I wonder if most general practices are running on a shortened schedule tomorrow? My doctor's office is actually open tomorrow afternoon, but I have this nagging feeling they might just be closed anyway... I was planning on giving them a ring to see if they could send over my referral for ENT, but honestly, it can probably wait until Monday.
I went through this exact same headache a few months back where you could hear the system booting into Windows, but the screen would just stay black. I ended up deep-cleaning all the dust out of the case, wiped down the GPU, swapped out the HDMI cable, and reseated everything, and now it runs perfectly every single day. In my case, it turned out to be a loose connection; something had just shifted slightly out of place. I actually dealt with this same issue on an older graphics card ages ago, where the signal would occasionally drop just if I accidentally bumped the desk with my foot, even though everything was tightened down securely. Of course, I’m not saying yours is the same thing—it could be anything at this point. People kept insisting my monitor had kicked the bucket, but since I keep a stash of spare parts like power supplies, hard drives, and RAM lying around, I figured I should first check if it was just a seating issue, especially since I remembered having that exact same trouble with my previous card, and this one is relatively recent (only about a year old). Everything seems solid now; temperatures are low, the massive heatsink on my AMD processor keeps things cool, the PSU is dead quiet, and so on.
I’m bumping this thread because I honestly feel like primary care physicians need much better training; my own doctor missed the mark on my diagnosis a few times, and if I had just gone straight to the hospital, I wouldn't have been left feeling totally dismissed by her words, which really just served to scare me unnecessarily.
I’ve also heard from quite a few people that when dealing with an acute case of otitis externa caused by fungi, GPs often prescribe things like Maxitrol, which is actually the last thing you want for a fungal infection since the antibiotics and steroids in those drops act like fuel for the fire, making the fungus bloom even more—instead, the ear should be flushed with a 3% Boric acid solution followed by Canesten drops; if there’s heavy fungal buildup, they really ought to be referring the patient to an ENT, but there are so many other ways they mess this up... they really should be able to handle these minor issues successfully, and while I'm not saying everyone is incompetent, I've certainly heard enough horror stories to know it's an issue.
Sometimes a quick search online can clarify what kind of infection you're actually dealing with, and they certainly have medical manuals available for whenever they find themselves out of their depth.
I recently visited an ENT specialist, and the doctor was incredibly aggressive while cleaning my ears with a swab; the pain started almost immediately as I walked out of the office, and it just kept getting worse every day. I eventually went back to my GP, who diagnosed bilateral otitis externa and only gave me Boric acid, though I later had to call back to ask for Maxitrol because the boric acid wasn't doing a thing; that stuff is really meant for milder irritations or just cleaning purposes, whereas my bacterial infection was caused by physical trauma and scratching, so Maxitrol worked almost instantly since the corticosteroids tackle inflammation so fast, especially since the canal was already starting to close up (I won't name the specific ENT specialist involved).
To be honest, even the specialists haven't been particularly helpful to me; twice now, they've actually made my inflammation worse by being way too rough during the cleaning process and causing tiny lacerations.
A lot of people complain that their GPs refuse to write referrals to specialists, but mine always gives them to me regardless of where I want to go, or at least if I insist on it. Otherwise, the specialists don't offer much help either; I mean, the ER is the only place that truly matters when things get dire, and I've had a couple of those "barely survived" moments, but beyond that, it's pretty much useless.
I’m looking for an ENT specialist in San Diego who actually knows how to be gentle; I mean, when they’re clearing out earwax using a micro-instrument under an otomicroscope, they shouldn't leave the canal so incredibly irritated. Honestly, my ear ended up hurting twenty times worse after I walked out of the clinic than it did before the procedure—it wasn't even bothering me initially, but now it’s been inflamed for weeks... I just don't understand why everyone seems to be so heavy-handed. I actually ended up with external otitis once solely because of a doctor's roughness, and it plagued me for a whole year because some kind of eczema developed, which meant everything would get inflamed and sting constantly, not to mention that unbearable itching.
So, if anyone happens to know an ENT in San Diego who works slowly and delicately, please let me know, because the ear canal is just so sensitive. 👍
It isn't that I doubt the doctors' technical expertise; I just need someone who isn't aggressive, but I really have no clue which ENT in San Diego is the right fit, since everyone I ask gives me a different name.
Never mind, I actually figured it out—it turned out to be a loose connection. It’s funny because I dealt with something almost identical years ago with a different graphics card where the contact would just drop out randomly. For the last week, everything has been booting up perfectly fine after I gave the card a quick blast with some compressed air to clear out the dust and re-seated everything, even though nothing was really out of place; the card was sitting firmly in its slot, but I’ve learned the hard way that things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes, if I even slightly nudge my PC tower, I run into immediate boot issues, but I guess that's just what happens when you're working with a bunch of old spare parts and stuff like that.
I’m running into some weird connection issues lately. I've got a Dell E2214H monitor paired with a Radeon R7 240 graphics card that I picked up about a year ago; everything runs perfectly fine once it actually displays something—games and all—but there's this frustrating hiccup with the connection. Basically, I boot up the PC, the screen stays black, even though I can hear the familiar Windows startup sounds. The only way to fix it is to physically unplug the DVI cable from the card and plug it right back in, which then makes it work. I have to do this dance every single time I turn it on. This just started happening a few days ago out of nowhere, and I haven't touched any of the hardware since it was set up. I built this rig myself a few years back using parts sourced from eBay and Best Buy, and honestly, it’s been rock solid until now. Temperatures are great, I keep the dust out, and I stay on top of repasting everything.
The monitor itself is an older model I grabbed back in 2014 from Best Buy. I'm thinking maybe I should just try a new DVI cable? My logic is that if the monitor were dying, it probably wouldn't run flawlessly for the rest of the day once I finally get the signal, so I suspect it's just a connectivity issue. It's really just an issue during the initial boot. ...And don't worry, it's not a case of me being careless with the cable, I always handle my gear with plenty of care.
I think I might have a VGA cable lying around somewhere, so I'll probably test that out first to see if it changes anything.
I can't help but feel like the new Facebook layout on my desktop is dragging; everything felt so much snappier back when we were using the old version.. though I suppose people aren't going to ditch the platform entirely, especially since most everyone seems glued to their phones all day anyway, scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp on the go.
They’ve overhauled the interface more than a few times before, so I guess we'll eventually just get used to it.
I’ve been wondering about this whole new digital referral system myself; honestly, the old way was so much more straightforward. I would just give the doctor's office a quick call, mention I had a referral for them, and then when the nurse asked if anything was bothering me, I’d just say "yes," and suddenly I’d be squeezed into an appointment with my preferred specialist in a week or two instead of waiting months on some endless backlog.
I’ve been dealing with chronic physical pain for about a year and a half now, so believe me when I say I know exactly how soul-crushing this can be. I’ve spent countless hours sitting in doctors' offices and seeing all sorts of specialists, but honestly, nothing they offered really moved the needle. When you're stuck in that kind of cycle for this long, it stops being just an inconvenience and turns into pure agony. It’s reached a point where my threshold has shifted; if something hurts for even two months, I start feeling the weight of it, but once you've been fighting through daily pain for over a year, you truly realize how much of a nightmare life can actually become.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a solid, highly skilled ENT specialist in San Diego who takes Medicare? I’m curious to know who the go-to doctor is around here, since I’ve already been to two different places and felt like it was all just some rushed, superficial experience where you can barely squeeze in a question before they usher you out the door, which is frustrating because I still need to get some follow-up tests done regarding this pain.
He’s honestly one of my all-time favorite actors 👍. I still vividly remember the first time I sat down to watch Wild at Heart and Red Rock West; I was just completely floored by him. The guy is a total powerhouse—he just seems to nail every single role he touches, whether it’s Kiss of Death, 8 mm, Matchstick Men, Con Air, Vampire's Kiss, Snake Eyes, or Face/Off... honestly, the whole filmography is gold. 😒
There’s this one part in Red Rock West right at the start where he’s shaving in front of his car out in the middle of nowhere, fixing his hair just before a job interview, and then later on he does that effortlessly cool move where he orders a black coffee and lights up a cigarette at the bar—it’s just perfection! 😁
It’s the same story over here; I’ve reached a point where using this forum has become an absolute impossibility since this evening. It just keeps crashing on me constantly, and even though I’m trying to use Opera, it doesn't seem to matter which link I click—the whole thing just bounces right back out.
Screenings are performed daily in general practitioner offices. In private clinics, the cost for this test is roughly $50.
The thing is, I honestly have no clue if my primary care physician has the gear, or if I’m forced to go see an ENT specialist instead. Trying to navigate the public healthcare system with a referral is an absolute nightmare; I’ve been to the ENT clinic several times now, and every single visit seems to be just a one-minute checkup (according to the report), yet you end up sitting there waiting for two or three hours... I've only ever gone to a private specialist once.
I’ve got an appointment with the ENT this coming Tuesday, but I was wondering about ear swabs—I’ve honestly never had one done before. My General Practitioner mentioned she can't specifically request a swab on the referral, so does the specialist just decide whether to do it once I'm there? I’ve been dealing with this pain for way too long now, so I’d really love to get that checked out while I'm at it; what exactly is the standard procedure for that? I've been reading online that General Practitioners usually handle the referrals for swabs, but honestly, the constant itching is driving me insane, and I can't help but wonder what kind of bacteria was lurking under my fingernails, especially since none of those drops they prescribed actually did a thing. -.-
Edward Mitchell50 said:I’d suggest just following the instructions provided, first and foremost. Honestly, I'd recommend giving them a call, sending a fax, or shooting over an email. There’s really no point in trekking all the way there just to sit in a waiting room and navigate the whole hospital intake procedure if you can get everything sorted from the comfort of your own home.
That’s exactly what I was thinking 👍 , though before things got so complicated, they used to occasionally just take you in right then and there—you’d just have to wait a couple of hours or so... back in November they took me in immediately the first time I showed up, without me even calling ahead.
The last time I swung by the hospital for a checkup was back on March 16th, and at that point, you could still manage to see a specialist, even if the ENT department felt a little lonely with only a handful of us showing up, it wasn't nearly as chaotic as usual, but now I’m looking at the Zadar hospital website and it says they’ve scaled back their appointments, so I'm wondering what the deal is if I get a referral from my General Practitioner this coming Monday... what's the actual protocol? Am I supposed to call ahead to schedule an appointment, or can I just show up with the paperwork in hand? I'll probably give them a ring first, mostly because of this whole COVID mess going on.
They didn't end up pushing anything back for me since I managed to squeeze in my last exam right before everything went sideways, but I've been dealing with this physical pain for a year now, so I still have some tests to get through.
For me, that issue just cleared up on its own—it felt more like a temporary phase, I suppose. But I’ve been dealing with a different headache entirely: a little scratch in my ear canal that just won't quit. It’s been four months since I accidentally scraped the inside with my fingernail back in early January, and now it keeps crusting over and aching 😲. Honestly, I feel like I’ve seen every specialist under the sun, from private clinics to major hospitals, trying everything from medicated drops to ointments, but nothing seems to touch it. Even though my last microscopic exam at the ENT specialist came back perfectly fine, the discomfort lingers. I don't want to derail the conversation, though, since we're supposed to be talking about hyperacusis.
I also reached a point where I couldn't listen to a single song without discomfort; I suspect it was triggered by some hearing damage, because once my hearing started recovering slightly and the hyperacusis began to fade, things improved. Now, I can handle loud noises just like I used to, that intense pressure is gone, and my tinnitus has vanished too. Hopefully, it stays that way and doesn't make a comeback.
Sandra Brooks91 said:Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone else here deals with this?
Whether it’s just everything feeling a bit too loud, or specific frequencies that really get to you—like brakes squealing, silverware clattering on a plate, or kids screaming... basically anything that triggers physical symptoms like ear pain, a sense of fullness, or intense pressure..
If you do, how are you managing, or have you found any way to fix it?
🤷
That is exactly what I’m going through right now; I can't even listen to music anymore, and certain noises around the house are just unbearable... it honestly sends me into a panic because I've never dealt with anything like this before. I actually read the text you posted below just yesterday.
For me, it all started with some medical procedures. After they cleaned out my ear, the tinnitus kicked in immediately, and then after a micro-suction procedure where they were working right near my eardrum, things got incredibly uncomfortable. Almost instantly, I became hypersensitive to sound. At first, I tried to convince myself it would pass, but after a few days, I realized I couldn't listen to songs anymore 😲 , and I've been in a pretty dark headspace 😢 .. my hearing in that ear is also weaker now. Everything was perfectly fine until I went in for a routine checkup... before the ear cleaning and that suctioning, sounds didn't bother me at all. Even the vinegar they used played a part since it can irritate an eardrum that had already been pushed forward during the cleaning process, but the real nightmare happened right after the rinsing; the volume and the pressure against my eardrum were overwhelming. Those issues and the muffled hearing started hitting me that very same evening.
I’ve read that for many people, this happens after attending concerts... a friend of mine even tried hyperbaric oxygen therapy for it, but it only helped him a little bit.
Sensitivity to everyday sounds, or hyperacusis, shows up as subjective physical discomfort when being exposed to low or moderate sounds that wouldn't normally bother the average person. Hyperacusis is often linked to tinnitus, head trauma, migraines, benzodiazepine use, hyperthyroidism, stress, and more. It isn't recommended to constantly protect yourself from everyday noise, because doing so can actually reinforce the auditory system's sensitivity and worsen the hyperacusis. A desensitization approach using sound therapy helps increase a patient's tolerance. This involves continuous, prolonged exposure to everyday sounds, gradually increasing the intensity until the patient perceives them as neutral stimuli.
I suppose for most people, it settles down after a while. That's the only thing giving me hope right now—that I won't lose my mind, or that my life isn't effectively over at 34 years old. 😢
I dealt with something pretty similar about two years ago, maybe even longer, though I didn't really seek out any professional help for it. What eventually worked for me was just switching over to shoes with more arch support and much better quality soles, because man, it used to really ache, my entire foot would just throb, especially this sharp, stabbing sensation in my heel that felt way too intense sometimes. Now, I only wear those flat, flimsy spring sneakers when I know I won't be on my feet for very long, and honestly, most of the issues have cleared up; I haven't had a single flare-up in a few years now.