3 Weeks in...

Well 3 weeks into this and thought I'd share my experiences in the hope I can find some direction.....

For 20+ years I've had a perforated left ear, which although my hearing I realise on that side has been affected otherwise its not really caused me too many issues - taken the usual extreme care about keeping dry etc etc.

Approx May 2017, I noticed a light ringing sound when going to sleep or in quiet times but it wasn't enough to really bother me or to notice - I was working very long hours on VDU screens and flying quite a lot and so put it down to a combo of real tiredness and the stress/anxiety I was suffering (but I could see the work deadline ahead and knew it would come to an end and things would go back to being more peaceful). Sept arrived and things indeed did then quieten down, but I began to notice a droning sound at home (like a plane flying low over the house), which became more constant - eventually I realised it actually might be me and not some mechanically created sound. I visited my GP and was given a course of antibiotics which seemed to resolve the issue.......

However, about 3 weeks ago, I noticed all of a sudden that the light ringing sound heard in my head had become very loud and very noticeable. I went back to my GP and was referred for a CT scan, which didn't show much other than the expected effect of having an ear with a large perforation. By this point I was struggling to get to sleep and having some heavy anxiety/panic attacks as I feared it might be something that wasn't going to be easy to treat. I was then referred to an ENT specialist who advised me to have a hearing test performed, which as expected showed mild/moderate hearing loss in left ear. I'm due back to see ENT specialist again next week but I know he has written to my GP advising me to get a hearing aid, and so I don't expect much more from them on this matter.

And so now its 12.30am, I tried to get to sleep several hours ago but the ringing was so loud it was impossible (using some music app right now to try to silence the T) - which in turns feeds the anxiety, as does the reality that this may well be a problem for life. The noise is constant with absolutely no let up. The daytime I can just about get through (but its always on my mind). I was prescribed Endep to aid sleep but haven't taken it yet, and so if anyone has experience of using this, or if people are using hearing aids successfully to counter the T, any advice would be welcome.

 

Perforated eardrum should not be healed naturally or surgically?

 

Hi leledany - the perforation was far too large to heal naturally unfortunately, I was advised to have the op to mend it done many years ago but never did. Ive read however that the op actually doesnt necessarily improve the hearing (but does seal the ear), and so wouldnt stop the T from being created due to the reduced sound input? The ENT specialist said it might have been a good job i didn't have the op done - but didnt elude as to why. This is one of the questions I have for him next week though.

If anyone has had their T eased/cured by Tympanoplaty though I would be keen to hear about it.