My Tinnitus Might Have Been Caused by the Tympanometry Test

[Bill Bauer]

I had my acoustic trauma on January 22, 2017. It resulted in ear fullness in one ear. I made an appointment with an ENT, and I was told to do a hearing test before my appointment. I had the hearing test done on February 2. My tinnitus had turned on in the evening of that day(!) I found it very strange that I got tinnitus after the hearing test, but since I haven't experienced any discomfort during the test, and none of the sounds I was exposed to seemed loud in any way, I decided it was just a coincidence.

I just bumped into an envelope that had my hearing test results. I was shocked to see that in addition to an audiogram, I had a tympanometry test done that day. I found threads on this site where tympanometry test is described as being loud, but I don't recall anything like that. I am not sure what to think of this. Could it really be that I gave tinnitus to myself by having that test done? Is there anyone else here who suspects that their tinnitus is a result of tympanometry test?

 

[dpdx]

I had my acoustic trauma on January 22, 2017. It resulted in ear fullness in one ear. I made an appointment with an ENT, and I was told to do a hearing test before my appointment. I had the hearing test done on February 2. My tinnitus had turned on in the evening of that day(!) I found it very strange that I got tinnitus after the hearing test, but since I haven't experienced any discomfort during the test, and none of the sounds I was exposed to seemed loud in any way, I decided it was just a coincidence.

I just bumped into an envelope that had my hearing test results. I was shocked to see that in addition to an audiogram, I had a tympanometry test done that day. I found threads on this site where tympanometry test is described as being loud, but I don't recall anything like that. I am not sure what to think of this. Could it really be that I gave tinnitus to myself by having that test done? Is there anyone else here who suspects that their tinnitus is a result of tympanometry test?

Maybe who knows. All that it matters is that it reduced.

 

[GregCA]

I just bumped into an envelope that had my hearing test results. I was shocked to see that in addition to an audiogram, I had a tympanometry test done that day. I found threads on this site where tympanometry test is described as being loud, but I don't recall anything like that. I am not sure what to think of this. Could it really be that I gave tinnitus to myself by having that test done?

It's possible, but I'd be surprised if it was your cause: you just had an acoustic trauma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_razor

 

[Bill Bauer]

you just had an acoustic trauma

I had an acoustic trauma about 10 days prior to T turning on. I had the hearing test done about 10 hours prior to T turning on.......

 

[GregCA]

I had an acoustic trauma about 10 days prior to T turning on. I had the hearing test done about 10 hours prior to T turning on.......

Yup, and I bet you also drank fluids less than 10 hours before T turned on... perhaps it's the water!
Or is it the blinking of the eyes? it happened a mere second prior to T showing up!

It's not uncommon for T to appear many days after an auditory insult.

There is value in trying to figure out if some test is likely to cause damage, but to get that information you have to craft a scientific study - not a "random poll on an internet forum". You'd be deriving information from unreliable/uncontrolled data.

 

[Bill Bauer]

There is value in trying to figure out if some test is likely to cause damage, but to get that information you have to craft a scientific study - not a "random poll on an internet forum". You'd be deriving information from unreliable/uncontrolled data.

To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld: We have to use the data that we have, not the data that we wish we had.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Yup, and I bet you also drank fluids less than 10 hours before T turned on... perhaps it's the water!
Or is it the blinking of the eyes? it happened a mere second prior to T showing up!

Good point. Thank you.

What I had wasn't your usual acoustic trauma. A sonic toothbrush came into contact with the opening of my ear canal for a fraction of a second... It is such a bizarre thing to have happened, that I am not sure whether it is more likely that it was the cause of my T or whether it was the tympanometry test.

 

[GregCA]

To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld: We have to use the data that we have, not the data that we wish we had.

But mistakenly thinking that you do have data you can rely on to derive conclusions is worse than knowing that you don't know.

It is great that you quoted DR, because you know how that ended (i.e. how the conclusion based on "the data we had" ended up being bogus).

 

[Bill Bauer]

It is great that you quoted DR, because you know how that ended (i.e. how the conclusion based on "the data we had" ended up being bogus).

That wasn't a quote. What he actually said was something along the lines of "you go to war with the army you actually have, not with the army that you wish you had."

They did win that war.

mistakenly thinking that you do have data you can rely on

Collecting the data, and then taking into account the limitations of the data, might be more informative than not collecting any data.

 

[GregCA]

They did win that war.

You're missing the point, deliberately, so I won't debate this any further.

 

[Bill Bauer]

You're missing the point, deliberately

What you quoted was a joke. I did address your point when I wrote

Collecting the data, and then taking into account the limitations of the data, might be more informative than not collecting any data.

 

[kelpiemsp]

Why were you getting your hearing checked?

 

[kelpiemsp]

Either way I found this: https://www.audiologyonline.com/ask-the-experts/why-y-axis-on-tympanograms-1306

which suggests that the DB at the eardrum is around 65-70.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Why were you getting your hearing checked?

I got a very unpleasant full ear sensation after my acoustic trauma. I was hoping an ENT might help me. The ENT asked me to do a hearing test before my appointment.

Either way I found this: https://www.audiologyonline.com/ask-the-experts/why-y-axis-on-tympanograms-1306

which suggests that the DB at the eardrum is around 65-70.

Thank you!

70 dB doesn't sound catastrophic. I guess it is possible that my T is not the result of this test, after all.

 

[kelpiemsp]

@Bill Bauer Glad I could help!

 

[GregCA]

What you quoted was a joke. I did address your point when I wrote:

Collecting the data, and then taking into account the limitations of the data, might be more informative than not collecting any data.

It's a reasonable statement in absolute, but doesn't apply here unfortunately.

 

[dpdx]

The VEMP Test I had was 115 decibels I think.

 

[dpdx]

VEMP can cause hearing loss. It is crazy that audiologists perform this test and the ECOG. Crazyyyy

 

[Emperor-Drax]

What exactly are these hearing tests and why would medical professionals use such risky techniques? Whatever happened to "do no harm"?

 

[dpdx]

What exactly are these hearing tests and why would medical professionals use such risky techniques? Whatever happened to "do no harm"?

$$$$$$$$$$$
your misery = $$$$
ear tests = $$$$$

you are cash cow and they will milk you dry. They kept insisting that I do TRT when I had Mild T I was like NO. Now that its Severe they are also insisting.

 

[Bill Bauer]

What exactly are these hearing tests

An audiogram tests whether one has hearing loss.
A tympanogram

is an examination used to test the condition of the middle ear and mobility of the eardrum and the conduction bones by creating variations of air pressure in the ear canal. Tympanometry is an objective test of middle-ear function.

why would medical professionals use such risky techniques? Whatever happened to "do no harm"?

I am asking the same questions...

My best guess is that they don't know much about how these tests affect people with compromised ears...

 

[dpdx]

An audiogram tests whether one has hearing loss.
A tympanogram


I am asking the same questions...

My best guess is that they don't know much about how these tests affect people with compromised ears...

Oh they do know, they very well know, ,they just want $$$$$$. They see you as a dollar sign. They dont care that they are going to ruin your life, you are just a number for them.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Should I just cancel my ENT appointment? It's not until October anyway.

 

[Tinker Bell]

The VEMP Test I had was 115 decibels I think.

You think or you know for certain? Did you ask the doctor?

Most information I have read states VEMP tests are under 100dB. Obviously 100dB is loud, but given how decibels work that is much lower than 115dB.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Should I just cancel my ENT appointment? It's not until October anyway.

That would depend on your symptoms. Have you seen an ENT before? October is several months away and ENT appointments are not always easy to secure — depending on where you live, of course. Perhaps keep the appointment and wait to see how you are closer to October. You could always cancel later; you can't as easily take back a canceled appointment.

And incidentally I had six hearing tests last year, along with any other tests. No impact on my tinnitus or hearing. My doctors also were not simply interested in my money, they genuinely wanted to help me. At the same time, it's a profession and they should be compensated for their services.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

That would depend on your symptoms. Have you seen an ENT before? October is several months away and ENT appointments are not always easy to secure — depending on where you live, of course. Perhaps keep the appointment and wait to see how you are closer to October. You could always cancel later; you can't as easily take back a canceled appointment.

And incidentally I had six hearing tests last year, along with any other tests. No impact on my tinnitus or hearing. My doctors also were not simply interested in my money, the genuinely wanted to help me.

My symptoms are worse in bed than anywhere else. My H seems to be disappearing after nearly four weeks since my initial acoustic trauma and the T fluctuates a lot from a tuning fork to CRT TV noise.

And no, never seen an ENT before.

 

[Tinker Bell]

My symptoms are worse in bed than anywhere else. My H seems to be disappearing after nearly four weeks since my initial acoustic trauma and the T fluctuates a lot from a tuning fork to CRT TV noise.

Your tinnitus is worse when you lie down or worse when it's quiet (and you coincidentally happen to be in bed)?

Mine seems worse when I lie down on my side, but that's because I have hearing loss.

 

[kelpiemsp]

So this site really struggles with that concept of "extents" .... a short burst of 115 dB does not cause hearing loss. If you have 40 million hairs in your ear (random number) and you lose 2 hairs... have you done damage? Yes. Have you done actual damage? No.

It's like saying your one ct scan caused your cancer... even though being on earth for one year provides more ionizing radiation than a ct scan.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

Your tinnitus is worse when you lie down or worse when it's quiet (and you coincidentally happen to be in bed)?

Mine seems worse when I lie down on my side, but that's because I have hearing loss.

Yeah when both are happening, lying down and quiet. It's hard to spot when I'm out and about. Sometimes it even disappears when I'm focused on something else!

 

[Tinker Bell]

Yeah when both are happening, lying down and quiet. It's hard to spot when I'm out and about. Sometimes it even disappears when I'm focused on something else!

That sounds positive. That might be because when it's quiet, tinnitus is more obvious.

I can always hear my tinnitus; doesn't matter the volume of where I am.

Keep the appointment just in case, you can always cancel later.