I started getting the occassional dizzy spell a couple of weeks ago and then i developed a bad cold which i had for around 5 days.

For the past few days one of my ears is totally blocked and i have tried using olive oil and a few other things but it remains blocked, I am also getting headaches on the side of my head that is the same side as the affected ear, also i am getting a constant buzzing in my ear which is really annoying and is keeping me awake, has anyone had this before and if so what was the cause?

I am going to the doctor's tomorrow to have my ear's syringed but i don't know whether that is going to unblock the ear, I'm really hoping that it's just a buildup of wax or something and hopefully it will become unblocked once they have been syringed, also i am hoping the ringing in the ear will go away along with the dizziness, i presume that even though i had the dizzy spells a while before my ear became blocked that it is down to my ear because it has got a lot worse since this ear problem started.

Yep. Happened last Boxing Day. Even had an audiogramme at the hospital, and they couldn't diagnose it.

Anyway. A few days later, after being utterly blocked, it all came out (won't say how as it was insanely gross).

Sounds like you've got exactly the same thing. You'll be fine in a few days (but go doctors just in case).

This always happens to my daughter when she has a cold.

Usually a few drops of warm olive oil does the trick but if not the Drs sort it out with ear syringing, so you should be fine.

Three visits to have my left ear syringed (it's always the same one) and olive oil down it in between visits

Thanks for your replies, I keep dreading it is something like Meniere's Disease which is a permanent ear problem with constant ringing in your ear, i'm hoping it's just an infection or due to wax buildup or something.

The dizziness symptom worries me a lot but i guess having a blocked ear affects your balance and the ringing in my ear developed in the early hours this morning and has been constant since then.

I've never known an earache to cause these quite painful headaches either.

Hint: Don't cook curry when your nose unblocks, but if you do, don't tell the guests...

Thanks for your replies, I keep dreading it is something like Meniere's Disease which is a permanent ear problem with constant ringing in your ear, i'm hoping it's just an infection or due to wax buildup or something.

The dizziness symptom worries me a lot but i guess having a blocked ear affects your balance and the ringing in my ear developed in the early hours this morning and has been constant since then.

I've never known an earache to cause these quite painful headaches either.

It's vitally important you don't worry about it. It's far more common to be an inner ear infection / blockage than Menier's.

I thought my ear problem was the end of the world. I could barely hear for days and it was affecting everything. And then BOOM - all of a sudden it was back to normal.

We're all different but I'm sure you'll be fine :)

Don't panic about anything serious I don't think it will be anything serious.

I have had ear problems since childhood and still have problems due to eczema. It isn't a build up of wax as such.

If it doesn't clear up with syringing ask for a referral to hospital and they will use this sucker think which is like heaven - similar I imagine to colonic irrigation of the ear lol. You can hear a pin drop at 100 paces.

Good luck.

whatever you do, don't treat ear problems as trivial

It sounds more like an ear infection (which can affect your balance as that's related to the inner ear) rather than Meniere's Syndrome - which my dad has

if you're not a strange shade of green it's probably not Meniere's ;)

Thanks for all the replies and help and advice, So is it normal to be very dizzy and unsteady on my feet and weak if i have a blocked ear? As i said above i did have a bad cold a few days before this started off so i'm guessing that kicked it off!
Also my bad headaches are worrying me as i always think when you get bad headaches in the same place a lot of the time and they are quite frequent i tend to think of things like tumours.
I am having my ears syringed tomorrow morning and seeing a doctor later on in the morning so hopefully things will get sorted.

Balance is controlled by the ears so once they are cleared your balance should return to normal.

If you get it syringed and it doesn't improve fear not, my boyfriend had this problem, so bad he couldn't hear through this ear at all for months, he had to have it syringed three times before it improved, he now uses warm oil every so often just to ensure any bits break up before it gets blocked again.

It could be your sinus is blocked with the headaches you're getting as well.

Balance is affected by your inner ear whereas all of the bits that can be cleared by syringing are your outer ear so I'm with Strix. Get your GP to have a look and check that there's nothing going on behind your ear drum that needs attention- you'll probably have to have your ears syringed to clear the wax and gunk too, but if it's affecting your balance then it's worth checking out.

I have just got back from the doctors and i was told that my ear's did not need syringing, the nurse told me that i had a bit of wax in both ear's but nothing much and they could see the eardrums in both ears.
Now i am worried, I am feeling sick, dizzy, the ringing in my ear is worse than ever and so constant that it kept me awake all night and i am not sleeping, also my balance is not that good plus i am getting quite a few headaches.
I am seeing my doctor this afternoon but i don't hold much hope, I probably do have what i suspected all along Meniere's Disease.

Sounds more like labyrinthitis (think that's how it's spelt?) a common problem when flu is floating around. It affects ballance and makes you feel sick as a result. I suspect you might recognise a few of these symptoms http://www.labyrinthitis.org.uk/page3.htm

Hope you feel better soon, Let us know what your GP says this afternoon.

I have just been reading up on Meniere's Disease but it mentions attacks that last from between 20 minutes and several hours and people can get around 12 attacks a year.

My symptoms are constant and is not an attack, I am constantly a bit lightheaded/dizzy and a little unsteady on my feet, constant buzzing/ringing in my ear, a feeling of my ear being blocked, headaches and feeling sick.

I get this a lot, sometimes it's just build up but the last time I couldn't hear out of my right ear for close on 3 weeks. It's such an annoying sensation! The doctor said it was an infection and gave me antibiotics, however he did say that NOTHING should be but in when it's blocked as it needs to dry, and anything other than prescribed treatment can make it worse.

my boyfriend is suffering with something very similar at the moment. He has fluid behind his eardrum (in the inner ear). the doctor said there wasnt much he could do although he did give him some antibiotics to cover it, he just has to wait for the fluid to drain but if its no better in 2 weeks he needs to go back. My boyfriend has now said that the ear has started "crackling" so sounds like it is now starting to drain.

Sounds more like labyrinthitis (think that's how it's spelt?) a common problem when flu is floating around. It affects ballance and makes you feel sick as a result. I suspect you might recognise a few of these symptoms http://www.labyrinthitis.org.uk/page3.htm

Hope you feel better soon, Let us know what your GP says this afternoon.


One of our favourite forummers had labyrinthitis last year and had very similar symptoms to the OP. Have a look at this thread and see if it rings any bells (sorry, unfortunate expression if you're also suffering from tinnitus)

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=373257

Again: self diagnosis is a road to disaster (and paranoia and fear).

I'd seriously advise not worrying too much as it could clear up quite naturally (just like mine did). It's so easy to think the worst when it could simply be an infection.

When I was about 20 I went to doctor with earache and blocked ear which he duly syringed. This had the effect of making it worse and I ended up in hospital for 3 days with otitis media which was excruciatingly painful and spread to my other ear. It was cured by massive injections of antibiotics every 6 hours and stuffing long "wicks" of lint like stuff soaked in something which smelt of tarmac and rendered me almost deaf. When they took the wicks out I couldn't stand up for about 20 mins as I couldn't balance. The doctor at hospital said that the syringing had made the condition far worse.

Hopefully it isn't that that you have.

I've had it happen a few times...doctor just said put warm olive oil in your ear each day for 2 weeks then went to the nurse and had it syringed.....it's amazing the amount of wax that gets in there ;)

It's far more likely to be a viral labyrinthitis than it is to be Meniere's disease. If you've got a cold or have had one in the last couple of months then the chances that you've just come down with Meniere's randomly is really small. (EDIT- speaking as someone who used to promote drugs specifically used for Meniere's- I've done lots of learning around the subject so I don't want to preach, but it's one of those things that you can really easily convince yourself you've got just from a list of symptoms ;) )

Most labyrinthitis cases are viral, so there is no antibiotic treatment that is effective. What you can have are painkillers and anti-inflammation drugs to make your head and ear more comfortable and something along the lines of prochlorperazine (Stemetil) which reduce the effects of the nausea. Lying with your ear on a hot wheat pad or a gently warming hot water bottle can also be very soothing.

If it continues for more than a couple of weeks I'd go back to the doctors- most cases of labyrinthitis resolve themselves within a week to 10 days.

My ear was blocked badly by a cold recently. It was enough to make me dizzy if I moved my head quickly or stood up fast. When it finally cleared it resulted in a loud screeching noise as all the air rushed in (or out) of my ear. I thought only I could hear it - turns out my O/h in the other room thought I'd just farted. :hihi:

Felt great though - relieved pain all over that side of my face and neck.

I've just got back from the doctors and they had a good look in my ear and said it is red and a bit inflamed, also a bit bubbly and moist and said it was an ear infection and have been given some antibiotics so i presume you can rule out Labyrinthitis & Meniere's Disease.

The doctor agreed that my dizziness is lightheadedness and feeling faint but my head doesn't spin really badly like vertigo and vertigo is a symptom of both Labyrinthitis and Meniere's Disease.

I have just taken my first antibiotic and hopefully it will get rid of this dizziness feeling and ringing in my ear.

Several people have mentioned using a few drops of olive oil in the ear to soften the wax, but my friend swears by using garlic infused olive oil instead, as she says it clears up any infection very quickly :thumbsup:

Several people have mentioned using a few drops of olive oil in the ear to soften the wax, but my friend swears by using garlic infused olive oil instead, as she says it clears up any infection very quickly :thumbsup:

Thanks for your reply but as posted above i don't have ear wax build up, I have an ear infection, I have been using olive oil in my ears for the past 3 or 4 days but i now have some antibiotics to take :D

i flew back from holiday earlier this year with a cold and for the next 3 weeks i could not hear anything properly, it was like i was under water. i went to the dr's and he told me that the tubes that go from my nose to my ears were blocked and that was the problem. he told me to use a nasal spray for a week and yes it worked really well.

How long do antibiotics take to work? I feel worse today and so far i have taken 2 tablets yesterday and one today.

How long do antibiotics take to work? I feel worse today and so far i have taken 2 tablets yesterday and one today.
Usually about 24 hours, but might depend how bad the infection is. Stick with it a bit longer.

Thanks Mike,

I am just hoping that the doc has got it right, i trust the doctor but they don't always get it right, I know the doc said my ear was red, inflamed, bubbly and moist, I am on these antibiotics for 6 days, I feel dizzier today and a little bit more off balance, my ears still feels very blocked and the ringing in my ear hasn't stopped not even for 5 minutes.

I still feel the same, shouldn't the antibiotics be working by now? it's been over 48 hours.

Blinkin Eck! Every time I see the title of this thread i think it says "..........badly blocked CAR"! I'll have to wear get my glasses on!:hihi:

My ear is still no better, i finished my course of antibiotics yesterday and don't really feel any different, My ear still feels blocked up, and i am still partly deaf, also i am still getting to ringing and the weird pulse like thing in my ear along with still feeling a bit dizzy.

It seems that the doctor may have got it wrong, I just don't know what s wrong with the ear but it is getting very frustrating.

OMG....i think I have the same thing...apart from the really bad headaches and ringing sound...im getting dizzy spells alot and my ears are definatly blocked and I'm getting quite scared because my mum said its just because of my periods and growing pains...but I really don't think it is.. someone please helpp
as anyone felt lightheaded alot and got there ears syeringed and their fine?
please please helpp :(