Otitis Externa/Outer Ear Infection and ear wax

basically I got prescribed gentisone ear drops, on monday, for apparently eczema of the ear :s:

i had flakiness on the outside bits, the lobe etc, but i had gone cos of lots of wax in the left ear, been takin em 4 times daily each ear, had quite a few pops and oxygen came out or something, and where before we could see wax from the outside we now can't, i still have a weird feeling not really pain but discomfort very mild in left ear nearer middle, i'm rather worried that taking them too much will be dangerous if they get to the eardrum and also cos we can't see any wax any more, but not taking them enough won't rid of pain. the docs never told me how long to take em for so some medical type person please help me :redface:

Reply 1

FireDeuce

14

If you have bad otitis externa, your canal will be so inflamed it won't reach the eardrum

Reply 2

britishseapower

14

I listen to my music through earphones on full volume and it blocks my ears quite alot (well I'm assuming thats the cause as I've had my ears syringed about 7 or 8 times in the last 3-4 years which is quite alot) and the nurses always tell me to use olive oil as all the ear drops are quite crap but it never usually helps much so I always book to get my ears syringed. Thats just for blockage because of wax though, when it comes to ear infections and things I've no idea, your best consulting your doctor on that one.

Reply 3

Revenged

15

Blirith

basically I got prescribed gentisone ear drops, on monday, for apparently eczema of the ear :s:

i had flakiness on the outside bits, the lobe etc, but i had gone cos of lots of wax in the left ear, been takin em 4 times daily each ear, had quite a few pops and oxygen came out or something, and where before we could see wax from the outside we now can't, i still have a weird feeling not really pain but discomfort very mild in left ear nearer middle, i'm rather worried that taking them too much will be dangerous if they get to the eardrum and also cos we can't see any wax any more, but not taking them enough won't rid of pain. the docs never told me how long to take em for so some medical type person please help me :redface:

I think you are a little confused... perhaps your GP didn't explain things to you very well...

Gentisone HC drops are antibiotics, which doctors give for inflammation of the ear canal (which as you said in the post is called "otitis externa"...

Often people get outer ear infections due to 1) swimming or 2) having eczema around the ear...

These drops have nothing to do with wax... If your ears were full of wax then the doctor would have got your ears siringed... Perhaps you have flakes of skin due to the eczema, which you are mixing up for ear wax...

Please, please, please... Do NOT stop your course of antibiotics... If you do this then your ear infection would get much worse... You aren't going to do any damage by taking these ear drops...

You need to be taking steriod eardrops for a hell of long time (e.g. six months) to have any mild effect on earing loss... Not taking drops now would be absolute madness because you are at risk of the infection spreading causing a middle ear infection, discharge and potentially long term damage (e.g. perforation of the ear drum)...

In future, I would recommend seeing a pharmacist or a doctor when you have a genuine medical problem... When you are posting on H&R you are at high risk of getting a lot of moronic advice that can do a lot of harm if you chose to follow it... (e.g. if you start to wash your ears out with water / listen to loud music or other crap people may say...)

PS. If you want something for your eczema go back to your doctor and he can give you a cream or an ointment...

The advice for how long to take the medicine and for how long are ALWAYS written on the prescription by the doctor and a label is always printed off and stuck on the bottle of medication... Doesn't it say anything on the bottle of drops?... I'd be surpised if it doesn't... The standard course of treatment is 7 days (I think)... I would check to make sure... Doctors can vary the length of the course and dosage if they think it is more serious...

Otitis Externa/Outer Ear Infection and ear wax

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