Finally Got an Audiogram/Tympanometry/DPOE After 6 Months.

[MrBonk]

Tympanic Membrane test: Normal -Interesting. But not surprising since I finally don't have massive pressure issues any more. Both my ears definitely don't feel normal in different ways though. Still feel like I have to pop my right ear a lot. Left ear still feels like it's pull open (Eustachian Tube) too easily, still can't blow my nose without the air pushing my left ET open and forcing all the air in there.

Audiogram: It was hard to hear a lot of tones over the Tinnitus in my ears. But biggest dip is at 15khz in Left ear. Or less than 10dB of loss in frequencies>8khz. In the 6-8khz range in particular. I feel like I should've gotten a redo. I'll ask for another audiogram when I go to the ENT in 3 months.

I feel like the results could be better if my tinnitus wasn't masking the tones. When you are in that treated room. With tinnitus, your noise floor is increased a lot. And most of the sound testing was very quiet. In the speech recognition test, again quiet. I probably got 90% of them, only missed the others because of Tinnitus.

Also apparently I could hear the 20khz tone (When in my own testing I couldn't. I could've sworn I used to be able to hear up to 19khz on my own equipment. But I can't hear that either.) which he said was impressive.

Loudness/threshold of pain test: He got very loud, but not discomforting or painful. No threshold of pain reached for me.

DPOAE test: Everything looks fine in the areas the Audiologist could check up to 10khz (Equipment couldn't go higher). Except for some reason there is a dip between 5-6khz in both ears. But I can hear those frequencies just fine in pure tones and normal broadband content. I wanted a printed copy of this. But he had to use a Laptop to do the test and it wasn't connected to the printer apparently. He said something about getting me a copy, but I didn't know if he meant mailed or what. I forgot to ask, it was first thing in the morning. My brain was super tired.

He was nice, but didn't have any real useful information about anything. To be expected.
At least he didn't try to sell me a hearing aid.

I wanted an ABR too, but he didn't do it there. Forgot whether he said if there was a place up north or not.

Whelp, next up. ENT...not until February. Oh well until then i'll just keep popping Cough Drops, Psuedoephedrine (For my sinuses and post nasal drip) and EGB761 Gingko Biloba. (Still can't quite tell if it's helped at all after 3-4 months of 120mg daily. Guess i'm too afraid to stop. )

 

[3ri0w]

How loud was each test? Did they hurt you?

 

[MrBonk]

Not at all honestly. Not even the loudest they tested for "MCL" (Maximum comfort level) bothered me.

Most of the sounds they used for the audiogram were super super quiet. Rather than loud going down. They went from the bottom up rather than the top down. Which when you have T, is difficult because of the noise masking out the tones.

The most uncomfortable part was the Tymponametry test.

I'm pretty lucky that there has to be very very loud sounds to bother my T. (Like 90+dB. Whenever i've driven my ATV since getting it, even with different plugs. It temporarily spikes my T and makes it louder for a period of time. Especially when riding.)

 

[3ri0w]

Thank you for answering! What was uncomfortable about tympanometry?

Ah shame about the ATV How long does the spike last?

 

[MrBonk]

The Tymp test just had a slight pressure that's it.

The spikes usually only seem to last a day or two or so. Maybe less.
Though a few times, several days after it calmed down. The worst of my T sounds would come back, an unmaskable high pitched oscillating tone that varies in intensity, it will have short bursts where it jumps very rapidly in amplitude creating a flicker type sound.

luckily that hasn't gotten that bad in a while. Though it seems like it has come back recently,but at a lot lower volume.