Hearing almost completely gone on Right side. voices muffled

im 41.  I work 50 plus hours a week.  employer does not offer insurance.  I am an office manager for a commercial construction company and on the phone plenty.  Since I have no insurance I have not been able to go to a rheumatologist to start treatment for Lupus after my last flare which involved tongue ulcers.  My pcp said she could not treat lupus that i had to see a specialist.  And now for the last two weeks the hearing in my right ear is disappearing very quickly. Voices are so muffled and hard to understand. i had my ears cleaned hoping that was it but it didn't help.  I have teenagers and don't know what to do to help myself.  would an emergency room do anything for me.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
I am sorry to hear about your situation.  Hearing loss can be due to lupus and is usually sensorineuronal type. You can treat lupus and its flares without an insurance too. The flares can be treated by taking corticosteroids. The pain if you have any can be treated by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
You could probably go to the ER for a prescription of these drugs for the treatment of flares and for the clinical assessment of the ear canal to see if there is a blockage or not. Further testing may not be possible in ER. If the hearing loss is due to lupus, treatment with corticosteroids may improve the hearing.  
However, in your case the hearing loss can be due to noise pollution and talking on phone for several hours. You could reduce the noise pollution by wearing hearing protectors (ear plugs or ear muffs) at work. Also, alternate the phone between two ears or keep it on speaker. Take care!

[Flikka]

Sounds like your employer needs a swift kick in the rear for not providing someone so important to their basic operation with basic health insurance - I'm sorry.
I have lupus too. Your pcp CAN provide you with a prescription for prednisone. A medrol dose pack might do you a world of good. Also, NSAID's might help, as the helpful post above just described. Alieve is actually naproxen and I've had great results with it. Also, try cutting out processed foods (esp those with lots of chemicals in your diet) out and some exercise - even if it's just walking. I credit my general state of remission to those two lifestyle changes.
Best of luck!