Wanted to see if there were any ENTs on the board that wouldn't mind looking at a picture just to let me know if I need to schedule an ENT visit or not.

My wife recently bought a little scope that connects to a phone to check out our kids ears and I've had ear problems in the past so I checked mine out as well. In my problem ear, my wife thinks I might have something called Cholesteatoma but I wanted to see if anyone was familiar with it and could tell me whether to worry about getting it checked out of if it was just wax.

If anyone wouldn't mind taking a look at the picture, I would really appreciate it. Not looking for a diagnosis, but would be awesome to know if it is something to be concerned about. I can email it if you shoot me an email at: kinney dot damon at gmail dot com

Can you post the picture on here? That being said, it really won't be easy at all to make that diagnosis with a 2D picture not taken with a microscope, high def equipment, etc.

The uncommon presentation of a common condition is still more common than the common presentation of an uncommon condition. Unless you have had a lifelong history of middle ear disease, it would be rare for you to develop a cholesteatoma. What is way, way more common is myringosclerosis. A patch of whitish appearing calcification of the eardrum. They happen frequently when someone has had an ear infection, has had a rupture or a tube, etc.

Cholesteatomas are usually painless. But a cholesteatome will eventually cause significant hearing loss and might cause drainage from your ear.

Hi Kool!

Thanks for responding! I didn't want to gross anyone out but here goes nothing .



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The first 3 bad ones are my bad ear and one from my good ear if that helps at all. I have tried some of the debrox or whatever it is called, but probably should let it sit longer and try a few more times. Would definitely appreciate any opinion or guesses based off of these fuzzy photos.

It looks like just a bunch of wax in the one ear canal. It is possible that there is a bit of fungus around the edges, but more likely that is just the lighting. If so, it normally itches quite a bit and you could start with some half white vinegar and half sterile water or saline irrigations. The last picture is an eardrum with myringosclerosis, maybe you had tubes or frequent ear infections or a rupture as a kid?

Thanks Kool! On the bad ear, it hasn't bothered me at all for a while. No itching or pain. But I have tried to use a tool that came with the scope kit to get some of the wax out. Every time I touch the wax, it is extremely sensitive and my ear is now sore.

For my "good" ear, I never had tubes and don't recall many ear aches but I've lived a crazy life so there is no telling . I did play drums and listen to way too loud of music with no ear protection through most of Jr High and High School.

Thank you for being willing to take a look at the pictures. I will probably let it rest for a bit since it got sore and keep using debrox and/or saline to see about loosening it up for a while. Any other suggestions? Thank you again! I really do appreciate it!

Naah, just keep trying to irrigate it out with Debrox or saline. Next time you see your PCP, they might try to irrigate it out as well.

Thanks so much! Really do appreciate the insights from folks on this board. Yall rock!

So just to update those that reached out on here and through email. Things got a bit worse and I haven't been able to hear from my left ear since last Thursday. Ended up going to urgent care Friday and was flushed and given antibiotics because I had irritated the canal. Fast forward to today, still no hearing improvement and wax is still there so found an ENT that would see me. Hoping they can sort me out because it has really started to mess with me mentally. Thanks again for all of the help and suggestions from folks on the board.

dtkprowler said:

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So just to update those that reached out on here and through email. Things got a bit worse and I haven't been able to hear from my left ear since last Thursday. Ended up going to urgent care Friday and was flushed and given antibiotics because I had irritated the canal. Fast forward to today, still no hearing improvement and wax is still there so found an ENT that would see me. Hoping they can sort me out because it has really started to mess with me mentally. Thanks again for all of the help and suggestions from folks on the board.

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They put you on oral or topical drop antibiotics? I suspect the canal might just be irritated from moisture. And wonder if the wax shifted and fully blocked the canal.

ENT offices have the huge otoscopes that are almost like microscopes that give them both hands free to manipulate the ear and dig stuff out. Take pictures of what they pull out.

That is just about exactly what happened. Softer and wetter wax ended up shifting and fully compacting against the ear drum. They were able to suction it out and I now have hearing back in my ear!! Still sensitive and sore due to several days of pressure and irritation of the canal and ear drum, but I'll take this any day over the uncertainty, pressure, and deaf feeling. Thanks again all!