I am creeping up on 55 and can not even recall my last ear ache/infection… Has to have been at least 30 years ago. Since our nasal cavaty/passage is directly connected to our ears, I am thinking there is a connection between my current ear infection and my first timer use of snuff. Maybe I am using it wrong too… Sniffing to hard ? To much at a time ? To often ? Or maybe the snuff iteself ( Xichang Chinese Herbal ) caused it ?
It could be any number of things really. As a first time user, I doubt you’re snuffing too much. Quite a few of us go through about 5g of snuff a day, with a few of the heavyweights doing 10g a day, with no noticeable problems. Unfortunately, because of the variables, none of us will be able play House and bust out with, “You fool, you’ve been eating celery again, haven’t you?” or something and magically pinpoint it. Take some time off the snuff until the earache fades, and try snuffing more gently. Try a couple other brands to see if maybe you’ve got some sort of allergy or something to the Xichang. I’d personally be inclined to think you’re just taking the snuff a bit too hard, and need to get your technique better. Still, if that were the case, you’d probably be more likely to have a coughing fit after every pinch and wind up really congested, rather than having an earache.
It is hard for me to comment on what you’re doing with snuff and how your body is reacting to it. Personally, let me tell you that my ears can be quite difficult, being Irish, and all. Since I started using snuff, knock on wood, they have not clogged up like they used to. I used to not be able to snuff menthol snuffs without my nose and ear clogging up, but now, such is not the case. I do not know if you do it, but personally, I would be very hard pressed to be putting snuff from a developing nation up my nose.
I just got an ear infection recenlty don’t think snuff had much to do with it. The nasty combination of flu and allergies is what I’am blaming.
Despite my name, I’m not actually a doctor, but I guess it’s possible that using snuff has changed the amount of mucus being produced. It could be that there’s more mucus around than usual, or blowing your nose more frequently is affecting things. Any change like that means that something is different to how it used to be, and could account for why you have an ear infection now when you never used to get them. It could be contamination in the snuff itself. My gut feeling is that it’s a coincidence however. When I recently stepped up my snuff consumption due to being unable to smoke at work, I thought that it had given me diarr… dior… er, the sh!ts, but that turned out to be a coincidence.
If anything blowing too hard and too frequently is the most direct impact on ears when using snuff. I used to blow my nose after each pinch when I started, and It was quite hard on my ear drums. Now I can take 10 pinches an hour and blow only once. When your nose will get used to snuff, you won`t have to blow that frequently.
Blowing, coughing & sneezing all have effects on the ears. Try to be gentle and if u have a sneeze come on, just let it out…don’t try to hold back. This info is not really anything new, just confirming what others have stated here plus my ent doc told me to avoid all of the above to give my recently operated on ear time to heal. So it is obvious those 3 physical reactions directly impact ears, rather than just the snuff alone. I know when I first began with snuff, I was very OCD about cleaning my nose out immediately but now I just wait until it is absolutely necessary to blow, etc… And even at that time, I do more of a gentle mopping up of loose snuff or dripping snuff rather than forcefully blowing it all out.
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I’m in agreement with the ‘take it easy on the blowng’ meme. @minux I’m of Irish ancestry as well. Do we have a genetic disposition for something regarding ears? I can’t say I’ve had trouble with mine other than an above average ear wax production, which my dad also had. Also I guess we don’t listen very well. My mother often asked “Are you even listening to me?”
@Xander, We do, unfortunately, Xander. Swimmer’s ear is very common with us people.
this explains so much. My right ear must be my irish ear. I could give you my heritage by body part but that would go to some wrong territory. ;p
Just want to say thankyou for all the comments… !
Do you snuff late at night and then sleep with one ear resting on your pillow? Could be the “snuff fluids” in your sinuses draining into a eustachian tube. My first encounter with snuff was exactly the opposite! I had plugged eustachian tubes that my doctor had been trying for nearly half a year to unplug. Snuff did the trick for me in a day.
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@howdydave I had a similar experience where I guess blockage in my sinuses were causing me to have symptoms similar to BBPV, but after 3 months of snuffing I haven’t had a dizzy/nausea episode since and I’m very happy about it, let us snuff to our health. @George I hope your ear infection gets better soon.
Hope you get better! I can’t relate- I had FAR WORSE health experiences when I was smoking than when I quit (2 years now) and started snuffing. I LOVE my snuff. It’s so fun to try new scents, etc.
i was under the impression that tobacco is an antiseptic? wouldn’t this reduce bacterial infections? someone correct me if i’m wrong.
yes but any blockage can increase chances of infections. So it’s not 100 percent fool proof.
Old school remedy for ear infections. Old dr told my 82 yr old mom this one, he was older than her! half and half, rubbing alcohol, white vinegar. I mix it in a shotglass. about a teaspoon of each works well (5 ml each ) using an eye dropper tilt your head to the side after drawing up the mix and drip into your ear canal. let sit a few minutes, let drain out, go to the other side. Gets rid of ear infections in a day or so. Safe and cheap. works good on pets as well, dogs and cats.
and it makes you smell great. I can just see it now someone trying this in a W.C. Fields movie and lossing their job because the boss thinks they’re a drunk.
howdydave, Yes, that is exactly what I was doing. I have stopped using snuff for now. My ear is still totally plugged, although the pain is gone, and can’t seem to clear up my sinuses. Graybeard… Will give that a whirl !
I should have mentioned the smell of the concoction. YES it stings a might too. but it kills off the wee buggers causing the infection. call it chemical warfare on a small level.