Do I Have Tinnitus?

A couple times now I have had this strange sensation in my ear that feels like the main ear canal "tightening" which results in significant reduction in my hearing. The tightening tends to last for 10-30 seconds then subsides, and tends to continue to repeat every 2-5 minutes.

These symptoms can go on for hours, sometimes days before going away.

This happened to me once a few months ago but it went away and here it is back once again, and I'm not sure what it could be. I was thinking about doing an MRI just to make sure I'm okay but is anyone else on here suffering from these symptoms? Would you say it is some form of Tinnitus?

Thanks!

 

Have you seen laryngologist to exclude easiest cases to find like ear wax or problem with pressure inside ears, maybe some infections?

Something uncommon happened to you? Loud noise / cold / some meds at the time when it appeared for the first time?

Tinnitus is constant / pulsative / basically 24/7 sound in your ears / head. And with just that you shouldn't feel any canal tightening.

 

You don't have T.

You may have either eustachian tube dysfunction, or a tightening of your tensor tympany for whatever reason. Neck related issues, or anxiety issues, can cause the TTTS-like symptoms as well. Good luck.

 

I agree, it doesn't sound like tinnitus.

WARNING: If it is a build up of ear wax causing it I advise not to try flushing it our with water(aka syringing). Don't do it yourself and don't let a doctor/nurse do it. In many cases this procedure can cause/worsen tinnitus and/or hyperacusis. The ENT I went to was dismissive of my thinking that this was what caused/worsened mine, but a simple google search of "syringing ears" will reveal that it is not considered safe, and there are plenty of people who have written online about how syringing from a doctor/nurse (or doing it themselves) caused their tinnitus/hyperacusis. There are other ways doctors can remove ear wax that are more safe.

Also, going to loud concerts/events without sufficient hearing protection is a very common cause of tinnitus, so it's a good idea to keep that in mind for the sake of preventing tinnitus. Prevention is always better than trying to deal with it once it's there.

I hope you figure out what's going on with your ears, and how to take care of it!

Best of wishes!