Greetings from Nova Scotia — Chronic Itching in Ears for Years, Tinnitus for a Couple of Weeks

Hi there, I'm from Nova Scotia, Canada. My tinnitus started about 3 - 4 weeks ago. It's driving me nuts. I hear a sound like a generator, or a motor running, continuously in both ears. Over and above that, a thousand birds are singing. When I speak, I hear myself twice... and when others speak to me, I hear them twice, but vaguely, through the overarching din of the generator and the birds. It's made worse by the inane music that plays in the grocery store, the T.V., the noise of the car, and basically any constant level of sound played for a long period of time. When the sound stops (for example, when I park the car and turn off the engine) I can still hear it, and it blocks out people's voices, etc. It's like a constant reverberating vibration that never stops, day or night.

I have been suffering - for years - with chronic itching in both ears. The doctor prescribed a hydrocortisone lotion, which helped a bit, but not really. So I've been managing it myself by various non-doctor prescribed methods, including poking q-tips covered in hydrocortisone cream deep inside my ears, pouring hydrogen peroxide into my ears, and attempting to scratch inside my ear with the end of my reading glasses. If I could fit a screwdriver or a Dremel tool inside my ear canal, I would probably use that as well. Needless to say, I have not told my doctor about any of these activities.

Does anyone else suffer from this intense, maddening, unrelenting itch? It never stops. And I have a feeling I've somehow damaged the interior of my ear canal, or even possibly my eardrum, by my constant search for relief.

Well, that's me. Have at it, folks.

 

I had an itch that started around when my tinnitus started and has stayed with me on and off ever since. I sometimes wonder if the itching came on from swimming.

 

Hydrogen Peroxide is known for really calming tinnitus and is pretty benign, so I think we can rule that one out... Some people even say a little Hydrogen Peroxide in the ears for a few weeks straight will cure tinnitus. I haven't tried that yet.

 

Hey everyone, I have what I like to call Morse Code Tinnitus in my right ear (or maybe it's my left - or both. It's difficult to tell). I have had this now for over a year. My family doctor referred me to an ENT who diagnosed it as Middle Ear Myoclonus, and said there was no treatment other than invasive surgery, and basically I would just have to live with it. I took a couple of hearing tests at the same clinic, and they said I had low grade hearing loss "commensurate with my age" (I am 61).

I have also had CT scans of my brain and sinuses - both normal.

Then, I got COVID-19. It affected my hearing quite badly. Severe congestion, and hearing loss in both ears. I was hearing people speak with an echo, and also hearing my own voice twice, and also still hearing the echo of the car engine after it was turned off. But the morse code stopped! I went on antibiotics to clear out any infection. When I went to my family doctor, she looked in my ears and said I had fluid behind both eardrums. She prescribed a course of sinus rinse (Neti pot technique) and Avamys nasal spray. Gradually my hearing improved, and after a month I no longer hear people's voices twice. BUT THE MORSE CODE IS BACK. Argh! And I still feel like my Eustachian tube is blocked, my ear/throat intersection squishes when I swallow, and my ear won't pop properly when I go up and down hills. I've tried all the usual techniques, the Valsalva Manouvre, etc. Nothing works.

I'm going to my family doctor again next Thursday. So we'll see what she has to say. Meanwhile, I know this is probably futile, but I'm wondering about acupuncture? Has anyone had success with this?

Sorry for the information dump. Thanks everyone.

 

Hi @willowretreat! I don't have much to advise in the way of acupuncture or any other 'unorthodox' methods of treatment; I just wanted to say that, like you, I'm also from Nova Scotia. Born and raised, lived here my whole life. I have a morse code-esque tinnitus as well. Moreso the rhythm than the actual sound effect.

Wishing you luck on the journey from a fellow 'Scotian.

 

If your problem is ETD, there are some exercises on YouTube that can help. Wish you the best .

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction ETD Exercises and...