Any Ideas? Is There Anything I Could Get for This Itchiness/Fullness?

[Kevin08]

I've had T for about4 months, I seem to be able to tune out the high frequency in both ears most of the day, but I have a low oscillating electrical drone sound in the right ear which seems a fair bit louder. I haven't have the luxury to take time off work in the initial months and I talk most of the day. I finally had to take a break due to exhaustion from the lack of decent sleep but also due to a strange itchy full feeling in the right ear also in the cheek and jaw that tends to ramp up the more I talk. My ENT upon the first visit said that he feels I have a rough patch on the back of the ear drum or possibly a growth spur on the malleus. He sent me for a CT scan. The full feeling and itch are driving me out of my mind. I go to see my GP tomorrow and my ENT in 6 days. Is there anything I could get for this itch/fullness. Is it complicated surgery to fix a wonky malleus or rough ear drum? I should also mention that I've been on anti biotics 4 times in 4 months for... you guessed it, ear infections on the right side. I wish he would have drained the right ear on my fist visit in October, I do remember begging him to do so.

 

[marqualler]

Hi @Kevin08, I can't be too helpful unfortunately but I have had some similarities. What did your CT show? I had a CT done about a week into my T that showed my left side was inflamed but that the bones were OK. My ENT has considered a tympanoplasty to fix the ear drum--from what I understand a surgery on the ear drum is less complicated than one with the bones. For what it's worth I tried to have my left ear drained but when they did it they found little to no fluid there.

 

[Kaelon]

@Kevin08 I am so sorry to learn about what you're going through. It definitely sounds like the cause, or at least aggravation of your underlying Tinnitus, is connected with your ear infection. If it's in fact a middle ear infection, I would absolutely recommend you work on reducing inflammation as much as possible. I recommend taking 4 advil, three times a day (with each meal) for a week and see if this improves. This will help reduce inflammation considerably, and it's what a couple of surgeons have recommended to me. However, you need to make sure you tell your doctors that you are planning to do this, especially since you need to be off of advil and other anti-inflammatories at least a few days before surgery. Also consider taking Allegra daily.

In addition to the tympanoplasty that @marqualler has indicated, there is a Eustachian tube balloon plasty procedure that can help with pressure equalization. If there is too much or too little pressure inside your Eustachian tubes, it could be inhibiting the healing response. But that said, if it's not an infection but a growth on the Inner edge of the ear drum, then I do believe there are relatively simple in-patient procedures that can help heal the eardrum, including ear drops and even insertion of temporary tubes associated with the infection.

Please keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[marqualler]

Definitely agreed. For me inflammation in general has been an issue, starting with my eyes and eyelids when I was a kid and continuing to this day (I'm treating the chronic inflammation there with restasis drops which have really made that much more manageable). Since my CT revealed inflammation on my left side I am sure it is still an issue. @Kaelon I had never heard that about Advil--I will bring that question along as well to my ENT. Interestingly now that I think of it, I was treated with prednisone eye drops as a child when my inflammation issues there first came on but the doctors did not like me using them for a prolonged period of time, consistently checking my eye pressure along with the drops. Restasis seems to do the same thing but with fewer long term side effects and with far more long-term success.

 

[Kevin08]

Thank you for your responses, I just got back from the ENT and he said the CAT scan showed an abnormal growth on the malleus but not something worth operating on as the ear looks to be functioning well. He found a couple of small hairs pushed up against the eardrum and he thinks this might have contributed to the full itchy feeling. I wonder if they could have also ramped up the T? Everyday is a new day on the learning curve.

 

[Kaelon]

I'm glad that the CAT Scan showed evidence of the itchiness. Is that the only ear where you are experiencing Tinnitus? If so, I think it's fair to say that the cause in your case has been identified and you can hopefully treat it. Is there anything they can do for the hairs and the malleus?

One thing that ENTs don't like, but I know for a fact works very well, is diluted hydrogen peroxide solution (diluted with warm filtered water -- boil it first, then let it cool down). Insert 5-10 drops into your ear, and then lay there with the water in your ear for 15-20 seconds. Then, tip over and drain out. You will feel a lot of bubbling as the hydrogen peroxide works on your ear wax and the membranes of your outer ear. This routine is used primarily in cleaning ears, but it also has the added benefit of treating the outer ear drum. This may not resolve the underlying problem, but it might cause your ear drum to flex gently and push the hairs out of the way (or perhaps become less sensitive to those hairs). I hope that this might help with your itchiness.

@marqualler - Yes, Advil (ibuprofen) is a fantastic anti-inflammatory. I didn't realize it had a systemic effect, but my maxillofacial surgeon that I went to see last week about my presumed TMJ told me that 3-4 Advil taken three times a day over the course of a week will cause a significant reduction in inflammation. Of course, they don't really want people taking advil at that level for more than 1-2 weeks tops -- the same with prednisone, which has a typical 5- 7- or 10-day treatment regimen. But for these acute cases, this anti-inflammatory treatment can be incredibly useful. If you are concerned about reactions to Advil, there are herbal remedies (some of which @engineerLA recommends in his various threads) to help reduce inflammation considerably. I haven't used any of them so I can't speak to their efficacy, but I can say that Advil seems to be helping me -- but only at this higher dose. I usually have limited myself to 1 or 2 Advil in the past when I've had a headache or teeth ache associated with braces in my childhood), but apparently breaking the 600 mg barrier allows a saturation of ibuprofen to reach the bloodstream and work on the entire body more intently.

Let me know how it goes. Good luck to you!

 

[Telis]

Try drinking couple of table spoons of olive oil in water for the itchy ears. Do it every day.

 

[Kevin08]

I'm pretty sure it's due in part to a Eustachian tube that isn't working properly. The ENT told me to put oil in my ear, I guess I should add a shot or two down the throat!