Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Treatment Aggravates Tinnitus?

For the past two months now I have been suffering with an intermittent, high pitched ringing in my right ear.
I’ve visited the doctors multiple times and recently an ENT who said it was due to Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (Which has followed the ringing since the start) and was told that there was nothing to be worried about. Seemed to be congestion and fullness in my ear affecting the ringing etc. Also doesn’t seem to be any hearing loss too from what I can tell.

I’ve been told to do steaming, a balloon to work the Eustachian Tubes and a steroid nasal spray that I’ve been using the whole time. Also to hold my nose and blow to encourage the Eustachian tubes to work.

But this is where I’ve been having issues...

Whenever my ears come under any kind of resistance, it makes the tinnitus louder. Holding my nose and blowing aggravates the ear and makes the ringing louder.
When I belch/burp (mostly from stress) it creates pressure in my ear and sets off the tinnitus even louder. Even yawning can set it off making it louder.

I’ve found myself in this viscous cycle of wanting to do the exercises / treatment, but at the same time being unbelievably worried that it’s just worsening the ringing that I have currently.

Does anyone else have the same issue? Is the ringing getting louder a normal thing?

Please please help. As I’ve spent these past two months in complete anxiety and stress.

Thanks.

 

Do you have a history of loud noise exposure? Loud music, loud factory work ect...?

This may have something to do with your tinnitus.

 

I’ve been to the odd concert and festival, yes. Nothing excessive but it’s something I’ve kept in mind.
Here’s hoping it’s related to ETD or TMJ issues I’ve been having eh

 

Uh.. there's a bit of controversy that ETD is a misdiagnosis and TMD/TMJ and noise induced pain interact with one another via the trigeminal nerve. Please understand audiologist are known to be clueless about some of these conditions.

The only question I ask is

Do you experience pain from noise or any discomfort from everyday noise or music?
Also ear fullness or facial muscle spasms triggered by noise?

Do you have trouble hearing in background noise or deciphering music?


If you get middle ear muscle spasms, irritation/pain or weird sensation from noise, or trouble hearing in background noise that's a dead give away. These questions help reach conclusions.

 

Yeah I’ve read up quite a bit about the confusion and misdiagnosis between ETD/TMJ issues.

I feel no pain in my ears from everyday sound and noise.
I do however get pain in my right ear mainly where it feels like uncomfortable pressure. It hurts especially when I turn my head to the left.
I experience ear fullness and soreness around my jaw with daily headaches which affect the back of my head and my temples.

I’ve recently started steaming and have also noticed my right nostril is almost completely blocked and I had a very hard time trying to circulate any steam into my right side.
Background noise has never been an issue so far. Throughout the day I have no awareness of it. Only when I’m in a completely silent room I can hear a faint high pitched intermittent ringing. That’s if I haven’t aggravated my ear from uncontrollably belching or straining the muscles in my ear.

 

I was diagnosed with inflamed eustachian tube and BPPV. Both can lead to tinnitus. The BPPV has resolved but the tube is still inflamed. I also at this moment have a bad head cold that is aggravating it. I can't clear my left eustachian, and at this point in time it is loud. You may also find that a change, up, or down in barrometric pressure will aggravate it. Some suggestions. I use a Mabis steam inhaler with Lavender, patchouli, eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree oil. I don't use them all at once, usually one or two, and go easy a drop or two of each is fine. Also steam in a seperate room if you have pets, some oils can hurt them. Here is link to the Mabis: https://www.amazon.com/MABIS-Personal-Inhaler-Vaporizer-Relief/dp/B000AYYK5M

Secondly, look into the ear popper or Eustachi. I have the latter on order and it will be here next week. https://www.eustachiunclogsears.com/

Look for the apple cider thread here on tinnitustalk. Apple cider vinegar is a very powerful anti viral, anti fungal natural remedy that may help with the ETD.

Look into saline sprays, readily available at pharmacies, health food stores, etc. I'm on Budesonide, but my concussion doc says the salines will probably work better, so I use them a couple of times a day in addition to the Budesonide.

Finally bear in mind that it can take a very long time to clear up ETD, 6 months is not uncommon. Good news is that you have a very good chance of eliminating the T. if you can get a handle on the ETD. Mine in fact goes away for days at time, before coming back. Hang in there and keep us posted.

 

I’ll make sure to check out all of those. Especially the steam and apple cider thread.

Thank you very much for your help and I’ll make sure to get back to you if I see improvements!

I think from all the stress I’ve become pretty impatient. I think I need to take a step back and give things some time to recover.

Thanks again.

 

I use to experience this exact sensation from noise, infact I still get jaw aches and soreness in my jaw. But oddly enough my ear feels fine usually.

 

There needs to be a serious debate where specialist weight in the evidence for both ETD and TMJ vs cochlear neuropathy causing trigeminal nerve irritability. But the thing is doctors don't work that way and the latter problem is still being heavily researched.

No one on this forum can draw a conclusion, but try to keep an open mind.

Read stories about people with myself who had jaw pain and tension in their ears from noise after acoustic shock.

 

Here's the thing dude, I had a 10 year history of loud music, loud exercise classes, headphones. But in Nov 2017 I had a injury from exposure to 135db+ noise for several minutes caused by my own stupidity. My right ear was sore to say the least, my jaw, neck and right side of face was burning and aching, sometimes noise made my right ear feel as hard as a rock or full at the very least. The worst was burning pain in my right ear. Other then noise induced pain, some noises sounded much louder in both ears. Also the tinnitus was mechanical noises in my right ear and piercing cicadas and headnoises in my left. The condition interacted with my previous undiagnosed mild TMJ and caused noise to make my jaw ache.



The audiologist were clueless and told me my hearing was phenomenal when it was mufled, broken and distorted. The brain has a way to compensate for hearing loss by amplifying noise. It's called "Loudness hyperacusis". Peripheral nerve damage of outer hair cells triggers cochlear noiceptors making noise cause pain this is called "noxacusis or pain hyperacusis". Nerve related hearing loss doesn't show up on the hearing test, they don't consider hearing loss clinically concerning. This is called "hidden hearing loss"

All these problems usually stem from damaged nerves and sensory cells in the ear.

 

This is why it sucks. People with loudness hyperacusis could be going to the ENT, having perfect audiograms and not even realize they have it. There have been many cases where I have read on here where I thought that to be the case - with idle comments from those people here and there. I wonder if the people who say their hearing got worse and such, so suddenly, is maybe because they didn't realize they have loudness H.

 

Damn, well I wish you well and hope things have been going as smooth as possible for you.
And thank you for getting back to me and helping me out. I appreciate that.

Cheers

 

You're welcome, hope it helped...