itchy cochlea

[MaryGP]

Hi all, I am home from getting my implant.  Surgery went great and I have had no nausea or vertigo!, only mild discomfort.  Praise God for the easy recovery.  However, I do have a very itchy ear.  Like, it itches in a deep part that you can't get to without hurting.  It may be inside the cochlea.  Is this normal?  it doesn't feel hot, so I don't think it is infected.  

My activation date is a while out - 1/9.  I guess with the holidays and all.  Looking forward to the use of my left ear.

Hope all is going well for you all.

Mary

[Mary Beth]

@MaryGP

Glad your recovery is going well.  I did not experience an itchy ear.  I always think it is a good idea to run these types of questions through your CI surgical team.  I hope it clears up soon.

[Tommy C]

I did not have itchy ear, but I was instructed by my Doctor to avoid anything that would cause pressure on the inter ear. I was told not to blow my nose for like two weeks and if I had to sneeze, do so with a open mouth. I was told that pressure possibly could move the electrodes. With this in mind I would not try to scratch the ear. If it continues I would contact the Doctor. I am glad that you are doing well and hope the itchy ear problem go away shortly.

[SWS0107]

I had some blood accumulated in my inner ear which caused some itch upon drying. Do not attempt to itch. I found a cold press very comforting while recovering. Wrap some ice in a cloth and apply to the external ear or side of the face.

Are you sleeping flat? In my case, if I slept on the non implanted side or at an elevation lower than 60 degrees, my inner ear would hurt/ swell or itch again.

[MaryGP]

Thanks all for the advice and information - which I read earlier but am delayed in responding. Apparently the itchiness was normal - it lasted about 4 days. But over now.  I have been careful to avoid pressure and sleep elevated - that helped!

I am finding very little information on what to expect during recovery.  I have had almost no pain - yea!! But weird things I didn’t expect - like the itchiness.  And, when I touch my earlobe - I think I feel the array moving inside my cochlea, and when things are moving a lot around me I feel nauseous.  My ear feels full - like when I first went deaf.  Anyway - these aren’t complaints as much as observations. I just get freaked out wondering if everything is ok.  My post op visit is Friday - so I’m sure that will help calm my nerves.

overall, this is the easiest surgery I’ve been through - the absence of pain is so surprising.  I think it has been just psychologically nerve racking - being that it’s a hole drilled into the skull.

Thanks again guys for the responses!

mary

 

 

[Mary Beth]

@MaryGP

My CI surgeries were my easiest surgeries too.  So happy your recovery is progressing and you have your follow-up appt with your surgeon soon.

When is your activation?

[JohnL]

Until I was activated, my ear felt as though I had cotton in my ear.  In fact, my wife said that the post op nurse told her the surgeon had put “packing” in my ear. Turns out, no such thing happened but it felt that way. Not to worry, upon activation that feeling goes away. 

[Watersail]

After surgery, I didn't have the itchy cochlea, but had the sensation of something deep in my ear, and that I could feel it. And if I touch or brush my hair by the ear, I could "hear" it. The feeling and "hearing" went away as the swelling went down.

[MaryGP]

Thanks all for the responses!  @SWS0107 you were right - there is a bunch of blood behind my eardrum - causing the itching and the full feeling.  I wonder if that is the same thing @Watersail and @JohnL experienced.  Dr said it would dissipate in the next few weeks.

@Mary Beth - my mapping was moved Up to 12/27.  Looking forward to it!

[SWS0107]

31 minutes ago, MaryGP said:

Thanks all for the responses!  @SWS0107 you were right - there is a bunch of blood behind my eardrum - causing the itching and the full feeling.  I wonder if that is the same thing @Watersail and @JohnL experienced.  Dr said it would dissipate in the next few weeks.

@Mary Beth - my mapping was moved Up to 12/27.  Looking forward to it!

That's good to know. Since there is not much information about these little observations online, I'll share some more. You may notice some dark colored discharge from your ears. That's the body's way of getting rid of the accumulated blood. Don't try to dig it out. Just wipe it on the outside. It will happen for a week or so and your ear will be healthy as new.

The earlobe was stiff for me for a few weeks. I'm in week 5 now. It became softer last week. Try not to bother it till all the swelling goes away.

After the stirrup removal, the recovery is so much faster. 

I had nausea too in the initial days but it was a side effect of the medication and anasthesia. I took just Tylenol afterwards and that helped me.

 

All the best with your recovery.

[MaryGP]

Thanks for that - It helps to hear what others have experienced so that you don't worry about these weird things.  My earlobe has gone down in swelling a good bit - so relieved I won't always look like a one sided dumbo :).  makes for crooked flying...

Merry Christmas all