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What causes recurring middle and outer ear infections?

Hey! Ever since March I've been experiencing problems with my middle and outer ear.

1) It started from a simple middle ear infection of the right ear that went untreated for a month. After going to a doctor, I got amoxicillin pills for 10 days. The symptoms went away but came back pretty quickly.
2) May: I went to a doctor again, they took samples from my ear and the result was Enterococcus faecalis bacteria. I got ear drops with Ciprofloxacin since I already took amoxicillin which the bacteria turned out to me sensitive to.
3) June: My symptoms do not go away, and the doctors now say I do not have a middle ear infection but an outer ear infection. The ear is constantly 'wet' and the fluid coming from it has a weird smell. I have two samples taken from my ear on two different occasions. They come back negative for bacteria and fungi. I get prescribed Fluconazole for a week, just in case it is a fungus. I have a tympanography, which comes back normal. The right ear, the only one infected, also experienced a hearing loss.
4) July: I get a CT scan of my sinuses, and I'm scheduled for a surgery for my nose and sinuses. However I am told none of the symptoms in my ear come from sinuses and that my ears seem okay on the scan.
5) August: I get the surgery, followed by a week long antibiotic therapy with Cefuroxime. The antibiotic also works for middle ear infections. However after 5 days I start having a pain, similar to a middle ear infection, but now on both of my ears. The doctors tell me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my left ear, although it hurts, and there is some kind of inflammation in my right ear. I get a Triamcinolone cream to use for the ear which helps for a week, and then the pain comes back.

I have exhausted all diagnostic tests that come to my mind. Does anyone know what this could be? What could be causing this kind of persistent ear pain? Maybe someone had a similar situation.
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207091 tn?1337709493
Are you seeing an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist? It sounds like you are, with the testing and all you've had done, but I want to make sure that this isn't a primary doctor doing all this, and not an ENT.

You've probably found all this stuff, but just in case:

https://www.fairview.org/sitecore/content/Fairview/Home/Patient-Education/Articles/English/e/a/r/a/c/Earache_Without_Infection_Adult_116011en

This is fairly technical, but may help you eliminate some things, or find some rare cause - https://www.aafp.org/afp/2018/0101/p20.html

I don't know that I've been all that helpful, but maybe something helps. It sounds miserable. :(
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2 Comments
Hey! Thank you for your answer, I had a look at one of these, will see if there’s anything in the second thread. I’m seeing a proper laryngologist, actually I’ve been to 3 different ones but none are really able to tell what’s wrong.
Maybe it's time to see someone who specializes in ears, since that's where you're trouble is now? It's my understanding that a laryngologist deals with issues with the vocal apparatus. An ear specialist is called an otolaryngologist.

It wouldn't hurt at this point. :(
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