Ear Pain After Accidentally Inserting Finger too Deep into Ear Canal

[PeteJ]

I stuck my finger in my ear yesterday because I didn't have time to use earplugs. I think I went too deep into the canal, and now my inner ear is really sore and painful. Has anyone else done this? I'm just wondering how long the discomfort might last. It has happened before, but I've forgotten how long it took to heal. It's not a ruptured eardrum, right? That would be much more painful, I assume.

Since it happened, my right ear has been popping or crackling. Could that be Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

Another possibility seems to be something called Otitis Externa, so maybe it's the start of an ear infection. What should I do? I can't get an ENT appointment easily because they take months here in Canada. Should I go see my physician to check the ear canal? What can I do in the meantime, maybe try natural ear drops or something similar?

 

[PeteJ]

My tinnitus tones seemed to very slightly and gradually subside this morning. It was still horrible, but suddenly this afternoon they returned to catastrophic levels. I wish more people would talk about these changes here, or that I knew where people were discussing them.

It is beyond frustrating. I do not know what happened or what triggers this. Could it be from loud noises, just the typical ones I have experienced, and it simply took that long for my ears and tinnitus to react?

I cannot wear earplugs or use them often because my right ear canal is probably inflamed or irritated. I have pain in that ear, so I just walk away from where I think noise will be. Is that a good strategy?

When these spikes last for such a long time, what do you do? How do you manage? When I searched the forum about dog barks and spikes, many people said they can last for days, weeks, or even months, and that sometimes the spike can become permanent. That is terrifying. But why would that happen from something like a short noise such as a dog bark? I really hope that is not the case.

We are all different, and spike durations vary from person to person, but it is just awful being in this state. I was actually starting to do more, if you can call it that, and was being somewhat productive before the spike. Now I am practically incapacitated. The spike is such hell that I cannot do anything, even though I want to.

 

[alwaysmasking]

I've made the mistake of absentmindedly digging around in my ears for wax. I've had the exact same thing happen as a result—some worrying pain and discomfort that I immediately assume will turn into an ear infection, make my tinnitus worse, and ruin my life.

So far, that hasn't happened. If I leave it alone, it heals, and all is well.

It will heal. The skin in the ear canal is very thin and easily damaged, but it also heals quickly.