Bad Tinnitus Spike from Ear Infection (Otitis Media)

Hello everyone!

I've had tinnitus for three years and, over time, have become more or less accustomed to it. However, last week I developed a respiratory infection, which led to severe pain in my left ear, along with ear fullness, muffled hearing, and, of course, much louder tinnitus starting on Monday. I saw my primary care physician on Tuesday, and after examining my ear, he immediately diagnosed an ear infection because my eardrum was red, and there was some discharge. He prescribed a 5-day course of Amoxicillin, and I'm currently halfway through the treatment.

I've read on medical websites that ear infections cause inflammation in the middle ear, and tinnitus is a common symptom. The problem is that my tinnitus has spiked significantly in my left ear, which is quite distressing. Like many tinnitus sufferers, I'm worried that this might become my new baseline. Interestingly, the sound in my left ear is different from what I usually hear—it's more of a low-pitched hiss.

Has anyone here experienced a bad spike in tinnitus due to an ear infection, especially if you already had tinnitus beforehand? If so, did your tinnitus eventually return to its previous level? How long did it take, or is it still as loud as it was during the infection? I know I’m only three days into this, but I'm just looking for some reassurance to help calm me down. Thanks!

 

Hi @SoCalDee72.

I am sorry to hear about the increase in your tinnitus. An ear infection can cause tinnitus to spike. Although my tinnitus doesn't spike as such, it has previously increased due to an ear infection and took around six weeks to return to baseline after the infection cleared up. We are all different, and therefore, there's no telling how long it will take for your tinnitus to return to baseline, but hopefully, it will.

I note on your profile the cause of your tinnitus is undetermined. Although tinnitus can appear for no reason, in many instances, something causes it. This can be an underlying medical condition within your auditory system, which includes hearing loss. However, one of the most common causes is exposure to loud noise. If you were a regular user of listening to audio through any headphones or going to places where loud music was played, then it's possible your tinnitus was originally noise-induced.

If you do listen to audio through headphones, earbuds, or headsets, then I suggest not to use them for a while until your tinnitus returns to baseline. Please type headphones in the search box at the top of this page and read the posts.

I understand the distress that you are going through at the moment with tinnitus. Please talk to your GP/PCP and audiologist about how you feel. Many audiologists and hearing therapists advise tinnitus patients to try and avoid quiet rooms and surroundings, especially at night, by placing a sound machine by the bedside and setting the volume low. It takes time to get used to using sound enrichment at night. If your audiologist suggests this, take your time and introduce the sound enrichment slowly.

It can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to get used to it. Sound enrichment is not "noise" and mustn't be set at a level where it is covering up or masking the tinnitus. This is not the purpose of sound enrichment. It should be set at a level where your brain can ignore it easily and is not drawing attention.

Please go to my started threads and read my thread: New to Tinnitus, What to Do?

I hope you start to feel better soon,
Michael

 

I just experienced the same thing.

For the past three days, my tinnitus has significantly worsened, accompanied by renewed ear pain and a feeling of fullness, which I initially thought was a recurrence of hyperacusis (the exact same symptoms I had in 2019).

However, I was just diagnosed with otitis media (my first time), and like you, I've been prescribed 1g of Amoxicillin three times a day for five days. Hopefully, it will clear up soon.

More fear than harm, I hope!