ENT — Catch 22

[Fleegle]

So I went to another ENT and it basically went better than the last, but I genuinely believed this one would be better than the last. And when I say "believed", you know where this is going...
So I had 15 minutes to start explaining everything from scratch - which is my list of observations. Never saying the T word, until the ENT said it right at the end.

Now I am absolutely convinced that T is the symptom of some other underlying cause, and I explained all other physiological concerns FIRST before saying the magic words "... and there is a noise in my head". This runs contrary to my previous ENT experience where I started with "I've got tinnitus..." and we all know where that conversation went.

No? Well it went the same way is this one.

So I am rattling off a list of experiences and symptoms (love to share with you (later)) and then the Tinnitus. So he concludes that "you've got Tinnitus and there is nothing you can do". And I am like "what about the left ear blockage I am feeling 24/7/365, and the pain to my face's left side, and the s^&* that leaks out of my nose every morning? and more..."

And he is saying "You had a hearing test, right? Well T is caused by hearing loss. And your test shows hearing loss. So therefore hearing loss causes your tinnitus and you feel like you are blocked in that ear."

But I am saying "I can't hear anything during the test BECAUSE of my tinnitus. So maybe T causes my bad test and therefore T causes hearing loss?!?!?!"

And he checks the ears, and the sinuses, and the nose, and the throat and says "Nothing physically wrong with you. and the MRI is clear" and then doesn't speak the unspoken answer [ie. it's all in your head].

Yes. I am convinced - absolutely convinced - that T is a symptom of something else. There IS a blockage somewhere - I can feel it. It is not just some "numbness" that is compensating like for a missing tooth.

The saddest, cruelest part of this is that I have to pay for the opportunity to BEG for someone to take it seriously. Pay for someone to dismiss my pain (actual physical pain) as a result of hearing loss.
Do I need to go to another ENT (strike three) and just not mention tinnitus at all, and see where it goes? Try to GAME the consult to get her/him on my side and try to look for a physiological cause. And basically LIE and withhold information to get someone to give me more the ONE 15 minute session?

Looks like I need an appointment with an audiologist on some day in the future that I will not have the strong tinnitus so I can get a "normal" hearing test, and then wave it in the face of an ENT and say "what hearing loss?"

Your thoughts?

 

[Bill Bauer]

I think that first you need to find out what other methods (besides MRI) doctors can use to find blockages/problems in that area. If such a method/exam exists, it will be easier to get your doctor to refer you for that exam (compared to hoping that the doctor knows what he/she is doing, and hoping that they would volunteer to refer you for that exam). After my experiences with ENT, I decided that the next time I need to see a doctor, I ought to get medical textbooks at the university library and find out exactly what I need to get that doctor to do. The doctors are useless, unless you have one of the handful of common conditions.

 

[Fleegle]

Thank you for your support, Bill Bauer. I feel the same way. I want to change doctors just for the chance to start a new approach.
I think it is e-tube dysfunction. Maybe it comes and goes. Maybe I need a daily MRI just to show something going on? But how? But how to convince a GP or ENT that it is so?
I think all doctors are somehow trained that T is a brain thing caused by hearing loss and I somehow have to buck the medical establishment with absolutely no science just to get a fair hearing (ha pun, and I didn't realize it).
I have another script for Dymista I can try again (why not? it's only $50) - this time with instructions on how to spray it from this site rather than a GP who doesn't even know where the tube is!

 

[Bill Bauer]

You can search scholar.google.com for papers about treatments of e-tube dysfunction. Like I said earlier, you can take a look at medical textbooks. I am not an expert in medicine or even biology, but I can still get a sense of whether what I am reading is useful. Hopefully you will be able to find something that you can then bring to the attention of your doctor.

What I am trying to say is that this knowledge might be out there, but it is most likely that one's doctor will not take the time to look it up. You can try to do your doctor's job. Surely if you make your doctor aware of a test or a drug that, according to researchers, could be useful for your condition, your doctor will have no reason to turn down your request.

 

[PaulBe]

I made a point in another post that it was wise to lie and deny you had tinnitus if you had other symptoms that also concerned you, because the word Tinnitus acts as a trigger that lets them get out of going any further with you. If you see another one (god help you) then lie and say you don't have tinnitus. I bet you get further. Remember, medicine is a business first.

 

[Karl28]

I think it is e-tube dysfunction. Maybe it comes and goes. Maybe I need a daily MRI just to show something going on? But how? But how to convince a GP or ENT that it is so?

An ENT doing that camera down your nose thing will tell you exactly whats up with your e-tubes

 

[GregCA]

Is your hearing loss conductive or sensorineural? Have you done fork/Rinne tests? Do you have a Schwarz sign? do you have a Carhart notch? have you done a CT scan? (use google if you need to learn what these tests are)