dizzy + watery/bloody ear - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

1337haxor · 09-20-2005, 04:28 PM

Hey,

I'm a little concerned about what's going on with my girlfriend. Every so often she will get really dizzy and have watery ears. She'll also have trouble hearing from that ear. Eventually, she'll use a Q-tip to clear out the ear and blood comes out. I'm really concerned because whenever I tell her that she should have it checked out, she'll try to blow it off and say she'll be fine or how she'll go to the doctor later.

I talked to a long time friend of her's and he says that she'll blow it off with him as well. I'm not sure why she won't see a doctor, but I'd like to know what are the possibilities this might be? Her friend told me that she listens to music REALLY loudly. I've heard that loud music and damage to cells in your ear, but will it cause bleeding? Could it be her brain swelling up and pressing against the skull or something serious like that?

Her friends and I are going to sit down with her soon to have a talk, but I'd like to get an idea of what this might be first.

Thanks,
1337haxor

FngKestrel · 09-20-2005, 04:42 PM

Go to the doctor. If she wants to continue listening to music at all in that ear, she should be concerned about what's happening. It sounds all related because the semicircular canals are located there.

I don't know what it could be since I'm not a licensed doctor, but she should take care of this before it has lasting repercussions.

amonkie · 09-20-2005, 04:58 PM

GET HER TO THE DOCTOR. NOW.

Bloody ears are NEVER a good sign. Using a q tip is also not a good way to flush out the ears, and could be part of the cause for the blood. I don't care if you have to drag her into your car, and tie her up in order to get her in - sometimes people are too stubborn for their own good.

I had my own ears being bloody/watery this summer - someone told me not to come home till I'd gone to the doctor, and I'm glad I listened to them, because otherwise I would have been like your girlfriend and not gotten to the root of why my ears were bleeding.

1337haxor · 09-20-2005, 05:03 PM

amonkie, mind if you tell me what your problem was? I'm just trying to get as much info as possible. (I'm the type that won't stop worrying til I know everythnig).

I see her on Thursday and I'm going to have a serious talk to her about it. I'm not even sure why she's being so stubborn about it. She's going to be a ceritified nurse in a few months for crying out loud.

pje120 · 09-20-2005, 06:14 PM

I have really no idea what it could be. That she is refusing to go to a doctor suggests she is shying away from accepting the problem, and she is just pretending there is no real problem. I suggest if she still refuses to go to the doctor go for her (without her) and ask him to write her a note. Even if the doctor can't guess what it is from your description, the doctor may be able to reassure her to have confidence that the problem can be fixed if she confronts it (which will make it easier for her to do so).

theguyondacouch · 09-29-2005, 08:06 AM

Ears are just like eyes, in that they are not something you fuck with. Get her to the damn doctor now! I've had ear problems my entire life and trust me, it's not fun at all. Taking 45 minutes out of her day could save her hearing in that ear. Also, to the best of my knowledge qtips are only for use in the outer part of the ear, not the canal. That as well may be part of her probelm.

amonkie · 09-29-2005, 08:13 AM

1337haxor - I had an ear infection coupled with a bleeding scratch/cut that was a combination of cleaning my ears with a qtip (hence my comment) and routine hearing aid friction/rubbing. My situation might be slightly different because I wear a hearing aid, but that is also why I am dead serious about getting her in. I don't have perfect ears anymore, even though it's not my fault... and to watch someone else gamble with their hearing is NOT cool. Just because it's not something visible to her does not downplay its seriousness in any way. Better to have a false alarm, than to be paying for her negligence for a LONG time down the road.

mr sticky · 09-29-2005, 11:28 AM

1337haxor,
Does your girlfriend swim a lot?

theguyondacouch · 09-29-2005, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amonkie

Just because it's not something visible to her does not downplay its seriousness in any way. Better to have a false alarm, than to be paying for her negligence for a LONG time down the road.

Exactly, better safe than sorry, especially when you're dealing with something as serious as your hearing.

Rodney · 09-29-2005, 10:35 PM

She's got a scratch or something in her inner ear, and it's infected. And yest, the q-tip is making it worse, and may have caused the problem in the first place if she habitually sticks one deep into the ear.

If she's dizzy her eustachean tube might be involved. Needs to go to the doc, preferably a good ear/nose/throat guy, who will probably prescribe a topical antibiotic, although by this time she may need something more general.

I had something similar, and yes I used q-tips and also liked to submerge most of my head in the bathtub for long periods -- bad combo. The ear guy took a look inside and freaked, because I had a big bloody mass of some sort right on my eardrum. But after a course of topical antibiotics, it dried up and fell off with no permanent damage to the eardrum.

Stompy · 09-30-2005, 08:26 AM

I don't have anything constructive to add since posts above me more or less have what I was gonna reply with, but I find it humorous that a lot of responses to most of these posts are "Go to the doctor"

I don't think anyone's gonna just sit idle w/ a bloody ear. I mean, in this case it sounds like she is, but I'm sure she knows deep down that she needs to go.

Ear problems are horrid. I had a situation where the fluids in my ears weren't draining properly... ended up goin to the ER because the pain was so bad. The doc told me to wait it out, and that my ear drum would rupture in the next 24 hours. Worst pain ever... but when it ruptured, it felt so good... such a relief.

It took about a month or so for my hearing to get back to normal.

amonkie · 09-30-2005, 08:30 AM

Stompy... but he said she won't go ...

Stompy · 09-30-2005, 08:39 AM

A lot of times people are simply afraid to go. They know they NEED to, but getting them there is a whole other story.

She just has to come to the realization that the infection could get much worse, and that if she values her hearing, she'll need to go at some point.

I dunno, I've never been very good at talking people into going to the docs when they're very afraid.

09-20-2005, 04:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
1337haxor Insane Location: PA	dizzy + watery/bloody ear Hey, I'm a little concerned about what's going on with my girlfriend. Every so often she will get really dizzy and have watery ears. She'll also have trouble hearing from that ear. Eventually, she'll use a Q-tip to clear out the ear and blood comes out. I'm really concerned because whenever I tell her that she should have it checked out, she'll try to blow it off and say she'll be fine or how she'll go to the doctor later. I talked to a long time friend of her's and he says that she'll blow it off with him as well. I'm not sure why she won't see a doctor, but I'd like to know what are the possibilities this might be? Her friend told me that she listens to music REALLY loudly. I've heard that loud music and damage to cells in your ear, but will it cause bleeding? Could it be her brain swelling up and pressing against the skull or something serious like that? Her friends and I are going to sit down with her soon to have a talk, but I'd like to get an idea of what this might be first. Thanks, 1337haxor

09-20-2005, 04:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	GET HER TO THE DOCTOR. NOW. Bloody ears are NEVER a good sign. Using a q tip is also not a good way to flush out the ears, and could be part of the cause for the blood. I don't care if you have to drag her into your car, and tie her up in order to get her in - sometimes people are too stubborn for their own good. I had my own ears being bloody/watery this summer - someone told me not to come home till I'd gone to the doctor, and I'm glad I listened to them, because otherwise I would have been like your girlfriend and not gotten to the root of why my ears were bleeding. __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

09-29-2005, 08:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
theguyondacouch salmon? Location: Outside Providence	Ears are just like eyes, in that they are not something you fuck with. Get her to the damn doctor now! I've had ear problems my entire life and trust me, it's not fun at all. Taking 45 minutes out of her day could save her hearing in that ear. Also, to the best of my knowledge qtips are only for use in the outer part of the ear, not the canal. That as well may be part of her probelm. __________________ "Lick my frozen metal ass!"

09-29-2005, 08:13 AM	#7 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	1337haxor - I had an ear infection coupled with a bleeding scratch/cut that was a combination of cleaning my ears with a qtip (hence my comment) and routine hearing aid friction/rubbing. My situation might be slightly different because I wear a hearing aid, but that is also why I am dead serious about getting her in. I don't have perfect ears anymore, even though it's not my fault... and to watch someone else gamble with their hearing is NOT cool. Just because it's not something visible to her does not downplay its seriousness in any way. Better to have a false alarm, than to be paying for her negligence for a LONG time down the road. __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

09-29-2005, 11:28 AM	#8 (permalink)
mr sticky Psycho Location: NC	1337haxor, Does your girlfriend swim a lot? __________________ The sad thing is... as you get older you come to realize that you don't so much pilot your life, as you just try to hold on, in a screaming, defiant ball of white-knuckle anxious fury

09-20-2005, 04:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
FngKestrel Junkie	Go to the doctor. If she wants to continue listening to music at all in that ear, she should be concerned about what's happening. It sounds all related because the semicircular canals are located there. I don't know what it could be since I'm not a licensed doctor, but she should take care of this before it has lasting repercussions.

09-20-2005, 05:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
1337haxor Insane Location: PA	amonkie, mind if you tell me what your problem was? I'm just trying to get as much info as possible. (I'm the type that won't stop worrying til I know everythnig). I see her on Thursday and I'm going to have a serious talk to her about it. I'm not even sure why she's being so stubborn about it. She's going to be a ceritified nurse in a few months for crying out loud.

09-20-2005, 06:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
pje120 Upright	I have really no idea what it could be. That she is refusing to go to a doctor suggests she is shying away from accepting the problem, and she is just pretending there is no real problem. I suggest if she still refuses to go to the doctor go for her (without her) and ask him to write her a note. Even if the doctor can't guess what it is from your description, the doctor may be able to reassure her to have confidence that the problem can be fixed if she confronts it (which will make it easier for her to do so).

09-29-2005, 10:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
Rodney Observant Ruminant Location: Rich Wannabe Hippie Town	She's got a scratch or something in her inner ear, and it's infected. And yest, the q-tip is making it worse, and may have caused the problem in the first place if she habitually sticks one deep into the ear. If she's dizzy her eustachean tube might be involved. Needs to go to the doc, preferably a good ear/nose/throat guy, who will probably prescribe a topical antibiotic, although by this time she may need something more general. I had something similar, and yes I used q-tips and also liked to submerge most of my head in the bathtub for long periods -- bad combo. The ear guy took a look inside and freaked, because I had a big bloody mass of some sort right on my eardrum. But after a course of topical antibiotics, it dried up and fell off with no permanent damage to the eardrum.

09-30-2005, 08:26 AM	#11 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	I don't have anything constructive to add since posts above me more or less have what I was gonna reply with, but I find it humorous that a lot of responses to most of these posts are "Go to the doctor" I don't think anyone's gonna just sit idle w/ a bloody ear. I mean, in this case it sounds like she is, but I'm sure she knows deep down that she needs to go. Ear problems are horrid. I had a situation where the fluids in my ears weren't draining properly... ended up goin to the ER because the pain was so bad. The doc told me to wait it out, and that my ear drum would rupture in the next 24 hours. Worst pain ever... but when it ruptured, it felt so good... such a relief. It took about a month or so for my hearing to get back to normal. __________________ I love lamp. Last edited by Stompy; 09-30-2005 at 08:31 AM..

09-30-2005, 08:30 AM	#12 (permalink)
amonkie Drifting Administrator Location: Windy City	Stompy... but he said she won't go ... __________________ Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

09-30-2005, 08:39 AM	#13 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	A lot of times people are simply afraid to go. They know they NEED to, but getting them there is a whole other story. She just has to come to the realization that the infection could get much worse, and that if she values her hearing, she'll need to go at some point. I dunno, I've never been very good at talking people into going to the docs when they're very afraid. __________________ I love lamp.