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Dec. 10th, 2017 05:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Throwing this out to the masses for advice: I’ve had an ear infection for three weeks. I finished the 10days of antibiotics on Friday. The pulsing and occasional discomfort is way less frequent, but still there. How long should I give it before going back to the doctor?
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Date: 2017-12-11 01:07 am (UTC)My experience with infections in general (although I have been spared ear infections) says that something is wrong. Usually, you start feeling better by the time you've been on the antibiotics for a few days, and that's why so many people don't finish their antibiotics: they've heard something about antibiotics being overused and so they decide, "Hey, I'm better, why should I keep taking these dangerous meds?"
I would speak with the doctor sooner rather than later.
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Date: 2017-12-11 03:00 am (UTC)Good luck.
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Date: 2017-12-11 04:52 am (UTC)Ear infections can turn into meningitis and besides impact other parts of your body, due to the lateral pharyngeal bands connecting the ears with your throat.
As chomiji said, an antibiotic not showing effects on Day 1-3 is likely to be useless. I've been there -- received antibiotics measured for a child and a child's weight by an incompetent doctor in rural Georgia once, at a hefty 160 pounds then, and subsequently went into a delirium and have zero memory of three days of travelling to and back from a wedding in Alabama...
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Date: 2017-12-11 05:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-12-11 05:55 am (UTC)If there's lots of fluid behind your eardrum, the doctor could recommend a decongestant to relieve the pressure, also. (We usually use cold and flu medication for this, but that will be up to your doctor, of course.)
I hope you're feeling better soon!
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Date: 2017-12-11 02:28 pm (UTC)Also grab some saline spray for your nose and some of your preferred type of decongestants and start using those now, because your sinuses and your ears are all connected, and clearing out your sinuses while you're waiting for a doctor's appointment may help your ears drain too. Or maybe just use a neti pot if that's the type of thing you like? I hate a neti pot.