I One Day Just Woke Up with Tinnitus, Ear Pressure, Popping/Cracking

[seanf22]

Hi all, so I have no idea what caused my tinnitus, just one day woke up with it, as well as immense ear pressure, and popping/cracking of ears with yawns and such. I haven't been sick or anything, though did have an ear infection with slight fever for a day or 2 half way into this. It's been almost 2 months (started November 2) and the sound is best described as a static/hum - like an old light bulb in a dimmer switch kind of static/hum.

I'm 24 years old. Living in WA during COVID-19 it's next to impossible to get a doctor's appointment in person but I had a phone visit, who had me do hearing test at the audiologist center. The hearing test came back completely in normal range. I had another phone chat after the hearing test and the doctor just said to try to ignore the ringing/tinnitus and that based on other described symptoms I probably have eustachian tube dysfunction as well.

Unlike a lot of people on this board that I've read, I'm not in any way sensitive to sound (quite the contrary now, as that's the only way I find peace), nor do I notice any change in the loudness after a loud(ish) event, say watching an action movie with friends. I haven't noticed anything that affects it like caffeine which I've read other people say it does (I've tried going week without, and with; no difference). When I'm outside my ear pressure/popping is better though and I don't really even notice the ringing - whether that be related to outdoor air or just that there's more external sounds. As aa FYI, it's winter time and Washington state, so air outside is rather cold and wet, inside air is 68 and dry. And when I'm inside... And the TV or something isn't on... The ringing is unbearable. Absolutely destroying me. Can't read, work on computer, or sleep, and don't know what to do/ expect.

Have other people had it like this and had it go away even after 2 months?

So far if indoors I pretty much have to have TV or something on all day, and run a fan all night to be able to sleep. Any advice or experience is appreciated.

Thanks,
Sean

 

[Psych]

From my experience, what you have seems like you will be able to habituate to it in what will, in retrospect, look like a reasonable amount of time. You will, from what I've experienced myself, get to a point where you will not even notice it's there a good amount of the time. An we're learning more and more about brain plasticity every day, so you might want to look into that as it relates to tinnitus. Best wishes going forward!

 

[martinberryhorse]

I have the same static/hum sound, like a fluorescent light bulb inside my head.

I coughed fluid into my eustachian tubes along with ash from smoking and irritated them.

Totally clogged for 2 months, very loud, burning pain in my ears. Then it got a little better one night and stopped spiking.

Ears felt less full, would crackle open though not without a lot of effort, except for the left which has remained closed and will only crackle open a tiny bit.

When I woke up and my ears felt a little better the ringing was also immediately better, leading me to believe this is caused completely from the ETD. I had two hearing tests and both came back perfect.

I am almost at 17 months now, I quit smoking for the first 11 but got so stressed I have been smoking for the past 8 so that may have slowed me down again, though it hasn't gone back to as bad as it was in the beginning.

My ears are also jumpy with certain sharp sounds, the left more than the right. A little muscle will crinkle my ear drum for certain sounds like typing on a keyboard.

Probably a good chance your ETD will go away faster than mine assuming that is what it is and you havnt done anything like i have to screw it up.

 

[Lane]

I have been smoking for the past 8 so that may have slowed me down again

@martinberryhorse -- From my perspective, I would say it's virtually certain smoking has slowed you down. I smoked from around age 17 to about 20, at which time I got the absolutely worst head/chest cold I could have ever imagined. I knew EXACTLY why I had that cold, and realized that continuing to smoke would be just about the worst thing I could do to myself. So I decided to quit.

What really helped me gradually quit smoking was not having any cigarettes on my body--I would keep them in way out of reach so that I had to make a big effort to go get them. What helped me to permanently quit smoking was reminding myself over and over that I must be crazy to even think about continuing with a habit that would almost certainly come back to torture me many times over.

The process took a few months, but I've not smoked in many years--and never looked back. -- Good luck if you decide to quit smoking! -- BTW, there are much better stress relievers other than smoking.