First of all Dr. Nagler, I really want to thank you for being so incredibly generous with your time and experience and expertise. This site is very lucky to have you.
All I wanted to ask, and I hope this doesn't seem like I'm seeking specific medical advice, or certainly not a diagnosis, is this. The GP I saw about ten days after my T/ringing started did diagnose me with OM, and fluid in the middle ear. He had me take some OTC decongestant type medicine, which did nothing, and if nothing changed advised me to see audiologist, which I did. And she said nothing, other than giving me a hearing test, and that was that. I don't know what has caused my T, which I admit is fairly mild. It wasn't an explosion or a rock concert, but it could have been years of headphones, although if anything I'd been listening less and less as I got older, and there was certainly no upsurge in recent usage on my part to seemingly set it off. But I will definitely say that my ears have never been terribly robust, and they had been acting strange for 6 months to a year before the T finally began, with a lot of clicking, and a few other odd sensations, although no pain or irritation. I would definitely consider myself someone who could have ear/tube/fluid issues, if those possibly might be the cause. I have some ear troubles as a kid.
But as of now, I have not had any meaningful follow-up on my original diagnosis of fluid in the ear, as the audiologist did nothing nor even asked me about anything. It was just the hearing test and that was it. I'm not even sure why I went. So what do you think I should do? I should definitely go see the best ENT guy I can find, shouldn't I? And get to the bottom of my possible ear/fluid/tube problems? Because as today, almost four weeks into it, I haven't gotten any follow up on that. And my ears are still crackling like I just got off a plane. Stupid question, I suppose. I just wanted to see what you thought. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for running on so long.
And thank you.
All I wanted to ask, and I hope this doesn't seem like I'm seeking specific medical advice, or certainly not a diagnosis, is this. The GP I saw about ten days after my T/ringing started did diagnose me with OM, and fluid in the middle ear. He had me take some OTC decongestant type medicine, which did nothing, and if nothing changed advised me to see audiologist, which I did. And she said nothing, other than giving me a hearing test, and that was that. I don't know what has caused my T, which I admit is fairly mild. It wasn't an explosion or a rock concert, but it could have been years of headphones, although if anything I'd been listening less and less as I got older, and there was certainly no upsurge in recent usage on my part to seemingly set it off. But I will definitely say that my ears have never been terribly robust, and they had been acting strange for 6 months to a year before the T finally began, with a lot of clicking, and a few other odd sensations, although no pain or irritation. I would definitely consider myself someone who could have ear/tube/fluid issues, if those possibly might be the cause. I have some ear troubles as a kid.
But as of now, I have not had any meaningful follow-up on my original diagnosis of fluid in the ear, as the audiologist did nothing nor even asked me about anything. It was just the hearing test and that was it. I'm not even sure why I went. So what do you think I should do? I should definitely go see the best ENT guy I can find, shouldn't I? And get to the bottom of my possible ear/fluid/tube problems? Because as today, almost four weeks into it, I haven't gotten any follow up on that. And my ears are still crackling like I just got off a plane. Stupid question, I suppose. I just wanted to see what you thought. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for running on so long.
And thank you.