HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

Undergone Mastoiditis Surgery And Had Ear Tubes. Prescribed With Ofoxacin Otic Solution. Will Hearing Come Back?

default
Posted on Fri, 22 Nov 2013
Question: Hi, I had a Mastoiditis surgery and had ear tubes put in both ears as well about 3 1/2 months ago. A few days later the ear that I didn't have the surgery on started sounding really loud and muffled whenever I spoke. So I saw my ENT about it and he prescribed ear drops since he thought it was just irritation from the tube.... Well the very first dose I put in made my hearing even worse, I can barely hear anything now... I think some drops went down into my middle ear. My question is, is it normal for this to happen, and do you think my hearing will come back. The drops are called Ofoxacin Otic Solution.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (52 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Steam inhalation and analgesics. If not, visit ENT Detailed Answer: Hello, You have grommets placed in both ears which are ventilation tubes to ventilate the middle ear. A muffled sound can come with the blockade of that tube which prevents ventilation. But usually grommets do not get blocked so soon after insertion. The other reason can be a flake or a blood clot forming in the canal and occluding a part of ear drum. You have stated that you did pay a visit to ENT and he/she must have examined the ear and would have told you about that and removed that. So chances of this are remote. The other reason can be that the grommet may have caused some swelling in the mucosal lining of the middle ear and that has touched of have restricted the movement of ear drum to the sound stimulus. The ear drops you have used as prescribed by your ENT are good and not known to frequently cause hypersensitivity in external auditory canal but when these enter the middle ear through the grommet occasionally can lead to edema of mucosal lining. your symptoms can be because of that. The condition usually resolves in few days and there is no permanent loss. Steam inhalation and an anti inflammatory helps. Please see your ENT again if needed, he/she can order an audiometry and tympanometry. Wish you Good luck. Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Prahlad Duggal (11 minutes later)
If drops did get into my middle ear could that do any damage?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (11 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Relax dear, unlikely to cause a permanent damage Detailed Answer: Relax dear, these drops do not usually cause any permanent damage. But a remote possibility of any drug causing it can not be ruled out. We are worried about the damage to inner ear and not middle ear the possibility of which although is there can not be altogether ruled out. To be completely sure, easiest way to get an idea is a tuning fork test but a confirmatory test is a pure tone audiometry. An audiometry telling a conductive loss is a favourable audiometry and confirms that there is no inner ear loss. A sensory neural hearing loss on audiometry is to be worried about and a course of steroids is usually prescribed. All these things can be done by your ENT and audiologist team. But I am again emphasizing, the possibility of causing a permanent sensory neural loss by ofloxacin ear drops is extremely low as ofloxacin is not a common culprit for causing ototoxicity. Wish you good luck. Regards
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Prahlad Duggal

ENT Specialist

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 784 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
Undergone Mastoiditis Surgery And Had Ear Tubes. Prescribed With Ofoxacin Otic Solution. Will Hearing Come Back?

Brief Answer: Steam inhalation and analgesics. If not, visit ENT Detailed Answer: Hello, You have grommets placed in both ears which are ventilation tubes to ventilate the middle ear. A muffled sound can come with the blockade of that tube which prevents ventilation. But usually grommets do not get blocked so soon after insertion. The other reason can be a flake or a blood clot forming in the canal and occluding a part of ear drum. You have stated that you did pay a visit to ENT and he/she must have examined the ear and would have told you about that and removed that. So chances of this are remote. The other reason can be that the grommet may have caused some swelling in the mucosal lining of the middle ear and that has touched of have restricted the movement of ear drum to the sound stimulus. The ear drops you have used as prescribed by your ENT are good and not known to frequently cause hypersensitivity in external auditory canal but when these enter the middle ear through the grommet occasionally can lead to edema of mucosal lining. your symptoms can be because of that. The condition usually resolves in few days and there is no permanent loss. Steam inhalation and an anti inflammatory helps. Please see your ENT again if needed, he/she can order an audiometry and tympanometry. Wish you Good luck. Regards