Just hoping some gns may have had the same problem.
I got sudden one sided tinnitus and muffled hearing two and a half weeks ago.
I left it for the first week, hoping it would go and trying ear drops and steam inhalations, though I’d not had a cold or sinusitis. It didn’t go after a week so rang for an appointment with a GP. The receptionist said the doctors were only seeing emergencies and complex conditions and could only make me an appointment with the practice’s clinical pharmacist, 5 days hence. This is a new thing, if a doctor wasn’t available, the excellent specialist practice nurse would ring to triage. Non urgent things were always seen within 5 days.
I made the appointment, but then looked on 111 site and did the algorithm, which advised to see a doctor the same day. I rang the surgery and relayed this to the receptionist, but she couldn’t give me any other appointment.
I saw the pharmacist yesterday and though she was very nice and looked in my ears for any sign of infection or wax ( there was none), All she could do was to pass on the information to the doctor. I told her the 111 advice and said I was worried about my long term hearing, but she said tinnitus is very common and it might never go.
She rang me back and GP had said to leave for things for 2 weeks and if it hasn’t gone he’d arrange a hearing test, though still without seeing me.
I rang 111 again and the advice was still to see a doctor the same day. I was given a number for the rapid access GP, but though I hung on, I gave up after 30 minutes.
Has anyone else had sudden tinnitus and muffled hearing and what happened?
Just to say I think pharmacists are a great idea for a practice, but only for medication problems and minor and easy to identify medical conditions. They are not diagnostitions.
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