Ear Feeling Full and Achy After Car Wheel Spun and Made Awful Screech

Hi,

-I've had tinnitus for a long time and it doesn't bother me. It started after a concert.
-Years later I think I damaged my hearing in my right ear when exposed to a jet engine for 30 seconds at work. For 3 years it felt full and ached. Then one day it dissipated.
-3 years later the heavy achy feeling came back and drove me to the brink of suicide.
-I got over that and started living life again. The feeling went away and I was absolutely fine until a week ago.

My brother dropped me off outside my house and wheel spun his car which made an awful screech and seems to have set off my ache once again! The noise was only for about 2 seconds as I managed to cover my ears quickly.

For a week my right ear has again felt full and achy. The ache extending into my jaw. Tinnitus has been no better or worse. It's just the horrible aural feeling which has left me in tears. Its not painful just a weird blocked feeling.

I started taking NAC straight away and have continued to do so daily. I've just started taking Kalms as well. Not long after taking the Kalms my ear felt almost normal.

As I type this I'm feeling almost back to normal. However my mind won't shake the fact that the tyre screeching must have damaged my ear.

My wondering is is this stress related? When I hear loud sounds does my ear shut down? I've had this before with other not so noisy incidents. I can't help thinking this is all in my head and a reaction to loud sound.

Cheers,
Shaun.

 

Had ear problems for as long as I can remember. Tinnitus started after one loud concert about 15 years ago. Got used to it and it wasn't a problem anymore. I protected my ears and never exposed them to any loud noises

Skip forward about 10 years and I was exposed to about 30 seconds of jet engine noise. This brought on some weird ear symptoms which after about 3 years disappeared.
These included:
Fullness
Aching jaw
Aching ear
Weird sensation in my ear

ENT found no problem. And no hearing loss... However I do feel my left ear hears much better than my right.

A month ago I was exposed to 2 seconds of wheel spin noise and all these symptoms have come back.
Anxiety is through the roof and I'm not sure if I can take years of this again It's almost like I cant stop thinking and feeling for these sensations 24/7.

Before this incident I was incredibly stressed with work also.

I've fallen back down the rabbit hole of chronic nerve damage etc and spend hours flicking through the forum.

Praying in a few months I'll feel my old self again! Laid in bed with ear plugs in as it's the only way to rid myself of the weird sensations.

Shaun.

 

Sounds like serial acoustic traumas, with the most recent event of the tire screech setting it off again. No quick fix, but ear protection for it to calm don again. Can take weeks to months for this to improve. Be sure to avoid further noise exposure as you are clearly susceptible to getting this again.

 

Thank you for the reply. Gives me some hope I may live a normal life again. Right now I feel ruined.

Been to the docs for the anxiety and back on Citalopram again.

Ear doesn't hurt but just feels odd and numb. Sometimes it feels not bad. Other times worse.

I've protected my ears religiously for years... Ear plugs when hoovering etc

As long as I have a chance of recovery least I have something to live for. Dark thoughts have crept in about the s word. And that's only after a month.

Shaun.

 

It took me about 18 months to feel better. I found earplugs helped a lot, but still had a small increase in my T after using the vacuum. Went to earplugs, and ear muffs on top, which took care of that issue. The ear muffs do a better job of the protecting the area around the ear from noise transmitting in so feel free to try that.

 

Hi,

Been suffering with ear, jaw pain and burning for 5 weeks after a 2 second loud noise.

The jaw pain and burning has improved but I've been left with facial numbness and some kind of inner ear tingling numbness.

At night I sometimes get intense pain in both ears... Even though my left good ear doesn't normally play up.

No tinnitus at all... In fact the old tinnitus has got better which is weird.

Currently on Citalopram 20mg as I'm not functioning well. Sit at work reading Tinnitus Talk all day and monitoring my ear. Dark thoughts are here again today that I'll be trapped like this forever.

Any tips or advice? I know 1 month isn't a long time but it feels an age for me right now.

Shaun

 

Hi,

My pain hyperacusis (if that's what it is) has steadily been getting better.

The problem I have is that I can't shift my focus from my right bad ear. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep all my attention and focus is in my ear and the feelings in and around it.

I believe to some extent this is creating some of the weird sensations of fullness and ache I feel.

I do have a high frequency hearing loss... Undiagnosed but I know it's there as my right ear doesn't hear as well as my left.

Does anyone else do this? Any suggestions how to remove my constant focus from my ear?

I'm starting counseling soon so I'm hoping CBT and mindfulness techniques will help. My ADs have certainly helped even after 3 weeks.

Shaun.

 

Good Morning,

Still suffering ear pain, burning and jaw pain, not to mention stuffy ear.

I think things got worse when an ear plug got stuck and made my ear pop 3 or 4 times. No ear drum damage or eardrum pain or dizziness. Have constant worries now that I've burst an oval or round window. It's a thought that haunts me every second of everyday and I think is keeping my symptoms ramped up.

2 weeks later after a particularly bad day of jaw ache I rubbed my ear canal and my ear popped again. This time my ear hissed and I think hearing went down... But can't be sure in my anxious wrecked state.

So now stuck in perpetual hell.

Shaun.

 

Really sorry to hear this, Shaun. This condition is like standing at the gates of hell every day.

Having recently done an audiogram I can confirm I have some hearing loss but as you already know my hyperacusis has improved since the initial trauma, so in my anecdotal case (and others) I'm inclined to say yes, it can get better.

Hoping you feel better soon

 

@Aaron91,

Thanks Aaron. Some days are better than others like today. No ear pain or burning yet just fullness and stuffiness.

I know it can take a long time to improve so I'm really trying to just be patient and hopeful.

I had a level of hearing loss but fore but my brain tuned it out... I'm hoping that will happen again.

The suicidal element has gone and just replaced with a deep sadness for the loss of my old life.

 

Oval/round window membrane doesn't necessarily have to burst completely to create auditory or vestibular issues. And if you are not really dizzy or losing hearing progressively, no intervention is recommended even if it is damaged. But you can try to avoid salt and coffee and take diuretics (natural diuretic like dandelion root tea) and keep your head elevated (don't bend over during the day and sleep on two pillows during the night) and avoid any kind of straining. Try not to put any pressure on your membranes, no matter from inside (straining, bending over etc) or outside (loud noise, high- speed elevators/trains etc).

Also about positive and negative pressure, be careful how you put your earplug in and out.

 

This sounds a lot like my condition. Does burping cause you issues by any chance? Any sinus issues ?

 

It's funny but burping makes my left good ear valsalva whilst my right bad ear does not open up.

Constant face ache and fullness are very wearing also. If I swallow my right hand face aches even more momentarily.

Last night after restaurant level noise my ear hurt.

Shaun.

 

An oval/round window can burst?? I did not know this. Any way of checking for this?

 

I think there's tests an ENT can do... Involves manipulating the ear drum and watching the movement of the eyes... I think. Also I think it gives a specific hearing loss in audiogram.

It's really quite hard to diagnose though from what I've read and the only real way is by invasive surgery which I think they try to avoid.

I'm not sure I've damaged the windows as I've had no dizziness.

Shaun.

 

Common misconception. That goes only for patients who have vertigo (they can see nystagmus) as one of the symptoms, and not every PLF patient has severe hearing loss.

Absolutely right. Even if someone does have PLF that doesn't mean they should go to surgery unless their vestibular issues are impossible to live with or unless their hearing loss is progressive. Some people can be OK with keeping their head up (sleeping on two pillows and not bending over) and avoidance of straining and pressure changes and extremely loud noise etc, drinking some mild diuretic like dandelion root tea especially at the beginning, while surgery wouldn't be risk-free and after they would have to avoid straining and bending over anyway.

I am not sure either, but the absence of dizziness isn't a guarantee your membranes are OK, and you have nothing to lose if you restrain from everything I listed.

 

Are you referring to a tympanogram? That’s the only one I can think of where they manipulate the ear drum.

I heard/felt a really loud pop and got dizzy for a moment when my tinnitus began so this is why I’m wondering :/

Have you had an audiogram?

 

I had a nurse's office Audiogram 2 weeks ago which showed high frequency hearing loss in my left ear and mid frequency loss in my right ear. My right ear is quite frankly crap... I can hear about 50% in my right ear compared to my left ear. I also have constant fullness and ache.

I'm in the UK and the waiting time for an ENT is 10 months!

Shaun

 

@Backpacker

Thank you for clarifying. I've not been able to find much on PLF.

I have no dizziness. Hearing loss is constant, just like pain and ache.

I think my disasterizing mind is trying to find any cause it can when in reality there probably isn't one.

Shaun.

 

Yeah my right ear was blocked for a while after my setback.

Yeah I can’t handle restaurant level noise either.

 

I have a neck problem, did some chin tucks, which put pressure on the jaw/ears. Inner ears has been killing me since. Starting to think my problem is what you are describing.
All sorts of dizziness as well.

Are dioralytes a good idea in terms of a diuretic?

 

I thought dioralytes were for increasing water in the body... Diuretics are for lowering water and salt.

How long did it take your fullness to disappear?

Shaun

 

You are quite right about dioralytes. I thought hydration would be the goal? Or you want to take out/eliminate the salt?

There is always some degree of fullness.

I would describe my ears as being inflamed/fragile/like the muscles in the ear are tensed... when that tension eases they crack/pop.

Since my setback I get some recovery and then lose it... I can’t figure out what is going on.

After my setback my inner ear would dramatically contract and expand from just talking. That has eased up about 80%.

Have you ever heard of anything like that?

 

I think the idea is that excess salt in the inner ear causes symptoms... By removing the excess salt you can alleviate symptoms.

Yes! That's exactly it. My ear, jaw and face feel constantly tight. My right ear pops quite a lot and crackles all the time. It does feel like muscle tension... And when I've had a fag it generally goes down for an hour.... Maybe because I'm more relaxed.

Could the expansion you feel be TTTS... I have that in my left good ear... It flutters on its own and to my voice.

Praying I can have 50% reduction at some point so I can live again.

Doctors just prescribed Tegretol so I'm hoping that'll help with some of the face ache.

Shaun

 

I will be very interested to see how you get on with Tegretol, might have to try it myself.

Yep, reduction is essential for getting back to living life.

TTTS sounds like a possibility, need to investigate further, though there is no treatment?

Yeah alcohol helps relax my face ears, probably same effect you have with cigarettes. Even concisely relaxing my jaw helps, maybe I need a mouth guard or some Valium.

 

I shall let you know how the Tegretol goes. I'm not really in any pain now as such. It's a constant fullness and pressure that's getting to me. Makes me feel like the ear is deaf almost. I have hearing loss in there so maybe that's the problem.

Sound sensitivity seems better today. Sometimes I end up with my ear feeling like a sensitive tooth.

Shaun.

 

@NewLionel

As promised a quick update.

I've now taken 3 doses of 100mg Tegretol. I woke up this morning Asymptomatic however the fullness has since returned. Good news is face pain is still at an all time low.

Now I don't know if this is a coincidence and I'm having a rare good day or placebo effect.

Shaun

 

Hi,

I've just passed my 3 month mark of gaining hyperacusis with pain. It's been 3 months of hell.

It all started after my idiot brother spun a car wheel next to me.

Month 1
Masses of face and jaw pain which I hoped would disappear but didn't. No real ear pain at this point.

I was sent to work away and driving home hit something on the motorway. I panicky put my soft ear plugs in. When I went to take it made my ear pop several times... Not sure if this made things worse.

Month 2
Laid in bed one night I did the valsalva manoeuvre which made my right ear hiss.... This went away by the morning but i can't help thinking it made things worse.

Burning ear pain started at night. When I went to bed it was like someone had poured a cup of acid in my ear.

In the day my ear would tingle and feel numb. This was the start of the ear pain for me.

Month 3
I still have face and jaw pain.

My ear still tingles when watching TV after a while.

The burning pain and numbness has gone away.


This has been 3 months of hell for me and only seems to have got a tiny bit better. I've been suicidal pretty much every day. What's the prognosis long term?

I have a hearing loss in my right ear. And I'm still waiting for my ENT appointment. I look after my ears as much as I can avoiding any loud noise.

Cheers,
Shaun.

 

Hi,

Been lurking here for 4 months now since getting hyperacusis.

Month 1 and 2:

-Serious face and jaw pain
-Nightly Burning pain
-Weird inner ear tingling and itch
-some level of hearing loss
-Fullness and pressure
-Constant suicidal ideation

Month 3 and 4:

-Ear and jaw pain decreased
-Some level of weird ear sensations
-Fullness still present
-Hearing loss still present
-Suicidal ideation has turned into sadness and some level of acceptance

I've stopped taking Tegretol as I'm unsure it's had any effect.

Still taking Vitamin B, Magnesium and Cod Liver Oil.

Still on ADs.

As I've seen some albeit minor improvement, can I expect to keep seeing improvements?

Shaun

 

@ShaunR I know your progress has been slow, but I’m happy for you that you’ve improved at least a little! Seems like you’re on the right track.