Confused — Tinnitus Since June 2018, Pressure Comes and Goes in Left Ear, Sensitivity to Sounds, etc

So, here I am... posting on the tinnitus talk forum. This is my first post.

To give you background, I reside in California... I got sick around the first week of June 2018... it was a cold/flu possibly... more than likely a cold. I got sick when a friend of mine visited me and caught his illness... whatever it was.

I was sick a couple weeks and my immune system kicked it off. I had primarily a sore throat without much or any congestion in my nose. I felt weak etc.
After a couple weeks when I was on the mend, I was feeling suddenly an ear throbbing sensation. The first week was fairly intense and "new". Did not know what to expect. I went to my GP through an urgent care and they gave me prednisone and Zpack antibiotic (with relatively little inspection).

After that I went to ENT one, about a week later. Did a pitch fork test on me, said to revisit her if I was still sick a week later and to get an audiology test. I decided to go somewhere different, and went to a place called house ear clinic as they seemed to be knowledgeable in ear issues. They are a big facility with a big waiting room, and not the best customer service... however they do seem like a costco for ear issues... so saw an ENT, young doctor but knowledgeable... was worried I would have that sensorineural hearing loss, which I was panicked and asked is it serious? He goes not very... left me confused.. anyways we did an audio test on both ears... my bothersome ear (left ear) was only slightly worse... but within normal ranges.. I can post my results if anyone wants to see.

He said to see him after a month, but believes my ear issue was due to an inflamed hearing nerve... and I decided his answer was probably correct but not complete enough, so I let it be for a bit. He did not prescribe me anything and was hesitant to do anymore steroid treatment.

This was about 3 weeks post issue, I am not about 1.5-1.75 months or so after the issue began... I decided to go to a better ear doctor at a more state of the art facility... This ear doctor was very knowledgeable... and presented me with options, but felt those options may be overkill in my case. The last we left off with was after seeing him I spoke with his nurse a couple times and mentioned a little more details about my issue and hyperacusis (sensitivity to faucet or shower or other type sounds) and pressure in left ear which comes and goes... and how my ear crackles a bit and then feel a sensation of fullness or pressure.

They mentioned possibility of cochlea hydrops. I cannot find much information on this, but for now my last recommendation is to wait.

So my symptoms... for your information, have decreased dramatically as far as the consistent intensity in the first few weeks.. however I do not use headphones anymore (rarely) and I do have the issue still.

so when it started, intense tinnitus and intense sensitivity to sounds... I could barely stand to be in a public whole foods or supermarket without experiencing pain (I still did it periodically) but typically I wanted to be alone. I did not have vertigo, but the fullness can make you feel off balance or slightly dizzy...

I do not appear to have ETD as my doctor mentioned I would not be able to pop my ears efficiently and there would be evidence of it on the ear drum. I do not have jaw issue, but I still might, I have been wearing my retainer/mouthguard at night just inc ase.

Currently, what i have is pressure in left ear which comes and goes... oddly enough I notice when I sit in my desk at work I am not experiencing the symptoms as much. I sit up right and back slightly reclined backwards at a 25-30 degree angle. Air condition strong in office, etc. I notice that my ear "cracks" periodically or pops, and NORMALLY you would expect relief after this, but it appears after it pops or cracks that somehow the sensation of the pressure will be exacerbated... very odd.

So all I have today, is it may be sensitivity or hyperacusis which will get better with time and/or it may be cochlear hydrops (which seems somewhat serious from my research depending on the type)


From what I can tell as a general rule, low sodium diet, diuretics are an option, and a few other procedures are available, but not desirable.

I guess my questions to the board are:

Do you have cochlear hydrops? If so, did it improve on its own and is it temporary? What was your experience?

Do you have menieres? If so, does it improve on its own? Is hearing loss a guarantee?


Who else here has experienced serious changes to ear health after a cold or flu virus.

 

That could be useful.

 

Sounds like it could be Eustachian Tube Dysfuntion. Your story sounds VERY similar to mine. Mine started once night as I was recovering from a sinus infection back in the beginning of April. Next thing, I began to hear hissing noises in my ear. That leads to today. I still have hissing noise in my right ear and head and if I clog my ears with my finger, I hear a contact noise that is high pitched. I experience clicking and popping daily as I open my mouth and swallow. I too was worried I had Meniere's because of the amount of pressure in my ears. This pressure alternates on some days and other days, I will be fine.

Have you been prescribed a nasal steroid? From what I have read, weeks to a few months is too soon to tell if it will be permanent or not. I am on month 4 in a few days. Im still hoping it will completely go away for me.

 

I will try to post my results of hearing test soon.

2) My ear doc oddly didnt think it was ETD... not sure why, all I know is he mentioned it should be apparent from the appearance of the ear drum and the ability to pop your ears yourself (holding nose and blowing, etc)

So, I cannot say for sure, but he mentioned cochlea hydrops or temporary hyperacusis...

What currently gives you relief? I have not been prescribed nasal steroid... I was only given prednisone from a GP in the beginning orally taken, since then i have seen 3 ENTs and none of them have prescribed me anything... each one of them mentioned continuing my allergy meds, flonase spray (for allergies) and last one mentioned to try sudafed also...

But nothing concrete yet. Did you get diagnosed ETD? Can you pop your ears yourself? Or do you just experience that popping periodically... ETD makes the most sense to me as a result of infection and was my primary suspicion prior to my last visit... but we will see... so I am almost 2 months in.


You are 4 months in friend, would you say you have seen a drop in your intensity? Let's say the intensity was a 8-10 in the first two weeks for me... then a 7 for the next 2 weeks.. not mine fluctuates between a 3 and a 6....

however LIKE I mentioned it is odd because when I sit at work with my back tilted slight angle 20 degrees and head straight up my pressure in my ear is calm to non existent... If i Get up quickly and walk fast I feel pressure for the first 20-60 seconds and then it eases back down to not being there or being mildly.... however in that walking standing up straight phase there are periods it can fluctuate and stay there, comes and goes.


So we have to monitor oursselves to see if we are experiencing improvement... Currently I can say yes I have but the pressure that comes and goes is concerning of course and can feel intense, even if I am expecting it... definitely is anxiety causing... which I hear people habituate too..... but I want to improve back to normal as I cannot do things I used to enjoy such as jogging with headphones music... I tried recently and the left ear got pressure and clogged feeling .. couldnt do it.

 

@Stocktrader86

There are times when I feel like my Tinnitus is silent, until I get into a quiet room or plug my ears and then I hear it. Like you, I stand up sometimes and it almost feels like my hearing decreases and I get intense pressure in my ears for a few seconds and then it fades away. I actually have no idea what that is. Im assuming its all ETD related? Hopefully it goes away for good..

In terms of intensity, I can say that it was a lot louder when I first got it. I think it is decreasing but pretty slowly. From maybe a 8, it has gone to maybe a 5 now. I still have a hard time on some days and other days, I feel so much better. Wen I keep myself busy and away from my room at home, I am able to forget about it easier...

 

@Chris M I think mine is slowly decreasing as well... sounds like month 6 you may hit a 3/10....

i am in the 3-5/10 range but of course it fluctuates due to heat, sleep, etc.

Couple notes

1) I have been starting to wear my retainer again to prevent any grinding of teeth (just in case)

2) I have been re-evaluating though unsuccessful yet, but looking to reduce sodium intake significantly... and INCREASE water intake...I suggest we both do this and check back in 30 days with each other.

3) Also, if it is ETD, there is possibility of it normalizing and relieving as the inflammation decreases...

4) the same goes true for cochlear hydrops depending on the type...

If it is menieres that supposedly also goes into periods of remission and eventually habituation however tinnitus ususally remains after... so lets just be thankful that hopefully with a little luck and prayer we dont have that...

Lets challenge each other by doing 1 and 2... healthier balanced diet, lots of rest, retainer or mouth guard... and trying to avoid any excessive triggers...

What do ya say? lets check back in 30 days and see how we are... im currently at a 3-5 and when I sit at my office a 1-2 and you are at a 5...

God Speed

 

How are you? I’m experiencing similar symptoms

 

My tinnitus and ear problems started with an MVA, head and neck trauma, spine damage in neck. I've been to many ENTs and a neurotologist, had many tests, was on diuretics, medications, etc... I have constant loud metallic screeching tinnitus which has never changed in 5 years since the MVA, clogged ears, hyperacusis, foamy crackling ears, clogged ears with changing pressures, deep itch in ears, pain in ear, etc. I had a trial myringotomy in one ear, which is the worse. It lasted temporarily , so no tubes were put in to help the Eustachian tubes heal. I was told that the E. tubes only heal to a certain level, and that I am stuck with the Eustachian dysfunction, tinnitus, ear problems. I also was diagnosed with secondary Menieres. I find that in this age of medicine, there is nothing which can be done for my ear condition. I am sorely disappointed in medicine and resentful that I have to be tortured on a daily basis every minute of the day. My problems were not due to a cold or flu, but traumatic injury. Maybe you have a chance to regain normalcy in your ears. My silence and health were taken from me for the rest of my life. Good luck.

 

Hi Patriz,

Have you by chance looked into PRP/Prolotherapy? I will be having some upper cervical treatments done but it has done wonders for cervical and thoracic spine injuries I have had since my teens. Took me from being on the verge of disabled to functioning again with 70% reduction in pain over the past 5 years. However, we never treated my upper cervical due to lack of special imaging in my area that my Prolotherapist wanted.

Ironically I developed high frequency tinnitus the day I got the imaging (had to do a lot of extreme neck movements I never do for a digital motion X-ray). With all that being said I have quite a bit of damage in the upper cervical that the motion X-ray revealed so I will be treating that starting next week. I have several symptoms that could be tied to the damage here (visual disturbances, POTs, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) and I continually experienced tinnitus on and off for the past few years until it settled in as chronic 2 weeks ago.

Sorry for the long explanation, I say all this in the hopes that maybe if your tinnitus is also somatic (I believe mine is as I’ve had 2 normal audiograms) then maybe cervical or upper cervical treatments could help.

Please see a couple videos below from Caring Medical that elaborate:

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