Thanks so much for explaining the ear for me, I am going to try the local drop in centre tomorrow to see if I can get some stronger anti biotics & a third opinion. Have felt behind the most affected ear and it seems the bone there feels and appears bigger than on the other side and it very painful to the touch. I don't want to seem to be over-reacting, but I have had a few outer ear infections in the past but nothing even compares to this. My daughter has had to stay with my family as I have been in so much pain I havent been able to look after her, which is so unlike me. Am very tearful and literally screamed the doctor's surgery down when he tried to insert the scope thing into my ear. It has been nearly a week now and I would have expected just some (ANY) kind of relief or some effect from the antibiotics/eardrops/painkillers but it just keeps getting more intense.
Thanks again, think I will go and see someone again if no improvement at all by the morning, wouldnt be so bad if swallowing the medications wasnt so hard too!
Ok,
The ear is seperated into 3 different areas.... your discription is all over the place...
So let me tell you a little bit.... maybe that will help.
1)Outer ear, consists of the ear lobe (auricle) & ear canal
2) Middle Ear, this is where the 3 little bones are housed, it essentially begins at the Ear drums & ends at the outer wall to the inner ear (cochlea)
3) Inner ear, the cochlea
Now I am not sure where your infection is... but due to the amount of pain you are describing I am thinking you are talking about the Outer Ear, because when that thing becomes infected it hurts like the devil on crack. Now amoxil could be used, Omnicef, Keflex are commonly used for infected tissue type situations, which is what the outer ear is pretty much made of.
What is also used to medicate outer ear infection is liquid drops, and sometimes a medicated wick (sp) is inserted into the ear canal. Which is basically a medicated miniture tampon inserted into the canal.
Now for middle ear infections amoxil is also used, so is cipro. Cipro is a hard hitting antibiotic and I have been on it and probably still suffer from it. There are other physical treatments such as myringotomy (sp). Basically the ear drum is purposely punctured, and the middle ear cavity is then allowed to drain. Sounds painful.... but 200$ says you will rather have that done than go through the pain you are in now. Most folks that suffer from a middle ear infection to the point that the ear drum spontaneously bursts like a full balloon due to the amout of pus etc in the middle ear cavity, state that after the ear drum bursts it is a massive releif. Speaking from experience, I have to agree. A tube may be inserted also to keep the ear drum open and allow the middle ear to heal etc.
Inner ear, probably not related at all. So I am not even going to go into that.
Words of advice, you want to take this seriously. You do not want infection to settle into the mastiod which is the bone directly behind the ear lobe. There is not a lot of blood flow to that area, and if infection sets in, simple antibiotic treatment sometimes does not work... the next step is a mastoidectomy... they literally drill out that bone, like a tooth cavity. So be an advocated for your self. If you are in doubt, go pout @ the doctors office. If they have multiple ENTs at the office, specifically ask to see another doctor just to make them angry.....
That is what my wife does. Makes me chuckle.
PS: if you really want to make them angry tell them that an audiologist spent more time with you than they did, shared more information, explained to you the anatomy of the ear, the location of the infection, common and alternative treatments.... and did not even charge you a dime.