. She wants me to come back in about two weeks for another checkup. She also said that flying will not make it any worse. I wish i could call out sick but we need a md note if it's before Jan. 4, anyway it shouldn't be that bad i'm only on call wed.,thurs., and fri. Thanks everyone for all the replies.

[flymeaway]

In reply to:<hr />
You said CAL has an employee clinic at each of their hubs? What a neat idea...can the doctors prescribe meds and such?



Yeah, they can do just about anything a regular clinic can do. All three have occupational health MD's either there or on call, and a whole bunch of nurses. :laugh: It doesn't have to be work-related, either - although that makes you lower priority for being seen. It's really a big help for small colds and things if your regular doc can't see you right away.

A lot of people don't trust it much because it is run by the company, but I've had only good experiences with them. In fact, they were the ones who told me that I'd ruptured my ear drum years ago. I have some moderate hearing loss in that ear and really bad tinnitus..went to an ENT a few years back who mentioned a scar on my ear drum but didn't know what caused it. They did all kinds of crazy tests and brain scans - thinking I had a brain tumor causing the loss! Blah blah blah...well our clinic people see bad ears all the time, and knew just looking at it that it had been perforated - then I realized that the terrible pain I'd felt on a flight years before happened about a month before the bad tinnitus started.

Sorry to be so long winded! It was a big deal for me at the time because I was a music major at the time...the hearing loss contributed some to me changing majors, etc.

I think you're right too about getting more tolerant to it...your ears do get used to it, and I think you just figure out how to keep them open in the back of your throat during the flight. I don't even think about it anymore, sort of an unconcious swallowing sorta thing.

[Audrey]

In reply to:<hr />
A lot of people don't trust it much because it is run by the company,



flymeaway, I agree. You'd think it would be the opposite, wouldn't you? My problems were quickly identified because the employee clinic knew what to look for. I would definitely trust the company clinic, above others, simply because they see eustachian tube problems regularly. JMHO.

Audrey