New to Tinnitus November 20th, 2013 — After 5 Days of Fever

Hi my name is Brett,

I'm 38 years old, hadn't been to concerts or any loud environments, just a realtor. Suddenly, had a sore throat and eventually, a cough and fever that lasted 5 days at least of 103.2 Then out of the blue I started to get a loud ringing like altitude in my right ear that went away in half a minute. A half hour later in my left ear laying down, I have this old TV sound, fax machine or Tea Kettle Sound that goes up and down in higher frequencies.

Went to the ENT a few days ago, my hearing ranges are in the norm and no hearing loss detected even at real high frequency, slightly lower in my right ear.

The sound is painfully loud. I get nausia, light headed and seems that next to car windows, near walls the sounds are louder. White noise irritates it and changes the pitches higher it would seem. It seems to be better or relieved when I wear an ear plug on this side. Although my ear gets very sore if I wear one long enough. Truly, I hope and pray that this is all just some sort of virus and the viral infection will deminish and go away soon very soon.

Any recommendations that would quiet it down some would be greatly appreciated. It's with me all day no matter what I do right now.

 

Hi Brett, welcome to TT. What did the ENT say, did he mention antibiotics or steroids. Your symptoms sound like the tinnitus may be from Meniere's Disease.

You really need to go back to the ENT for another look, as you said yourself, it could very well be inflammation or a virus.

Below is a link for more info on Meniere's

As for relief, tranquilizers do help take the edge off. I sleep with two fans running when I am having trouble falling asleep.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menieres-disease/DS00535

 

GP originally put me on Flonase as I had swollen gland areas of my neck but ears looked good. The ENT did nothing, said to check back in a month. I wondering if maybe mine is more like the one above you mentioned or Hyperacusis? Reason I say this, is that I noticed that voices, TV, The furnace kicking out air through the registers, White Noise, and being next to the car windows at increasing speeds, it seems to T will increase in intensity and volume. I do get light headed but no vertigo or dizzyness. Last night I found that I can almost get complete silence (almost from the T) with ear plugs in both ears ( the troubled one and the non troubled ear)

 

Brett, I am glad the ear plugs work for you. Perhaps this is just a temporary thing for you. As for Hyperacusis also a possibility. T is so elusive, it's hard for ENT's or any Dr. to really pin point the cause & treatment. I guess you have gathered that by now from reading some posts.

 

Inducing a fever, is the body's way of fighting an infection. High fever is known to be a potential cause of tinnitus in infants; infants tend to react more strongly to disease than adults. When the fever is high enough, denaturing of the body occurs. But the fever needs to be high - higher than what you had.

Since there is a link between the onset of your tinnitus and becoming ill, I would focus on that. I doubt Menieres disease is behind your tinnitus (it would be too great a coincidence). Menieres disease has two classical components: hearing loss beginning with the low frequencies first and vertigo.

If you suspect that you still have an infection, you definitely need to see a doctor right away. If everything has cleared up and the tinnitus remains some 2-3 weeks later, the prognosis for the tinnitus going away is more "complicated".

I always recommend anyone developing constant tinnitus to see a doctor immediately if it persists more than 24/48 hours. During this early stage, there is a window of opportunity where steroids, antibiotics, and sometimes anti-viral medication can have an effect on the outcome. After that, it is wait-and-see.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. Doctor did not see any ear infections and ear drum tested normal. The only other thing I noticed aside from things being fairly quiet with an ear plug in the left ear and even quieter with an ear plug in both ears other than the pressure sounds and slight ringing in my head. Is that often time when I blow air to pop the ears with my nose pinched, I cannot get any pressure or air to build up inside, it is like the tubes are blocked more so on the left? When I asked the ENT, they said ear drum tested normal so the tubes should be fine. Still am really confused as to why when different back ground noises are going, that the frequency is changed so much and the ear so sensitive to all different sounds regardless of the frequency level of the noise, like running water, furnace blowing, or TV going in the back ground.

 

Not being able to "equalize" the pressure, is a potential cause for concern with the valsalva maneuver (blowing air with the nose pinched). It is possible to have a visual inspection of the eustachian tube (they stick a device into your nose to examine the airway between nose and ear). See your GP for referral or do a self-referral with a specialist (if you suspect that the tinnitus is linked to a structural problem). My advice.