New and Looking for Answers/Support

Hi Everyone,

My name is Karla and I don't know really where to begin but here goes. I have had T for awhile but that bad. So, about 3 weeks ago I was at work and got this awful pain in my right ear -- sharp at first then a painful dull ache that wouldn't go away. So I'm thinking ear infection. I went to urgent care, PA there says ear infection and light case of bronchitis. In preceding week or two before this I had a cough, sometimes coughing up yellow mucus. I do have allergic rhinitis and live in the desert. Anyway, sent me home with prednisone and antibiotic. I didn't take the antibiotic because it was one I had really bad diarrhea with last time I took it. I used a heating pad hoping to ease the pain -- not much luck so I just laid down and put that ear on a pillow, watching TV to try and deal with the pain. Within the next few hours I was experiencing some painful popping in my ear. Probably like 12 times or so. Then eventually the pain wore off. I had put a cotton ball in my ear canal, removed it, and there was blood and maybe a little bit of wax or something. The only discharge I had, nothing else. I figured my eardrum burst.

I couldn't get in to see my GP until a week later. He said it indeed ruptured, but saw fluid and some pus and ordered a z pack--which I took. I then requested a referral to an ENT and got an appointment for a week later. Anyway--during this time I became sensitive to certain sounds -- water running, paper rustling, -- also I have like and echo in my ear or something, like I hear my voice really loud. Initially when I removed the cotton ball I heard like broken speaker sounds from that ear which eventually went away, I kept a cotton ball in my ear for like almost 2 weeks before I removed it, didn't want rupture to get infected. Anyway--the ENT looked in my ear--said eardrum looked good -- and I'm like then why do I have all these other symptoms. Furthermore, since I already had T (which I told him), it was louder. So, here I go to a hearing test. I also had pressure in ears so audiologist performed a tympanogram which showed that I had no peak in my right ear -- so eardrum not working/vibrating, whatever. Hearing test was normal -- right ear was off but still within normal limits. The ENT said most likely I sill have inflammation behind the eardrum, resulting in the no peak, that it could take 6-8 weeks to resolve. No fluid that he saw behind the eardrum. I'm at a loss -- why would I have sound sensitivity in both ears?

Other symptoms I have is at times I have sinus pressure, white coating on tongue, probably post nasal drip down my throat which I've been experiencing, no nasal congestion, my left ear canal feels sore at times, and I know sometimes I tense my jaw muscles. When I swallow I have crackling in the ears. I've lost about 9 pounds in the last 3 weeks. I'm eating but not as much and just drinking water...sometimes vitaminwater and almond milk -- thinking maybe the post nasal could be silent reflux? My husband has been dragging me to the gym so I'm getting exercise, etc. I feel my best when I am at home. At work I'm miserable and don't know how but I've managed to complete assignments for my online class.
When I go to public places, Costco, grocery store -- the sounds are loud and overpower everything else I hear. People's voices seem somewhat muffled in noisy places. With the pressure it feels like I'm hearing in a tunnel but those certain sounds are loud and drown other noises out. The ringing kind of fluctuates a bit in my right ear -- left not as bad. Can I really not have hearing loss -- it just feels like I do.

Anyway, thank you for letting me rant lol -- I just don't know if I should trust the 6-8 weeks thing or what is really going on with my ears. It is frustrating. Any advice would be awesome : ) Thank you!!

-Karla

 

Hi Karla....sounds very frustrating! You do need to give it time (6-8 wks is reasonable)..but please don't ignore other symptoms in the meantime....blood and/or clear fluid (not water from shower, etc) needs to be checked asap & a white coated tongue may be thrush...please see your doctor for that/if $ is an issue...ask a pharmacist about the tongue... there may be an otc you can use. Hang in there!