Persistant Swimmers Ear?? Decade.

[Cricket86]

My b.f. had what was diagnosed as severe swimmers ear when he was about 9/10 y.o. The treatment that stopped it after failed meds/drops involved some sort of contraption that shot water(?) into his ear while he was literally strapped down. Afterwards he vomitted for awhile and remembers the SE being cured.


He has been suffering from what was diagnosed as swimmers ear again at around 16yo. Drops were prescribed but as soon as they were stopped it comes back. It has been 11 years now. He has awful smelling discharge every morning from his right ear only.  Awful greenish brownish just gross. Occasionally he has clear discharge that will occur during the day and when this happens he doesn't seem to have as much of the nasty discharge. He remembers taking antibiotics, he thinks at the start but has just learned to live with the situation.  He does suffer from headaches (alleged hereditary, if that's even possible). He does not take any meds and soes not suffer from any other issues.  
He did have ear tubes at appx. 18mos.  He immediatly went from being a mellow baby to instant misery child the second he woke up. At the follow up to the surgery it was discovered that it was a botched surgery from all accounts.  

According to the hearing tests he has been having for 8years for work (company required) he has marked hearing loss on the right side and some loss to the left (from the bad surgery perhaps).

Has anyone else had an issue like this? He hates doctors and was told 5 years ago when he went in for a perforated ear drum(left) he was told blahblahblah SURGERY is next. Thus he now refuses to go anywhere near a doctor.   I heard of one person who required some kind of major IV antibiotics to clear it up.  He is willing to just shut up and live with it but I think that some of his headaches (and resulting bad attitude for the rest of the day) could be solved with this problem being properly addressed.

Sorry for the ramble..........Any info would be most greatly appreciated.

[Cricket86]

Appreciate the reply......he does keep proper hygiene, just how we are........antibiotics and drops never cured this situation to begin with. I am wondering if this is a complete misdiagnosis, possibly.  5-6 years ago he went to the ER for what I believe was called a perforated ear drum (opposite of the usual troublesome side) he was told by the ER person that she thought he would need some kind of surgery on the right without her being an E/N/T.  

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Understand your predicament. But to prevent this he will have to follow good ear hygiene and keep the ears dry.  He can gently rinse the ear using a bulb syringe and warm saline solution. To ease ear pain, ask him to apply a warm washcloth or a heating pad set on low. He should follow the instructions for ear drops and complete his antibiotic course. He can use OTC Acetaminophen also for relief from pain.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.