Bad ENT Appointment — Are My Eardrum Perforation and Tinnitus Permanent?

I’ve just had a second ENT appointment about my perforation and tinnitus. This time I went private.

The ENT provided me good detailed answers and explained everything but he could not give me any solutions. Next step: MRI scan.

I don’t have many choices, surgery to patch up the hole is not really an option because it will likely make things worse and there is no clear cause of the tinnitus.

I need to learn to live with the symptoms and restrictions caused by the perforation AND the tinnitus. How am I supposed to to live with a permanent perforation? I don’t know if I can do this, I feel so alone and so scared. How will I live like this for the rest of my life?

I don’t think I can ever feel happiness again.
Life is unfair.

 

What are the odds (percentage) that surgery will make things worse?

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but can't it eventually heal up on its own?

Also what was the reason he gave for ordering an MRI? Isn't it obvious that it's your eardrum being perforated that's causing your problems?

 

If it hasn't healed in the first 6 months, it's highly unlikely that it will heal on its own.

 

Why do you think this is going to make things worse? It cannot be worse than a perforated eardrum. And in theory this should be a very standard surgery. Have you got all the information you need about the procedure?

 

So I was told that the surgery probably won’t fix the tinnitus and can make tinnitus worse (not sure about odds). Also if I get surgery and it ruptures again because it’s weak, it can also make the tinnitus worse. He couldn’t guarantee that it’ll fix hearing loss or anything either. So basically it’s better off that I live like this and not make things worse. Sucks.

 

Both ent’s I saw said it’s unlikely that it’ll heal on its own because I’ve already had it for so long.

To be honest that’s what I was thinking, he told me that the mri might be able to reveal if anything else is wrong. Although very unlikely, if there is something wrong we might be able to find a cause.

 

It can make my tinnitus worse, especially if it ruptures again it will be bad! The plan now is to give it time, do an mri. Maybe one day in the future I’ll have enough of my perforation, and agree to surgery knowing all the risks.

 

Hello Yas,

I have a perforated ear drum as well that has not healed (over 4 yrs.!). My tinnitus did not start til recently (so perforated ear drum probably not the direct cause of T although it may have contributed). I read your thread on the ENTs you saw that both did NOT recommend repairing/patching ear drum.

Any update on your situation?? I have met with an ENT and I am looking at all options to repair or not and will most likely get multiple opinions before deciding.

Thank-you in Advance!