ear problems in Japan
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
For the first time in my life, I've recently begun having ear infections. Which means learning about Japanese ear medical practice.
I went to the clinic this morning, and explained the problem. I thought I simply had an outer ear infection, and that maybe some drops or pills would do the trick. Nope.
The doctor told me that there was no infection or inflammation. The problem was deeper. First came the wax suctioning, which was loud and annoying. A look at my left (unaffected ear) and the doctor put down the suction tube and pick up the multi-pronged grabber tool.
Ouch.
Then a test of my ear-drum's reaction to a pressure test. Which turned out to be not too good at all. In fact, there was none. Which meant that I had fluid in my middle ear.
Which meant that it was time to give me a dose of local anesthetic and then slide an air tube up my nose and into the Eustachian canal. Yup, blowing air into my middle ear via a stiff metal wand/tube thing. Into a middle ear that was inflamed and already quite painful. Trying not to stress out the staff (as apparently I had been while writhing in discomfort at the ear-wax tweazing) I endured it in silence. Fist-clenched silence.
Then they let me go with a handful of prescriptions and a promise that I'd return for another go at the left ear.