Difficult to Describe the Distorted Sound in the Left Ear

[Kes]

Hi,

I would like to check if someone have the same feeling in the ear as I have, also to hear others opinion might make it easier for me to put words on what I feel.

I have a my mild low frequency tinnitus + distorted sound at the left ear, which has been there for almost 20 years (due to gunshot), now recently it became much worse after a concert. In addition to the low frequency ringing, its now also ringing at higher frequency (left ear, closer to the sound of cicadas, although not so pulsating).

Over to my question for this post. I am sensitive to certain sounds (e.g. bird call, tapping water, ignition of gas oven or crushing potato ship bag, which gives a split second distorted sound). A bit similar to water in the ear, giving a popping or 'plopping' feeling, almost like a frequent tapping on my eardrum (although only for split second...). ). The overall feeling, in particular for the left ear it's a bit similar to the feeling I got in my ears during childhood when I was swimming under water (both in terms of the muffled feeling and the ringing). Anyone with similar problem?

Regards,
Kes

 

[Juan]

Muffled hearing and ringing could be related to pressure or activity of muscles of the middle ear. That would be my guess. It could be due to your hearing trying to protect itself from loud sounds, after hearing a loud sound or after hearing a sound that resembles the pitch of other sounds that can increase their volume to sound very loud (the hearing would be confused by a similar pitch and would retreat and try to protect itself).

A hearing test can show if there is hearing loss or not. Sometimes, high sounds, like the beep of an alarm clock, may sound muffled or distorted when there is pressure inside the ears derived fom hyperacusis. When people lose hearing, the beep no longer sounds distorted, but sounds in a different, lower tone.

These are all symptoms and the underlying causes and mechanisms that trigger them are hard to pin down, one can only guess.