Dumb Incident: Self-Caused Barotrauma While Taking My Hand Off My Ear

Hi everyone, new member here!

I’m seeing an ENT tomorrow but would like some insight since I’m pretty worried.

So briefly, I have had ETD+TMJ for a few months after getting Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS). It is already causing me tinnitus (medium multi-tonal to faint hissing), pulsatile tinnitus, hyperacusis, and sporadically muffled hearing/fluid and pain/fullness in the ears. Nothing new here, I’m used to it and it tends to heal as I recover from PFS.

HOWEVER, on last Monday night I put my hand on my right ear to check on my tinnitus (which is the ear most affected by ETD). The thing is that I made kind of a seal without realizing with my palm and when I took out my hand it created a suction/vacuum effect.

It was pretty gently and it didn’t made sound but it pulled out my outer/middle ear and immediately caused pain. A reactive higher pitch appeared a minute later on top on my already high pitch tone (After I yawned I think). I hear it everytime I’m being active basically, I wish it was constant at least...

It has been almost 3 days, tinnitus is here, the pain still can be sharp, I may have slightly muffled hearing but if so it’s subtle.

I don’t think it is a « pinky-in-the-ear accident » type or a « kiss of deaf » phenomenon, but I feel I created a barotrauma and pulled out fluid in my ear (and possibly an infection?).

For months I’ve been fighting to take my life back, things are going better and now this dumb event happen.

I’m so mad at me. I had my ETD under control but I don’t think I’ll recover from that injury.

I took some Prednisolone today and yesterday in panic, but I’m afraid of the rebound effect. Can it occur after 2 days of use? I’m not sure and I don’t want to worsen the situation like I read here from @Matchbox.

• Since there is probably no inner ear damage, would you personally take the steroids if prescribed?
• What can I do to promote healing?

 

Not sure steroids would do much in this case but I probably would’ve taken them too.

We all have setbacks man so no use in beating yourself up. Just like you were getting better before, I truly believe you’ll continue down that path.

 

If it helps, I'm probably a rarity for this crap.

Steroids aren't going to promote healing; they might actually stifle it. It's more for protecting cells from dying right after a trauma or an overt immune reaction.

 

Hi, so sorry you had to go through that last incident.

I know the feeling of wanting it to be constant all too well... So I understand you beating yourself up over this. Everyone would.

I would take the Prednisone too, but my ear damage is all noise trauma with no bad effects from drugs.

I doubt Prednisone will help but you already started so I would give it a go for one week, plus taper.

I hope you read up on how to take it.

 

Side note; your dog is a cutie lol.

 

Hi, thanks everyone for the help.

The ENT told me my eardrums are absolutely fine (no fluid, no inflammation, no tears). He even showed it to me in real time. My audiometry is pretty much the same, so no hearing loss in the frequencies tested. Tympanometry is normal.

The pain and tinnitus are very real though so this has not been a relief. I'm hesitant to go to the hospital even if I doubt they will perform further tests.

I don't get it. I'm pretty sure the tinnitus started while I yawned shortly after the incident. My TMJ has worsened recently, did I possibly pinched a nerve or something? How could it cause pain and tinnitus?

I think I won't continue Prednisolone. I feel it only makes me more congested and it doesn't really ease the pain..

 

Thanks again all for your words. They eased my anxiety.

I may be onto something. If I recall right, this new tinnitus started right after I yawned. My TMJ issues flared up lately, it may be due to the fact that I am sleeping on the back for a surgery I went under 2 weeks ago. My teeth show signs of mild bruxism but I can't be sure if it's because of that or PFS (it gave me gum recession, digestives issues so it could attack teeth too).

I also stopped exercising and my digestion is worse than ever since 2 weeks so it may contribute to worsening of symptoms given that I still have PFS. Plus I have bad posture being at home everyday, especially around my neck.

I experienced TMJ pain few days ago while chewing, it was something I didn't experienced in a very long time. I know too well how it can irritate the ear with stabbing pain, however usually it subsides quickly.

The fact that my ENT saw nothing wrong in my ear and suggested a jaw problem makes sense. I'm still not sold entirely so I'll take a second opinion soon.

Interesting thing, I did this exercise which relieve TMD pain by relaxing the nerve:

Instant TMJ Relief With Simple Exercise | Dr. Berg

The ear pain subsided to some extents, and tinnitus changed too, unfortunately not the new high-pitched reactive one. However this new tone wasn't there this morning when I wake up and I believe it came back when I yawned again, will have to confirm that.

Oh and Red Light exposure for 15 minutes really ease the pain temporarily, it may be anti-inflammatory too so it's a win-win.

I'm gonna order a guard for sleeping and I'll go to a dentist eventually.

SO YEAH, it may not be an ear related problem after all, but I still can't figure out why it coincided with me hurting my ear. It may be just a weird occurrence, but I have a hard time believing it may not be related.

 

Hi, so here's an update.

It's probably not TMJ after all.

I tried to equalize my ear by pinching my nose and swallowing and my ear felt full instantly, hearing became muffled and the pain reoccured a bit. I'm so scared now...

I saw that barotrauma can show no tympanic signs so it may explain why it was looking good. But apparently a minor tear can go unnoticed.

I was already feeling a pressure on my tympanic membrane lately when I had reflux so it may have exacerbated some little tears.

From this point I will continue to avoid any kind of pressure like I should've done.

I have another appointment for Monday but I'm tempting to go to the ER just in case.

 

Okay... I was just standing in front of my PC 2 hours ago when the new tinnitus changed - or added - some sort of a cricket sound.

I'm going to the hospital tomorrow just in case. Pain has subsided a bit today but I feel like something is wrong.

 

Wait, cricket sound is gone.

 

That's weird, this night I woke up with a static sound in the "injured" ear, I did a 15 minutes Red Light therapy just in case and when I woke up again it was gone. I suspect that it was because I was leaning on the wrong side and putting pressure on my eardrum, supposing that it is an eardrum issue indeed.

I still have some pain but it's subsiding, my main tinnitus is still louder and a bit higher pitched than usual.
And the thing I thought was a new reactive tone is in fact a distortion, that's new to me. It is kind of unsettling but I can tolerate it.

I went to the emergencies to do further exam for nothing cause it's not an emergency for them, of course. I should go to a specialized ear, nose & throat emergency center in Paris.

 

What happened to your ears when you had reflux?

 

Any update on the high pitch reactive nonsense...?

Just curious how you can tell the difference from instant reactivity and distortions...?

 

I found a method for enabling habituation to eliminate tinnitus:

"Time does not exist because it comes from the future (which does not yet exist), into the present (which has no duration), and finally into the past (which exists no longer.")

If time does not exist, then neither does tinnitus.

Pretty clever on my part, for arriving at this, wouldn't you say?

I must confess that I did not think of this quote - St. Augustine did.

The only drawback is that a tinnitus spike can be as painfully intrusive as grinding a lit cigarette against your wrist.

Not only does the consciousness of time return, but it becomes synonymous with pain.

Also, quote for the day: A definition of Literature: "News that stays News." (Ezra Pound)

In reply to the gentleman whose method consists of writing down "tinnitus makes me feel like ____" whenever you notice it:

My difficulty is that my continual response would be "tinnitus makes me feel like acquiring a gun license, purchasing a .38 Special that takes Plus P Hollow Point Ammo, placing the barrel in my mouth, and pulling the trigger."

That is why, for me personally, I am assiduously avoiding this method.