New Symptoms from ENT Visit (Nurse Put a Rod in Ears Emitting a Flux of Loud Sounds)

Hello everyone. I am new to Tinnitus Talk but not to ear noise unfortunately.
I am looking for some help/ information... I have posted this on another thread.

Two weeks ago two girls screamed in my class (I am a teacher) and caused my left ear with existing tinnitus to feel full and I got a new high pitched ring. Their scream wasn't extremely loud but I think the high frequency caused the reaction.

After ten days with no ease, I went to an ENT on Saturday 29/09 to check that I had no hearing loss. However this appointment has caused further issues.

Without any explanation, the nurse put a rod in my ears that emitted a flux of loud sounds for only a short time, a few seconds, then I had the normal hearing test. From that day, I am experiencing popping to quiet sounds in both ears and some pain in my left ear.

Could anyone shed light on what test the nurse did and if you had similar symptoms, did these pass with time? I have read previous threads to find out but am all confused!

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

 

Hi Jenny

Sorry to hear your woes. Bit odd re this rod thing - never heard of anything like it unless it was a pressure machine that emitted very loud beeps at the same time (which she shouldn't have done!). Did she provide any explanation to this - or your hearing test - do you have any hearing loss?

Reducing anxiety goes a long way in reducing the distress to tinnitus sounds

 

Hi @dingaling. Thank you for replying.
Maybe rod was the wrong word. I suspected it was an Acoustic Reflex machine or Tympanogram or is there a machine that does both at the same time? Do these tests emit loud sounds?
It was from a machine but I didn't feel any air pressure. Just a range of loud differing frequencies for a very short time.
I work in Korea so the language barrier causes problems. Just gestures from nurses but the doctors have enough English for me to understand a little.
The doctor said I have some hearing loss in the lower frequencies from my original tinnitus but otherwise my ears are healthy. Then said things will be fine.
I am trying to reduce my anxiety by using the headspace app and I have a very supportive partner.

 

Even thought it's hard, please try to remain calm. Your focus right now is trying to achieve a peace of mind to reduce anxiety, whether exercise, meditation, etc. I hope you get better and your T goes back to it's baseline, good luck and cheers

 

Thank you @Striveon for your kind wishes and advice. Luckily my school manager and director are really nice. They gave me today (Thursday) and tomorrow off work plus the weekend to relax. It's really rare in Korea to be given time off due to any medical condition.

 

I am glad they gave you 2 days off, now use those 4 days off to use relaxation techniques and distract your mind to help you feel better. You got this! I hope it really goes back down to your baseline, good luck and cheers

 

No idea what the rod was. It sounds like you've developed hyperacusis and/or TTTS. Have you had ear pain before? I am currently experiencing this, which I got a month before you.

 

Hi @Red and thank you for replying. I'm sorry you are experiencing these symptoms. All my previous ear incidents don't come close to this.
I've had noise induced tinnitus in my left ear since 03/2016 and had no problem with this ear until after the hearing test. I had an incident with my right ear last November after a dentist appointment but it is a very mild ring. No complaints until the hearing test. I have had earache now and again but has been rare over the years. I think you are right that it is TTTS related, I'm thinking Acoustic Shock but I am not a specialist. From what I have read TTTS and hyperacusis can be linked. How did these symptoms develop in your case? Are they from noise?

 

I believe they are from noise. I was watching a video on my phone and even with the volume at 40% and had trouble hearing voices on it, a loud sound happened and surprised me. I have some uncertainty though. My symptoms did not show until a week or two later. The only thing I had the first week was tension headaches. I also had a cold and was an emotional trainwreck.

A month later, my tinnitus has decreased in volume, mostly back to original, though still with some reactivity to it. The pain remains though. I think in some ways I have improved but it is slight. I had mild hyperacusis with mild pain before this and it took me a year to be able to look back and say, "Look at how much I've improved!"

Which is exactly what made me cocky unfortunately...

 

Please dont let people put things in your ears, especially ENT's unless you really did research on the procedure and was sure it was safe. Lots of people on the forums have had worsening T because of their care providers. Be careful!

 

My ear popping/vibrations happened that very evening after the hearing test and not until Tuesday evening in regards to pain. I have been very lucky that I have never experienced symptoms of hyperacusis after my onset of tinnitus until now after this hearing test. How have you been treating these symptoms? With ear protection or silence? Pink noise?

 

Hi @coffee_girl and thanks for replying. Unfortunately with the language barrier, I didn't know what was going on until it was too late. It all was over and done within 15 seconds. I have never had a hearing test like this. I've only had the usual when you hear the sound, press the button test.

 

Im sorry you had this traumatizing experience, im frankly terrified of nurses...i really hope it is just a temp spike and will go away soon. Please take care and focus on yourself, perhaps some warm tea, pumpkin spice lattes...a nice warm bath to sooth your ears =]

 

Don't ever do Cvemp, Ecog, or Acoustic Reflex, or Caloric Test. They can cause hearing loss. I had mild tinnitus only on left ear all the way up until January 15 when they did a 90db 1-2 minute ear test which resulted in hearing damage and worsening Tinnitus and Hyperacusis. I never got better after that. All the audiologists I spoken to say that 90db in 1 minute cant cause damage nor can water irrigation, but in my case it did. I even have audiograms to show that my hearing has been damaged on the right ear. Please be careful.

 

Thank you very much for your advice @coffee_girl and the word traumatising is perfect for how I felt during that test. I'm careful with my hearing. I haven't used headphones since my original ear noise onset over two years ago.
Warm tea, running a warm bath and a pumpkin spiced latte sound lovely! If that was only what the nurse gave... I hope you are in a good place with your ears.

 

For me, during the first two weeks I tried to mask, which just made it worse. I felt very fast relief not masking. I know a lot of people say noise is necessary to recover and I don't completely avoid it but if noise makes me uncomfortable, even white or pink noise, then I do not listen to it.
In my opinion, reintroduction to sound should look like easing into a cold swimming pool, not jumping into it.

 

Hey they dont call it "practicing" medicine for nothing!

 

They are idiots. My ENT said I might have thyroid cancer. I am like seriously.. I have T and H on both ears.

 

Hi @dpdx, I'm sorry for the terrible ordeal the ENT has put you through.
This is the first time I have had a differing hearing test to the usual listen and click when you hear the noise. I didn't know there were other hearing tests as readily available. Unfortunately it was over so fast and unexpectedly, I couldn't protest. I cancelled a MRI a year ago as I was concerned about the noise. I try to be careful with my ears.
May I ask what are your symptoms with t and h? Hyperacusis is very new to me and I'm getting mixed up with symptoms. Do you have ear popping/ vibration to sounds of no pattern? Along with some pain due to sound? And tension pain in your head, behind your ear and neck?

 

I have no pain but I have ear pressure in the left ear, this means that the nerves have been damaged. In the right ear I have bad Hyperacusis where I am not able to talk or listen to other people talk, objects clanking, dog barking, cause me discomfort. I must admit that it has gotten slightly better. In February I couldn't even urinate as the water splashing would cause discomfort, people sneezing or coughing, or me sneezing/coughing. I think i lost a small chunk of hearing on the right ear after that test. Though the speech in noise shows I have hidden hearing loss which I didn't have before. I have very loud tinnitus in left ear and mild tinnitus in right ear, mild h in left ear and severe h in right ear which I got January 16 I believe. I have no ear popping but sometimes have vibrations of the ear drum to sounds like my own voice and to others on the right ear. You can see how that test impacted my hearing from these audiograms. I have no pressure nor tension pain in the neck nor head. Remember that ear tests are normal (ok to do) for people who have normal ears, for people who have damaged ears its a big no no.

 

@dpdx Thank you for taking the time to write in detail about your ear experiences and for your kind warning re. tests. I am aware that for most people hearing tests cause no problem but others should be more wary. If I had been back home in England, I would have been able to object to it.
What has been your coping strategy since your dramatic increase in ear conditions?
P.S Some positive news that there has been some slight improvement for you. Luckily my ear noise is not so bad, it's the popping and pain which are the major problems for me.

 

My Tinnitus is a 8/10 5 days a week and then it reduces to a 6/10. Right now its a 7/10 I can hear it over sound machine and tv and music playing on laptop.

 

It fluctuates... so it might go down to a 6/10 and stop there.

 

I hope that in time your tinnitus and hyperacusis will get better.

 

It is impossible to have noise induced tinnitus without hearing loss.
http://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/#hiddenloss
Most hearing test do not test the full capability of human hearing.

 

I tested up to 16khz and it was "normal". However I do have problems with speech in noise as I cant hear nothing.
So my OHC can be all fine but I can have inner hair cells damaged?

 

doubt it. I have more hearing damage now.

 

Your audiogram looks ok.

 

In fact, most professionals involved with tinnitus and hyperacusis do not know that certain hearing tests worsen the condition although there is the report of several people in relation to this. They think all patients are ignorant people being that, in fact, who are the ignorant?
I think this is a very serious issue for all that it involves, the worst being the patient's situation.
I've been with T and H for five years and I've been through incredible situations!