Bulging Eardrum without Fluid Behind the Eardrum?

[Auron]

Seeking help/advice.

Thursday: First time I felt something in my left ear.Felt like a stone.Went to bed wasn't really bothered.

Friday: Woke feeling fine and through out the day as well.

Saturday: Felt small sensation with no pain in left ear at night. Again didn't bother me much.

Sunday: Same sensation like Saturday. Decided to go to ER. Doctor said he saw my left ear drum was bulging. He tapped around my head asking if I feel pain. When he tapped on my head around my ears I felt minor pain, then he tapped a little more and looked one more time at my ear drum. Shortly after, my left ear drum was so uncomfortable, it felt like it was going to burst, whatever the doctor did made it bulge more. Anyways he said it was an ear infection despite seeing no fluid behind the eardrum. Prescribed 875mg Amoxicillin/125mg Clavulanate Potassium 2x day for 10 days, didn't seem too concerned about my questions, they seemed to be convinced that it's infection or they just didn't care... Somehow fell asleep with the bulging feeling.

Monday: Woke up and eardrum still felt like it was going to burst throughout most of the day. Thankfully it let up towards the end of the day.

Tuesday/Wednesday: Still get that bulging feeling and sensation of something in my left ear, just not as bad as Sunday/Monday which was the worst. Sometimes it feels normal and good.

Questions:

First anyone ever experience this and know what it is?

A wisdom tooth on top has come out it recent months. Can a wisdom tooth cause these issues?

Can this be inflammation? Can steroids help?

Do ear infections cause bulging without fluid behind eardrum. I've never have experienced an ear Infection...

I think my ossicles are damaged and fear the worst. I have terrible anxiety and depressions. But if it were my ossicles why would I sometimes feel better?

Is a 10 day course of 875mg Amoxicillin/125mg Clavulanate Potassium 2x day safe?

I could REALLY use some positive outlook here...

 

[Auron]

Anyone...?

 

[JohnAdams]

Are you a little sick? Feeling congested? It could be air or just inflammation of your eardrum, but if it is physically bulging out then that means there is greater air pressure in your middle ear but if your eustachian tubes are opening then it's not air.

 

[Auron]

Are you a little sick? Feeling congested? It could be air or just inflammation of your eardrum, but if it is physically bulging out then that means there is greater air pressure in your middle ear but if your eustachian tubes are opening then it's not air.

Thanks for the response! I feel fine, don't feel ill and they only said that my left eardrum was bulging out. They didn't mention anything else. I don't know what to think anymore. I fear my ossicles are fucked. I have taken 3 days of 875mg Amoxicillin/125mg Clavulanate Potassium every 12 hours and as I type this my ear seems to be bulging a little same as before, but sometimes it goes away, which btw it did so before taking the antibiotics, so I hope this means my ossicles are fine because I feel as if they were damaged then I wouldn't get this fluctuating of bulging then feeling good.

I wonder if some steroids may be a good choice to try.I afraid of taking the prescribed antibiotics sense it's more for severe cases of infection,at least according to my research...

I must sound like a broken record, but I'm overwhelmed with anxiety and depression.

 

[JohnAdams]

Thanks for the response! I feel fine, don't feel ill and they only said that my left eardrum was bulging out. They didn't mention anything else. I don't know what to think anymore. I fear my ossicles are fucked. I have taken 3 days of 875mg Amoxicillin/125mg Clavulanate Potassium every 12 hours and as I type this my ear seems to be bulging a little same as before, but sometimes it goes away, which btw it did so before taking the antibiotics, so I hope this means my ossicles are fine because I feel as if they were damaged then I wouldn't get this fluctuating of bulging then feeling good.

I wonder if some steroids may be a good choice to try.I afraid of taking the prescribed antibiotics sense it's more for severe cases of infection,at least according to my research...

I must sound like a broken record, but I'm overwhelmed with anxiety and depression.

like balloon bulging or being pushed by your ossicles?

 

[Auron]

Feels like it's being pushed by ossicles, but as you mention pressure could do this too. Think I should go back to see what they say now .Doctors and ENTs are closed till Monday...

 

[Auron]

@JohnAdams and anyone.

It just happened again. I feel discomfort and I feel the bulging slowly increase. It reaches a peak and can last a while but it then starts to relax and feels almost normal. This last time it built up over 10 minutes and starting fading and I feel better now. I don't know if this is what ear infection does, as I never have ever experienced one before. Left ear only.

I should note my hearing isn't affected, no hearing loss beyond what I already had. No muffled hearing and tinnitus is about the same. Although I will say my "reactive tinnitus" that rings or hums as loudly or louder to certain sources of noise(dryer,fans etc) seems to have gotten worse. Worried Antibiotics are playing a role in that.

 

[JohnAdams]

Feels like it's being pushed by ossicles, but as you mention pressure could do this too. Think I should go back to see what they say now .Doctors and ENTs are closed till Monday...

I don't really see how the ossicles could be pushing the eardrum, but I'm not an expert on this.

 

[JohnAdams]

do you feel a negative pressure in your middle ear? can you do the valsalva maneuver which is actually very dangerous.

 

[Auron]

do you feel a negative pressure in your middle ear? can you do the valsalva maneuver which is actually very dangerous.

I'm afraid of trying the valsalva maneuver ha. No negative pressure. Best I can describe is just small discomfort until my eardrum bulges, then it becomes high discomfort.

I just got back from urgent care. They said that I still have bulging eardrum but no redness/inflammation or liquid behind eardrum. This doctor said if you catch an ear infection early enough then you can have bulging without liquid behind eardrum or redness/inflammed eardrum. Not sure how true that is. They advised me to keep taking antibiotics and if I feel the bulging is going away, I could stop antibiotics early since they could have side effects. Again not sure how true that is. I didn't learn much with this visit. I just hope they are right about catching an ear infection early, will show some bulging without inflammed eardrum or liquid.

Will continue to update.

 

[Auron]

Eardrum still bulging. It builds and relaxes at times, wonder what that means... Antibiotics haven't helped... must be something else. Can ETD cause this? Going to try to see an ENT, but they can take forever to see...

 

[JohnAdams]

Can ETD cause this?

I think that would have to be the main culprit. If the bones aren't pushing it out, then the only other thing would be air pressure. The only way air pressure could build up is if the eustachian tube is not letting air out, thus ETD.

 

[Auron]

I think that would have to be the main culprit. If the bones aren't pushing it out, then the only other thing would be air pressure. The only way air pressure could build up is if the eustachian tube is not letting air out, thus ETD.

IDK... Sleeping on my left ear cause discomfort/bulging feeling... I'm screwed man,this is brutal...

 

[JohnAdams]

IDK... Sleeping on my left ear cause discomfort/bulging feeling... I'm screwed man,this is brutal...

You may not be screwed. Just go one step at a time, stay optimistic. Go get a proper diagnosis and avoid MRIs. MRI machines are way too loud.

 

[Auron]

Now I have a cold/fever. This came about two weeks after the ear started bulging. Can this be related? Too big of a delay IMO, but IDK. I just finished a 10 day course of Augmentin 1000mg every 12 hours.

Is it safe to take Nyquil/Dayquil?

Please help...

The ear is still bulging. Augmentin did nothing to help. Does this rule out an ear infection? Doctors seem to be unconcerned, or at least not as concerned as I am...

 

[Auron]

Small update. I just got back from the a doctor visit. I was explaining to him that I had a bulging eardrum as he was looking at my eardrum. He paused and said "I don't think you know what a bulging eardrum is". Confused I asked why and he replied "You eardrum is retracted, it has negative pressure. Most likely due to an infection".

So I went from 2 doctors saying I had a bulging eardrum to now having a retracted eardrum? What gives?

According to him he doesn't like giving Augmentin because from his experience it doesn't get the most common ear infection bacteria, don't know how true this is.

I explained to him if he can prescribe the safest/least ototoxic antibiotic that fits my situation. He ended giving me a 10 day course 500 mg two times a day of Ciprofloxacin and 6 day taper of Prednisone and Cortisporin ear drops. I haven't read enough but so far this looks like a very bad ototoxic antibiotic.

I have a question if anyone can help with. As it seems like doctors are just throwing things at me to see if it sticks:

- Could ETD issues cause bulging/retraction of eardrum. Doctor said the eardrum is irritated, when I asked if it was red, he responded again with "it's irritated", wouldn't say yes or no.

- I just finished Augmentin 10 day course a week ago. I'm really worried about ototoxicity at this point. Is this safe to do?

-Can ear infections cause bulging and retraction of eardrum?


I'm really lost at this point to afraid to make a move, seems like every decision is bad. Can't win man.

 

[Auron]

Anyone please help. What's the next best safest antibiotic if Augmentin didn't work?

They gave me cipro, but that's crazy bad AB...

 

[Auron]

Another update: I saw an ENT today. He took a look at my eardrum and said that it's fine. No bulging and no retraction, plus no fluid behind the ear and ZERO SIGNS OF INFECTION. Said my left (bad one) ear looks just like my right one.

Now I'm confused. My Doctor just 2 days ago said my eardrum was retracted and irritated. Fast forward 48 hours and the ENT said it looks good. The ENT said I don't need any antibiotics or ear drops. But the feeling of discomfort is still there. They recommended that I wait it out at least one month since he sees nothing in term of infection and that my eardrum color and position are as they should be. I always worry some damage is being done... But, again, he said it looks as it should...

Anyone experience anything like this?

I hope this means if I had an ear infection that it cleared and that I need to wait a little for this discomfort to go away?

Thoughts anyone?