4 Months Post Acoustic Trauma: Facial Tingling and Nerve Pain Persist

Hi guys,

I damaged my ears 4 months ago (however, no hearing loss). As a result I got tinnitus which was severe at the beginning 10/10, I wanted to jump off a cliff, but it slowly got better over time. I also had some crazy nerve pain and my ears felt like they were dancing 24/7 along with ETD - constantly blocked ears that would never equalize

Now the tinnitus is like a 2/10 and I'm trying to keep it that way. However, I still have nerve pain, tingling and blocked ears. The fact that my tinnitus has been slowly reducing, along with the persisting nerve pain and tingling makes me think that I have done some nerve damage to my ears which is slowly improving. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this?

Staying in silence as much as possible, wearing earplugs, and applying double strength Voltaren gel to my ears religiously over the last few weeks, which I believe has helped a lot. I notice I have more nerve pain and tingling after a moderately loud day (i.e. a normal day post the acoustic trauma) so I'm trying to minimise noise exposure. I feel as though any noise just causes more damage/inflammation.

I'm really hoping it improves a bit, but even if it doesn't, I will survive as I'm slowly habituating.

But yeah, I'm curious if you have experienced the same? 4 months for this tingling to be persisting is quite a while but I guess nerves heal slowly.

 

Give it time. Noxacusis can take a long time to heal. Hang in there. Keep doing what you are doing, and protect your ears.

 

How are you applying the Voltaren gel to your ears? Outside? Inside? Do you ever apply it on your face where you have tingling?

 

I apply it all around my ears on the outside. It gives instant relief for the tingling. Now I'm kind of addicted to applying it

 

I take a very hot tub in the evening and soak my ears and analyze my tinnitus, only in clean water, of course, and I use no bath foam. The warmth gives me just a notch relieve.

I think I might try the Voltaren gel too.

 

Hi @Pos,

I read your post and related after a really bad ear week myself that is not improving and involves nerve pain.

I have had noxacusis for a few years and get ear fullness and lingering trigeminal dull nerve pain on the same side as the affected ear from certain noise exposures. This can last weeks but has subsided in time and with taking care to minimize loud noise exposures (I continue to try to do this all the time, though!)

As it’s your first acoustic trauma, what you are doing already and what @Brian Newman has said are the same sentiments I would have advised.

I'm glad to hear you have made improvements since the initial onset, and I hope you continue to recover. Ears take time to heal.