I'm starting to think I'm going to have this cold forever
Thursday, 12 May 2016 23:49I think I've perforated my eardrum.
Actually, I'm pretty damn sure that's what I've done, because when I blow my nose, I can hear air coming out of my ear, which is incredibly weird.
Oddly, it's actually improved my hearing, I think because the pressure inside has been released and it can't build up again. But it's not the ideal way to solve that problem. The other ear's still bunged up, but I think I've broken the left one.
I rang 111 to see what to do about it. They suggest leaving it a few days to see if it improves, and then going to the doctor on Monday. Though I didn't actually tell them I've perforated it, as I wasn't sure at the time, so I just described the symptoms; pressure gone, awful sound as it happened, earache (which has thankfully gone now) and the buzzing, which is still there. My mum reckons I should go tomorrow. I haven't told her what's happened either, because she'll only yell at me about it.
The trouble with going to the doctor though, is that it would involve calling in sick. I can't get a normal appointment at short notice, they're booked up for about three weeks, so it has to be an emergency appointment, which means ringing at 8am and going whenever they tell you. It's that, or go to the walk in place after work and potentially end up waiting for five hours.
The medical adviser at 111 basically told me I should have gone to the doctor ages ago though, rather than putting up with a cold and probably a chest infection and all the sinus stuff for two months, because everything's connected up, and it;s obviously that that has messed my ears up. She's right, of course. It's just damn difficult to get an appointment when you work full time.
I'm going to Sheffield to see Bryan Adams on Saturday (if I can still hear!) so I'm not sure if it's best to go before or after that. My work know I'm going, so if I call in sick tomorrow, they might think it's to make it a long weekend, which it isn't. If I leave it till Monday, maybe I could give them some warning so that they can make provisions for the fact that I might not be in, or that I might have to arrive late or leave early or whatever.
I'll see how it is tomorrow.
Actually, I'm pretty damn sure that's what I've done, because when I blow my nose, I can hear air coming out of my ear, which is incredibly weird.
Oddly, it's actually improved my hearing, I think because the pressure inside has been released and it can't build up again. But it's not the ideal way to solve that problem. The other ear's still bunged up, but I think I've broken the left one.
I rang 111 to see what to do about it. They suggest leaving it a few days to see if it improves, and then going to the doctor on Monday. Though I didn't actually tell them I've perforated it, as I wasn't sure at the time, so I just described the symptoms; pressure gone, awful sound as it happened, earache (which has thankfully gone now) and the buzzing, which is still there. My mum reckons I should go tomorrow. I haven't told her what's happened either, because she'll only yell at me about it.
The trouble with going to the doctor though, is that it would involve calling in sick. I can't get a normal appointment at short notice, they're booked up for about three weeks, so it has to be an emergency appointment, which means ringing at 8am and going whenever they tell you. It's that, or go to the walk in place after work and potentially end up waiting for five hours.
The medical adviser at 111 basically told me I should have gone to the doctor ages ago though, rather than putting up with a cold and probably a chest infection and all the sinus stuff for two months, because everything's connected up, and it;s obviously that that has messed my ears up. She's right, of course. It's just damn difficult to get an appointment when you work full time.
I'm going to Sheffield to see Bryan Adams on Saturday (if I can still hear!) so I'm not sure if it's best to go before or after that. My work know I'm going, so if I call in sick tomorrow, they might think it's to make it a long weekend, which it isn't. If I leave it till Monday, maybe I could give them some warning so that they can make provisions for the fact that I might not be in, or that I might have to arrive late or leave early or whatever.
I'll see how it is tomorrow.