- Dec 8, 2025
- 1
- Tinnitus Since
- 1998
- Cause of Tinnitus
- I think repeated ear infections, loud noises, otosclerosis
Hello everyone. I am a woman in my 40s who's dealt with tinnitus for close to 30 years. I've had regular tinnitus and occasionally pulsatile tinnitus. I had many ear infections as a child, although I never had tubes. Even as an adult, I'd get ear infections easily (inner and outer), and I constantly felt like my ears were blocked, one much worse than the other. Years later, I was diagnosed with otosclerosis and was told that I had Eustachian tube dysfunction. I've been looking for relief for a long time.
Unfortunately, my partner developed tinnitus this year and has been struggling greatly. His is also worse on one side than the other, and he also has occasional pulsatile tinnitus and ear pain. We've been trying to find him relief and are waiting for an appointment with an ENT (his PCP seemed pretty unconcerned), but the wait times where we are are incredibly long, and we have to travel to see one.
I have a theory about his tinnitus, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen. A few years ago, he had major jaw surgery and has dealt with complications since then. He'd go through spells, even years later, where his face and lips would swell up and his lips would go numb. He was told there's always a chance of nerve damage and complications like that with the surgery he had. There were times when it was very visible, and other times when I couldn't see anything but he said he could feel it, and it would affect his speech for a few hours. His teeth also ache a lot. Usually, these spells would last up to a day and then resolve. Sometimes he'd use ice packs, heating pads, and Advil or Tylenol, but there was never one thing that consistently relieved it.
Then earlier this year, his ears started blocking up and the ringing started. The strange thing is that the swelling issues with his face have been less this year than at any other time since his surgery, but now he has this tinnitus issue. He talked to the doctor he sees for his surgical follow up, and they ordered a CT scan to make sure there was no issue with scar tissue in his face that might be causing problems. The CT scan said there wasn't, but it did show a defect in his mastoid on one side. The doctor said he was confused because if that was the issue, it would've been a problem for a lot longer, since he believes the defect has been there for years.
His ringing and the blocking come and go. He'll have weeks where he has nothing and his ears are open and clear with no ringing, then all of a sudden they block and the ringing starts, sometimes low, sometimes loud, and the pulsatile part is just as sporadic, although not as frequent. This has been going on for almost 1 year now. I'm wondering if there's anyone else out there who's had jaw surgery and has developed tinnitus as a result.
I've suggested that he sign up here for support. I honestly think that having someone you love dealing with this is worse than dealing with it yourself, or maybe I've just become so accustomed to it that it doesn't bother me as much anymore. I remember what it was like when it started, and seeing him go through it is breaking my heart.
Unfortunately, my partner developed tinnitus this year and has been struggling greatly. His is also worse on one side than the other, and he also has occasional pulsatile tinnitus and ear pain. We've been trying to find him relief and are waiting for an appointment with an ENT (his PCP seemed pretty unconcerned), but the wait times where we are are incredibly long, and we have to travel to see one.
I have a theory about his tinnitus, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen. A few years ago, he had major jaw surgery and has dealt with complications since then. He'd go through spells, even years later, where his face and lips would swell up and his lips would go numb. He was told there's always a chance of nerve damage and complications like that with the surgery he had. There were times when it was very visible, and other times when I couldn't see anything but he said he could feel it, and it would affect his speech for a few hours. His teeth also ache a lot. Usually, these spells would last up to a day and then resolve. Sometimes he'd use ice packs, heating pads, and Advil or Tylenol, but there was never one thing that consistently relieved it.
Then earlier this year, his ears started blocking up and the ringing started. The strange thing is that the swelling issues with his face have been less this year than at any other time since his surgery, but now he has this tinnitus issue. He talked to the doctor he sees for his surgical follow up, and they ordered a CT scan to make sure there was no issue with scar tissue in his face that might be causing problems. The CT scan said there wasn't, but it did show a defect in his mastoid on one side. The doctor said he was confused because if that was the issue, it would've been a problem for a lot longer, since he believes the defect has been there for years.
His ringing and the blocking come and go. He'll have weeks where he has nothing and his ears are open and clear with no ringing, then all of a sudden they block and the ringing starts, sometimes low, sometimes loud, and the pulsatile part is just as sporadic, although not as frequent. This has been going on for almost 1 year now. I'm wondering if there's anyone else out there who's had jaw surgery and has developed tinnitus as a result.
I've suggested that he sign up here for support. I honestly think that having someone you love dealing with this is worse than dealing with it yourself, or maybe I've just become so accustomed to it that it doesn't bother me as much anymore. I remember what it was like when it started, and seeing him go through it is breaking my heart.
