NPC - post treatment clogged ears

edbravo
edbravo Member Posts: 63
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Does anyone still get clogged ears now and than even after treatment for NPC? Please share cause I am having it now on one side and very worried. Any suggestions to clear the ear?

Comments

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #2
    Clogged ears

    I thought I had clogged ears during treatment, and even after.  Every time I saw a doctor, I had them check my ears - because they felt clogged.  Finally, one said he thought I should go to an audiologist.  Yep - hearing loss due to the cisplatin.  And it is permanent.  I wear hearing aids now.  But, on the bright side - that cancer didn't kill me.  Oh, and neither did the next one.

    Lorna

    2007 & 2014

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #3
    lornal said:

    Clogged ears

    I thought I had clogged ears during treatment, and even after.  Every time I saw a doctor, I had them check my ears - because they felt clogged.  Finally, one said he thought I should go to an audiologist.  Yep - hearing loss due to the cisplatin.  And it is permanent.  I wear hearing aids now.  But, on the bright side - that cancer didn't kill me.  Oh, and neither did the next one.

    Lorna

    2007 & 2014

    Thanks lorna for sharing.

    Thanks lorna for sharing. Mine was different. First I had ears clogged but after treatment it went away for almost 6 months now, however just 2 days ago one of my ears started to get clogged again. I am not too sure if I had blew my nose too hard from my routine daily "flushing". I really hate this clogged ears.

  • lornal
    lornal Member Posts: 428
    #4
    edbravo said:

    Thanks lorna for sharing.

    Thanks lorna for sharing. Mine was different. First I had ears clogged but after treatment it went away for almost 6 months now, however just 2 days ago one of my ears started to get clogged again. I am not too sure if I had blew my nose too hard from my routine daily "flushing". I really hate this clogged ears.

    clogged ears - continued

    I'm 52.  And, I had to get a tube in one of my ears.  I thought that was just for kids.  Hearing in one of my ears was getting worse and worse to the point I couldn't hear.

    Finally went to my ear doctor - said it was fluid - and put a tube in.  I had been to my ENT surgeon earlier in the week - and he didn't notice anything - but then, he doesn't do ears like my ear ENT.

    That was a few months ago.  Didn't have trouble with it until this week.  Something is clogged up again - but this time, it is coming out my ear - and my doctor gave me antibiotic ear drops to deal with it.

    Hope it is just something like that - fixible!

    Lorna

  • Robyn64
    Robyn64 Member Posts: 124
    #5
    just saw Dr's for clogged ears

    I just saw Dr's this week for blocked ears and ear pain at night. I had my treatment 8 weeks ago. It's hard to hear at the moment. I complained to the nurse that I believed my ears problem was from treatment and couldn't get in to see my own  ENT specialist till mid Nov.  So she sought out a ENT specialist for me to see. They referred me for a hearing test which I took yesterday. I have a very large blockage in the right ear due to treatment. She told me to go back to specialist to get antibiotics to help clear it and to come back for a follow up hearing test in 3 months. I did in the middle of this go to my local go because I could hear what sounded like water or fluid in my ears and just thought he could clear it, gave me antibiotics,  so will just take those.

    Not sure if you hear fluid in your ears either or get pain in ears at night ? I highly suggest you get a hearing test to see if any blockage that needs to go ?

    Hope this helps :-)

    Robyn

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #6
    lornal said:

    clogged ears - continued

    I'm 52.  And, I had to get a tube in one of my ears.  I thought that was just for kids.  Hearing in one of my ears was getting worse and worse to the point I couldn't hear.

    Finally went to my ear doctor - said it was fluid - and put a tube in.  I had been to my ENT surgeon earlier in the week - and he didn't notice anything - but then, he doesn't do ears like my ear ENT.

    That was a few months ago.  Didn't have trouble with it until this week.  Something is clogged up again - but this time, it is coming out my ear - and my doctor gave me antibiotic ear drops to deal with it.

    Hope it is just something like that - fixible!

    Lorna

    I took a touch light and

    I took a touch light and asked my wife to check my ears. It seems there is some blood in the ear and looks swollen. For the past week I have been picking the insides of my ears and probably my right ear is currently infected because of the constant picking. Is there anyone who has experienced this? Is there a way to make it batter? A little glad its the outer ear.

  • ErthWlkr
    ErthWlkr Member Posts: 60
    #7
    Clogged ears

    Hi Ed:

    As everyone above wrote, hearing issues are common after treatment. Cisplatin, for insance, is notorious for causing tinnitus (ringing in the ears). I started having problems with my hearing, which was already questionable, after treatment ended. My ENT doc/surgeon said that one of the side effects of treatment is that it tends to compromise the eustachian tubes and prevent them from draining properly. It could also be caused by sinus issues as well as possible ear infections.

    First thing is to rule out infection - doc should have a good look at your ears, throat and sinuses. You should be doing that periodically after treatment in any case. Also very common during allergy season - the fall is my worst time and I usually end up with a sinus issue. But the changes could be permanent - but not unresolvable. That's what happened to me - I couldn't hear high pitched sounds anymore and literally could not hear women's voices when they were sitting in front of me (although my wife has complained for years that I never listen to her...)

    I ended up buying a pair of hearing aids at Costco - I can hear sounds that I haven't heard for years! Quite a life changer! Rarely does anyone know I'm wearing them since the design hides them incredibly well.

    So check for infection, inflammation, drainage issues, etc. Hearing tests are a good choice to see if there's a trend to the change. Continue to use sinus rinses and possibly ear wax removers should that turn out to be an issue. Should your hearing cause social problems, hearing aids are available.

    Just something else you have to stay after and stay on top of...

    Hope this helps!

    - Jeff

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #8
    Ed....I had NPC

    and my ear on the side that got the most rads got pressure/plugged in it 18 months out from treatment....also got some tingling in the outer ear...light pins and needles.  I got scared too.....but it appears it is radiation damage.....they scanned me a month after it started, and there was nothing there.

    I brought this up on another board, too....and it was suggested that I try an ear wash from Walgreens....guess rads can make ear wax get rock hard, and it doesn't like to come out.  The person who suggested it does it a couple times a week, I think.

      http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/neilmed-clearcanal-ear-wax-removal-kit/ID=prod6110964-product 

    p

     

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #9
    ErthWlkr said:

    Clogged ears

    Hi Ed:

    As everyone above wrote, hearing issues are common after treatment. Cisplatin, for insance, is notorious for causing tinnitus (ringing in the ears). I started having problems with my hearing, which was already questionable, after treatment ended. My ENT doc/surgeon said that one of the side effects of treatment is that it tends to compromise the eustachian tubes and prevent them from draining properly. It could also be caused by sinus issues as well as possible ear infections.

    First thing is to rule out infection - doc should have a good look at your ears, throat and sinuses. You should be doing that periodically after treatment in any case. Also very common during allergy season - the fall is my worst time and I usually end up with a sinus issue. But the changes could be permanent - but not unresolvable. That's what happened to me - I couldn't hear high pitched sounds anymore and literally could not hear women's voices when they were sitting in front of me (although my wife has complained for years that I never listen to her...)

    I ended up buying a pair of hearing aids at Costco - I can hear sounds that I haven't heard for years! Quite a life changer! Rarely does anyone know I'm wearing them since the design hides them incredibly well.

    So check for infection, inflammation, drainage issues, etc. Hearing tests are a good choice to see if there's a trend to the change. Continue to use sinus rinses and possibly ear wax removers should that turn out to be an issue. Should your hearing cause social problems, hearing aids are available.

    Just something else you have to stay after and stay on top of...

    Hope this helps!

    - Jeff

    Thanks all for your feedback

    Thanks all for your feedback and advices. Just got back from my ent doc and i was told that my clogged ear is because of the treatments and i was advised to chew gum. Wonder if it works for anyone. Anyhow, would i have to live with this clogged ear forever or there is a posibility that it will return to normal. Any recommendations to unclogged it? And how to live and balance a clogged ear, i usually use a ear plug on the other ear so my ears is balance anyhow it reduces my hearing. Any other suggestions which i can try.

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #10
    Clogged Ears

    I have holes in my ears that the tubes left and yes I still get stuff leaking out of them 12 years after.

     

    Tim Hondo

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #11
    Hondo said:

    Clogged Ears

    I have holes in my ears that the tubes left and yes I still get stuff leaking out of them 12 years after.

     

    Tim Hondo

    My right ears is still

    My right ears is still clogged. Is there any proven methods to uncloge it? Hopefully someone could share their sucess, please. Thanks Smile  

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #12
    phrannie51 said:

    Ed....I had NPC

    and my ear on the side that got the most rads got pressure/plugged in it 18 months out from treatment....also got some tingling in the outer ear...light pins and needles.  I got scared too.....but it appears it is radiation damage.....they scanned me a month after it started, and there was nothing there.

    I brought this up on another board, too....and it was suggested that I try an ear wash from Walgreens....guess rads can make ear wax get rock hard, and it doesn't like to come out.  The person who suggested it does it a couple times a week, I think.

      http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/neilmed-clearcanal-ear-wax-removal-kit/ID=prod6110964-product 

    p

     

    Hi P.annie,
    Did you try it?

    Hi P.annie,

    Did you try it? did it work? Just wondering, how do you manage your clogged ears. I have a ear plug and I use it to balance the ear preasure. Eventhough I am unable to hear well, anyway it does keep my mind off the clogged ears so i am able to do my daily routines with ease.

  • Roar
    Roar Member Posts: 269 Member
    #13
    Hearing loss

    Like many cisplatin killed my hearing- still have tubes in my ears- constant ringing- still opposed to hearing aid- I like not listening to anyone

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #14
    Roar said:

    Hearing loss

    Like many cisplatin killed my hearing- still have tubes in my ears- constant ringing- still opposed to hearing aid- I like not listening to anyone

    Hi everyone. I just completed

    Hi everyone. I just completed my surgery and waiting for the bio results. In the meantime my ear is still clogged. Since my ENT refuse to insert a TUBE, I've decided to buy an " ogawa massage vibrator" and I will try this recommended method on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH8u8nCB5MA , hopefully it works. Do you think this is wise?

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #15
    edbravo said:

    Hi everyone. I just completed

    Hi everyone. I just completed my surgery and waiting for the bio results. In the meantime my ear is still clogged. Since my ENT refuse to insert a TUBE, I've decided to buy an " ogawa massage vibrator" and I will try this recommended method on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH8u8nCB5MA , hopefully it works. Do you think this is wise?

    Second opinion

    Something you might want to consider is getting a second opinion from another ENT. I don’t understand why he does not want to put tubes in your ears, my left ear still to this day fills and drains and if it was not for the hole the tubes left I would be in some bad pain. Hope your massage vibrator works.

     

    Tim Hondo

  • edbravo
    edbravo Member Posts: 63
    #16
    Hondo said:

    Second opinion

    Something you might want to consider is getting a second opinion from another ENT. I don’t understand why he does not want to put tubes in your ears, my left ear still to this day fills and drains and if it was not for the hole the tubes left I would be in some bad pain. Hope your massage vibrator works.

     

    Tim Hondo

    Hi tim, my ent doc said i am

    Hi tim, my ent doc said i am having a dysfunctioning eustation tubes because of the treatments, however he believes in trying out natural ways first before finaly inserting a tube. So I guess I will try some methods and lets see how it works. It's kind of funny sticking a vibrator in my ears..ha ha ha. Anybody tried this method before? 

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