Dr. Mohammed Osama Aboborda
Otolaryngology (E.N.T)
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Are my eardrums perforated? Last weekend, I started with a runny nose, then woke up with ear pain on Saturday, and fluid started leaking out of my ear. I got a Z-pak on Saturday, and now both ears feel full, have pain, and clear fluid is leaking out. Kindly advise what to do?
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
According to the shown parts of both eardrums (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity), there are no apparent perforations. The second photo is for the left eardrum, as I think. I can see some dark coloration on the eardrum. Do you suffer from itching in this ear? The first photo is for the right eardrum, as I think. The lower part of the drum is hidden while the apparent shown part is entirely normal.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I have no itchiness, but the right ear has been bothering me because of its fullness, pain, and clear fluid leaking since Saturday. Today more fluid was dripping from the ears till down my neck. The one with the discoloration is the right ear, where the discoloration looks like a blood blister or something. Yesterday the left ear just started feeling clogged and in pain. I have been on a Z-pak since Saturday. I feel like I have two earbuds in my ears with muffled sounds and pain here and there. My left ear had some static sounds when I bent over yesterday. I just got a different antibiotic, Amoxicillin, and a steroid. I am miserable. Can you recommend any over-the-counter medicine to help with the ear fullness, pain, or stuffiness?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
The new photos are clearer (The attachments have been removed to protect the patient's privacy). I advise you to complete your Z-pak (Azithromycin) dose. I recommend nasal decongestant drops Otrivin (Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride) twice daily. Put the drops inside your nose while lying down on your back for 2 minutes. Continue the nasal drops for five days. I recommend a mucolytic such as Acetylcysteine twice daily for a week. Chewing gum frequently can open the eustachian tubes draining the collected fluids behind the eardrum. You can use an analgesic such as Paracetamol or Diclofenac Potassium. On the left side of the picture, you can see a small dark red rhomboid-shaped wound; this wound may be a healing perforation that is closing perfectly.
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Otolaryngology (E.N.T)
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