Before I Go Back to the ENT (Experiences with Tinnitus Caused by the Flu, etc)

Hi all;

I am new to Tinnitus. It seems that soon after I caught the flu in March of this year, I developed Tinnitus. It got louder over the last few months and seems to have reached it's peak. I went to the ENT. He confirmed that the flu may have caused it. He also indicated I have curved ear drums. Now, I know I have hereditary hearing loss. I accept this. However, the sudden ringing was something unexpected.

The ENT prescribed "Dymista" to spray in my nasal cavity until my next visit. Damn nasty taste when it drips into my throat.

So, before I go back to the ENT for a hearing test and then who knows what, does anyone have experience with Tinnitus caused by the flu? Should it go away? Are there different treatments depending on how a person develops Tinnitus?

Sorry I am rambling. From what I have read on this and other forums, a lot of people with Tinnitus have it a lot worse than I do and for a lot longer.

Thanks in advance for any info

 

I have experience. I caught a flu/cold (not sure which) in mid January. It passed but my right ear was blocked afterwards. It really messed up February and March for me. I had constant mild to severe headaches only in the right side of my head (near the temple). I also had what I can only describe as a "brain fog" accompanying the headaches. I saw the usual doctors (GP, ENT, neurologist) and had the regular tests done (hearing, MRI, blood tests, visual examination, etc.). They said there was nothing wrong with me and everything was normal. My GP thought it might be leftover inflammation from the infection so he told me to take 400mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for ten days. March was when I got T (suspiciously the day after my ibuprofen regimen ended). I ended up getting another brief cold in early April, which seems to have inflammed my left Eustachian tube, but only slightly.

9 days ago I saw another ENT for a second opinion. He confirmed what I had suspected since Feb., namely that I had Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). This is why my right ear pops multiple times every hour when I swallow. My left ear only pops when there is a slight change in elevation, like when I'm driving up a small hill (which has never happened to me before and trust me, it feels weird).

He also prescribed me Dymista. I've been using it for 9 days and it has virtually eliminated my headaches and the brain fog sensation. As for the ear popping, my right ear still pops a lot. However, Monday of this week I had virtually zero T. Perhaps there was a little bit there, but I tried to listen for it and it didn't seem to be there. That feeling happened again Wednesday and yesterday. Today the ringing has come back, but not as intense. This leads me to suspect that it is ETD, as opposed to the 10 days of ibuprofen, that is causing the T.

In your situation I would suspect that there may be some leftover inflammation of the Eustachian tubes. If you find that your ear feels "full" or constantly in need of popping, this may be the case.

Finally, I'm not sure why your doc prescribed Dymista, but if it was to reduce inflammation in the Eustachian tubes, you need to spray it correctly. Here's the proper way to do it: http://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm.

 

Thanks. The only thing I have is a constant ringing; Like sitting in the front row at a concert. No headaches or popping. Like I said in my original post, after reading other's posts, I have made out fairly well so far. I will check out the video and see if I am doing something incorrectly. I just hate to go back to the ENT and have him do something to make things worse physically and financially.

 

Just looked at the site above. Yup, I was spraying wrong. I had the right angle for my head to be in but was shooting the spray up instead of into the Eustachian Tube. I will make sure to get it right going forward. Thank you again