Almost 4 Years of Unilateral Rumbling

Hey all,

New here. Good to meet folk!

I first started noticing an intermittent low-pitched rumble in my left ear about 4 years ago - sounded like a car idling outside the house. Over the last couple years it has got louder and less intermittent, more a constant sound, sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, very occasionally non-existent.

When my daughter was born a couple of years ago I noticed that her cries would trigger a kind of "squelch" feeling in that left ear. I can often reproduce this sensation by clicking my fingers next to my left ear. Funnily enough, a quick Valsalva stops this from happening making me wonder if I have some long-standing eustachian tube issue.

I'm lucky in that this doesn't stop me from sleeping (almost nothing does!) and, in fact, often when lying down at night the rumble is at its quietest (and sometimes absent).

Anyway, that's me 43 years old and looking for inspiration from other folks' experience. Planning to get myself back to the GP as soon as COVID-19 permits and get another referral to the ENT (last experience post-MRI was a classic: "there's nothing wrong that we can see, you're just going to have to live with it").

All the best!

Simon

 

Hi Simon! It seems your tinnitus is under control. Often hearing loss is correlated with tinnitus. Do you have any hearing loss?

 

My ENT told me to wait couple of months or years. Told me that it will go away but no one knows when. Actually I do get better but really slowly. I feel much better every three months or so. I am 9 months in at the moment and it seems that I've reached a point where I can cope with my life again but sometimes the whole situation is just killing me. But I'm holding on. It seems that I have no other option anyway.

 

Nothing significant at the last test. However, I wouldn't say it's under control - it's definitely got worse over the last couple of years. It doesn't distress me to the degree that it does some people though, although I do go through phases of wondering if it's a sign of something more sinister and, being prone to a bit of hypochondria, that's anxiety I don't need to place myself under!

 

Sounds like it might be Patulous Eustachian Tube.

 

@simont

Can you change the the sound when lying down depending on your head position??

I ask this because your tinnitus sounds very like mine where it’s a rumble/whine or almost hollow wind sound that changes when I lie down especially when my neck is stretched, like yourself I suspect ET issues but never diagnosed or maybe TMJ but need to wait till dentists reopen to investigate that one.

 

Hi Deniseh,

sorry for asking another question not related to your post. I do not have tinnitus but I have vascular loop not compressing the nerve , so it’s of no significance. The vascular loop was seen incidentally on my MRI done for another reason. My only concern and question is that can it trouble later in life ?

thanks

 

Hi @Purva,

No one can answer that question with certainty but as I’ve mentioned previously I posted this question to Dr. Nagler in the Doctors' Corner here and he seemed to think it was pretty normal to have a vascular loop anywhere in the body and not necessarily dangerous.

You seem to be very worried about this but please don’t be, you can’t change what’s going to happen in the future just live your life in the here. Que sera sera and all that. I know it’s hard but excessive worrying can cause health problems as well including tinnitus.

Please don’t ever be sorry for asking a question and if I can help in any way then just let me know.

Denise x

 

Hi Deniseh

Thank you so much for your kind words. I have read the answer given to you by Dr. Nagler. It says if the vascular loop is not compressing the nerve then it’s of no significance. What I have also understood is that your tinnitus is not coming from vascular loop since the loop is not pressing on the nerve. As per Dr. Nagler, such vascular loops are normal variant of anatomy. They pose problem only if they compress. But it’s not mentioned in his post that whether the vascular loop which is as of now very close to the hearing nerve can compress the nerve further? Did you manage to ask him that if it’s not compressing now, can it compress later in lifetime? What factors contribute to have the compression happen?

Thank you.

 

Hi @Purva,

No I didn't ask him if this could change in the future because I don't think anyone can predict that. If you're asking is there a possibility that things could get worse the the answer is probably yes but life is a risk every time you walk out the door.

Like you my vascular loop was noticed in my MRI but the Otolaryngologist's advice was that this was of no consequence to the tinnitus. I’m sorry if I'm unable to answer your question fully but suggest if you're extremely worried about this then talk to your GP and they should be able to set your mind at rest.

Denise x

 

Hi again

Thanks for your prompt reply.To be very honest I am not so worried about having Tinnitus in future but I am scared of brain surgery which is talked about in the group and internet. I have spoken to my gp about this and have spoken to neurologist as well . None of them are concerned about it. They also said the same. They said vascular loops are usually asymptomatic only. It’s unlikely that it would cause any problem. Only for my understanding I was asking you that can something which is harmless today and can be consequential?

Thanks

 

Hi
One more thing please!! Does your mri report mention that vascular loop is NOT compressing the nerve and is of no consequence?is it possible for you to share your mri report summary.

many thanks
Putva

 

Hi @Purva

Sorry I didn’t get the report from my MRI and didn’t know I could ask for it. I live in the U.K. but went private when I got tinnitus as there were a couple of other issues as well. I received a letter from the private hospital which was also given to my GP and this was where it stated the vascular loop and also said ‘close to left hearing nerve but no compression so of no consequence’ so yes it did mention the loop not compressing in the report, my consultant also said that there was nothing serious that showed up in the MRI so all was well.

Hope this answers your question.

All the Best,

Denise x

 

Hi Deniseh

Thank you so very much for helping me.

purva