Out Sick for a Week

Yep, it is that time of the year when my ear acts up and decides to get infected. By what? Beats me.

It starts as an itch, and right after I take a bath, I just want to give it a good cleaning using good 'ol Q-tips or that painful ear spoon thingamajig that's very effective in scooping out grime. :) So I do that, not every day, mind you, but maybe every other day, or every 2 days.

Then it starts to hurt, just in one area...usually behind the ear or that area near the cheek. What I do is I sleep on my other side so that I wouldn't put so much pressure on it while I lay my head on my nice soft pilow.

The next morning, I start feeling feverish. This is usually the cue that tells me that I need to go to the doc pronto and get some meds. But usually, this is already too late, as the fever is a sure sign that the infection is already working its damage.

What's really scary about this infection this year is that it's at its most painful schtick and I could not handle it without my pain meds. Also, I experienced chills when I did not have a fever. I seriously thought that the infection was already in my brain, because right after that episode, my whole face just went numb.

The swelling is just starting to go down (hopefully, I could get back to work by Monday. I should.), but my other ear is starting to act up too. I'm just doing my best to help it heal by taking my meds and putting in some of those ear drops to prevent it from ballooning like the other ear.

TIPS:
1. Never clean your ears regularly. According to my doctor, the ear cleans itself. So cleaning it is like disturbing the metro aides in there who just want to do their jobs. In cleaning your ear vigorously, you might hit parts of your ear that are supposed to be left alone.
2. Avoid using ear phones. These things apparently encourage the bad bacteria inside to grow and multiply.
3. Don't use Q-tips. Better to use cotton to wipe the outer part of your ear. Using cotton buds might encourage you to reach inside your ear, and you might poke something there that's not supposed to be poked.

I hope I've learned my lesson. It's a painful one.