Ear, Nose, Throat doctor recommendations

[dblaisde]

Have an inner ear infection, right side. Need a specialist, preferably at Bumrungrad, but in Bangkok OK.

 

Symptoms: A sore ear, but also sore jaw on right side which cracks/pops a bit when I eat. Amoxicillin has helped the infection but jaw pain still remains (along with noisy inner ear when I chew.)

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited November 12, 2016 by dblaisde

[wpcoe]

I give high marks to Dr.Pasakorn at BNH Hospital in Bangkok.  Among other things, he quickly and correctly diagnosed the cause of repeated ear infections after I went through a long series of different antibiotics at another hospital.  He taught me a trick to fend off further infections, as well, *without* antibiotics.

[thequietman]

27 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

I give high marks to Dr.Pasakorn at BNH Hospital in Bangkok.  Among other things, he quickly and correctly diagnosed the cause of repeated ear infections after I went through a long series of different antibiotics at another hospital.  He taught me a trick to fend off further infections, as well, *without* antibiotics.

Any possibility you could reveal your trick?  It would be very much appreciated. Please use the pm function if that would be better.

 

Many thanks.

[dblaisde]

9 hours ago, wpcoe said:

I give high marks to Dr.Pasakorn at BNH Hospital in Bangkok.  Among other things, he quickly and correctly diagnosed the cause of repeated ear infections after I went through a long series of different antibiotics at another hospital.  He taught me a trick to fend off further infections, as well, *without* antibiotics.

Thanks much. I usually stay away from BNH because of bad experiences there in the past, but I may give him a try.

[dblaisde]

PS: The World begs: What's the trick!!? :)

Edited November 13, 2016 by dblaisde

[Sheryl]

Ear/jaw pain can sometimes be TMJ. Because the pain is felt into the ear it is easily mistaken for ear infection.  If the  ENT finds no sign of infection, this may likely be the reason.

 

 

[wpcoe]

Throughout my adult life I've been plagued with all-too-frequent ear infections.  This particular time I had, IIRC, four consecutive courses of antibiotics from the ENT docs at the local hospital, so I went to BKK to see Dr.Pasakorn at BNH.  He had done corrective surgery for a deviated septum and I was impressed with the result and with his bedside manner.

 

When I went to see him, I showed him the list of antibiotics I had just taken and said I've had this problem frequently.  He said I suffered from an improper pH level in the ear canal (I forget now if my pH was too high or too low) and with the incorrect pH level the infections were not being fought off as they would naturally be in an ear canal with proper pH.  He rinsed my ear canal with an acetic acid (vinegar) solution and applied *topical* antibiotic drops -- which I much appreciated after several courses of antibiotic tablets -- and told me to continue the drops at home.

 

Then he said that in the future as soon as I felt the onset of an infection to rinse my ear canal with plain old vinegar 3x daily.   And, over the subsequent years that's what I've done.  The vinegar rinses do the trick.  I've gone years now (6+ ?) with no infections, and that is definitely the longest I've been infection-free.

 

YMMV, but it has certainly worked for me.

[dblaisde]

6 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Ear/jaw pain can sometimes be TMJ. Because the pain is felt into the ear it is easily mistaken for ear infection.  If the  ENT finds no sign of infection, this may likely be the reason.

 

 

I went to Pasakorn and I indeed have an infection, on the wane since I started taken amoxicillin about 4 days ago. There's still some redness on the right ear drum.

 

But you may also be right about TMJ. For 4 months I've been chewing my food down to pulp to alleviate my gastroparesis, and that's when the jaw pain started up. (though the infection is only a week or so old)

 

Pasakorn told me to chew more gently which I'll do and hope the jaw popping and aching (on the same side as the infection) stops. 

 

Never heard of TMJ but it sounds like I've got it (from a brief internet scan).

 

cheers

[dblaisde]

wpcoe--

 

Thanks for the "trick". He's a good doctor and I appreciate your referral. 

 

BNH is kind of a sad place though. Almost deserted and looking pretty run down. The contrast with Bumrungrad is shocking. (Eight nurses in the ENT section and only one patient, me.)

 

The place looks more like an embassy in decay than a hospital.

 

thanks again,

Doug

 

Edited November 13, 2016 by dblaisde

[Sheryl]

Some really good doctors there, though. It benefits from its proximity to Chula.

 

Physical appearance of a place doesn't correllate well to quality of medical care...especially here in Thailand.

[dblaisde]

12 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Some really good doctors there, though. It benefits from its proximity to Chula.

That's surprising. I've only been there twice, once to get an estimate on a dental cleaning (2000B) and this was back 10 years ago (I have used Mission exclusively for dental work for the last 10 years. (Dr Pissnu, a periodontist is a great dentist)).

 

Another time I went for something (can't even remember what) and saw an elderly female doctor who insisted that my problem was due to the one large bottle of Leo beer I drink a day. (It was completely irrelevant given what I'd come in for, and my liver function is excellent, but she was one of these women who believe that alcohol is the root of all evil).

[Sheryl]

22 hours ago, wpcoe said:

Throughout my adult life I've been plagued with all-too-frequent ear infections.  This particular time I had, IIRC, four consecutive courses of antibiotics from the ENT docs at the local hospital, so I went to BKK to see Dr.Pasakorn at BNH.  He had done corrective surgery for a deviated septum and I was impressed with the result and with his bedside manner.

 

When I went to see him, I showed him the list of antibiotics I had just taken and said I've had this problem frequently.  He said I suffered from an improper pH level in the ear canal (I forget now if my pH was too high or too low) and with the incorrect pH level the infections were not being fought off as they would naturally be in an ear canal with proper pH.  He rinsed my ear canal with an acetic acid (vinegar) solution and applied *topical* antibiotic drops -- which I much appreciated after several courses of antibiotic tablets -- and told me to continue the drops at home.

 

Then he said that in the future as soon as I felt the onset of an infection to rinse my ear canal with plain old vinegar 3x daily.   And, over the subsequent years that's what I've done.  The vinegar rinses do the trick.  I've gone years now (6+ ?) with no infections, and that is definitely the longest I've been infection-free.

 

YMMV, but it has certainly worked for me.

 

You evidently had otitis externa, inflammation of the external ear.

 

Not at all the same as inner ear infections, for which applications of vinegar will do nothing.

[lopburi3]

17 hours ago, dblaisde said:

wpcoe--

 

Thanks for the "trick". He's a good doctor and I appreciate your referral. 

 

BNH is kind of a sad place though. Almost deserted and looking pretty run down. The contrast with Bumrungrad is shocking. (Eight nurses in the ENT section and only one patient, me.)

 

The place looks more like an embassy in decay than a hospital.

 

thanks again,

Doug

 

As said this is an old time hospital and as the first such private facility drew many of the best doctors in Thailand.  The only time I used it (about 35 years ago) was still called Bangkok Nursing Home (not hospital) and a garden type facility (like most used to be).  And indeed a good deal of their patients were Embassy personal so that may account for the look - have not seen since they built the hospital building. 

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Had lots of friends and acquaintances who went to the old two-story wood (green, I think) Bangkok Nursing Home.  I was there for a 11 days January 1981, and again for a couple of hernia ops, June 1983 and again December 1990, no complaints.  Well, getting woken up at 0600 hrs by the guy coming around with the morning tea was a surprise, but got used to it.

 

When it became a Hospital, like all the others, I moved my custom elsewhere.

 

Mac

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Oh, I note we're getting a bit off topic here, sorry.

 

Mac

[wpcoe]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

You evidently had otitis externa, inflammation of the external ear.

 

Not at all the same as inner ear infections, for which applications of vinegar will do nothing.

.

Yeah, my bad for calling it inner ear, when I knew it was the external surface of the ear drum.  When I would have one of the episodes, it would feel like it was on the inside.  One of the ENT doctors at the hospital where I first sought treatment used a camera to show me the infected area on a monitor.

 

I greatly appreciated Dr.Pasakorn's approach to treat the source of the problem (pH level too alkaline), rather than just treat the symptom (the discomfort/ear ache).  And the fact that the antibiotic he prescribed was a targeted topical one, not a fifth round of orally ingested antibiotics that would course throughout my body.