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Suffering From Swollen Gland Below Ear And Blood In Ear.
Yesterday I woke up with soreness and swelling below my right ear just behind my jaw (salivarie gland or lymph node area). As the day progressed, the pain worstened. I used heat and Ice and this alieved the pain. I then prior to going to bed clean my right ear with a q-tip and discovered dark wax buildup and blood in the ear. I still have hearing and never had a pop or ringing sound in the ear and am unsure if a ruptured ear drum could occure without pain. Im concerend about the swollen area below the ear. I'm a 33 year old man, fairly active, so I'm unsure what to think of this as I have never had a ruptured ear drum or swollen glands anywhere. Today, the pain is very mild and the swelling has come down. The size of the swollen area was about 2 inches X 1 inch and felt hard. Today I cleaned the ear again, and still found some blood and waxy buildup. My concern is, could this be from a simple infection, or could there be something more troublesome to worry about. I am wondering how long I should wait to see my physician if this condition doesn't end. Thank you, Robert
posted on
Wed, 30 Dec 2009
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 30 Jun 2010
Answered on
Wed, 30 Jun 2010
Last reviewed on
User's Response
Susan Putt's
Response
I have noticed a hear loss for about 2 years now. Paid no real attention to it, (just thought it just came with age and was going to finally book an appointment to get my hearing checked). Last Thursday I felt a small pop in my ear and notice there were clear blisters in the back of my throat. The area around my ear is very soar, my left side of my face is also swollen. It is extremely painful to touch my left earloab also. Finally on Saturday I went to the emergency to get it looked at. The 2 seconds the doctor looked at my ear, he cam up with the conclusion that I had shingles. He gave me perks and told me to go see my family doctor on Monday. I did not get the perks, I just dealt with it. I ended up at a clinic on Monday since my Dr. is on vacation till July 15. The clinic doctor first looked into my right ear, then told me that I just had an ear infection and sent me on my way. This morning I took a shower, and when I was ever so gently using a Q-tip on my ear, there was blood. It feels like my brain is trying to push it's way out of my ear. I have to keep my head slanted to the right because the pain is just too much. I would appreciat any help or suggestions. Thank you so very much for reading my story.
Susan Putt
Susan Putt
Anonymous's Response
Anonymous's
Response
Hi... It is unlikely to be rupture of tympanic membrane since hearing is unaffected. And by trying to clean the wax ,you are helping in introducing infectiion especially when you find blood in the ear.. Which I think is very bad idea.. So instead of trying to clean it yourself, why don't u get to one of the ENT surgeons to help you..
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