Just under a year ago, I was lying in bed and I could hear a small sound in my right ear, almost like a boiler. It started to coincide with clicking/popping every time I yawned. It got steadily worse over time, and the only time the tinnitus and the popping stopped, was when I got a cold. Like, I was ill - but completely back to normal from an ENT standpoint.
Now, I kept trying to clean my ears with cotton buds, so when I was referred to ENT, the doctor had a look in my ears, saw they were all inflamed and told me to not touch them any longer, keep water out and come back in 3 months.
Towards the tail-end of the 3-month period, I ended up catching COVID-19. When I had COVID-19 - it completely disappeared, once again; the tinnitus, the cracking, the popping. Gone.
I went back to ENT, and I was (wrongfully) discharged. Needless to say, the symptoms came back not too long after. I went back to my GP, and got referred once again to a different department.
This is where it gets a little odd - because one particular week it became really, really bad. I'm talking both ears ringing, persistent noise bad. I couldn't sleep for a good couple of days (it was timed with my Grandmother's funeral, so stress could've exacerbated it). The day after the funeral we got on a plane to go to Majorca.
I was nervous about flying, as I didn't know what was going to happen with my ears. I took loads of sweets on, kept swallowing and popping - then bam. One big loud pop. When I landed in Majorca, it was gone. Completely. Absolutely no sign of popping/tinnitus. I was in a completely silent room - and there was nothing. Over the course of a couple of days, it started to come back, ever so slightly.
I landed back in England, went to a new consultation and I was advised to keep popping my ears by holding my nose, steam inhalation, etc. I bought the EarPopper Relief Device from Boots, which basically shoots air up your nose, and opens up the Eustachian Tube.
When I do it, I can feel it start to open. When I stop - there's no tinnitus. It's completely normal - but then I can feel my ear start to feel "full" again, and the tinnitus (a whistling/hum) slowly returns. Also, when I yawn/burp with my mouth closed (ha!) I can feel my left ear open up properly, and hear more. Then it closes again.
I went through a period not too long ago of my symptoms just clearing up for no real reason, often hours at a time. The tinnitus disappears, swallowing becomes normal again, and then it starts to slowly come back. Often if I'm going over high points, like the M62, I can feel the symptoms disappear.
It's mainly ever only been in the left ear, but the last couple of weeks or so, it's spread to the right ear recently. Noises fluctuate and change depending on how much I yawn, how much I use the ear popper. It can be seemingly random.
I had a pretty bad spike last week, where the symptoms just seemed 10x worse. It was like the days before I flew out to Majorca. A new sound appeared, which for some reason I can stop by clenching my jaw. It's quite a high-pitch sound that doesn't necessarily sound like it's "in" my ear - but behind me or so. Anyway yeah - when I clench my jaw ever so slightly, that one disappears.
It's f**king mad. I have no idea what's going on - but I have an appointment next Tuesday, to see what they say.
Oh - interestingly, alcohol also nullifies the symptoms, for some reason. If I have a couple of pints or gins, I notice my ears don't pop, and I can't hear any tinnitus.
Now, I kept trying to clean my ears with cotton buds, so when I was referred to ENT, the doctor had a look in my ears, saw they were all inflamed and told me to not touch them any longer, keep water out and come back in 3 months.
Towards the tail-end of the 3-month period, I ended up catching COVID-19. When I had COVID-19 - it completely disappeared, once again; the tinnitus, the cracking, the popping. Gone.
I went back to ENT, and I was (wrongfully) discharged. Needless to say, the symptoms came back not too long after. I went back to my GP, and got referred once again to a different department.
This is where it gets a little odd - because one particular week it became really, really bad. I'm talking both ears ringing, persistent noise bad. I couldn't sleep for a good couple of days (it was timed with my Grandmother's funeral, so stress could've exacerbated it). The day after the funeral we got on a plane to go to Majorca.
I was nervous about flying, as I didn't know what was going to happen with my ears. I took loads of sweets on, kept swallowing and popping - then bam. One big loud pop. When I landed in Majorca, it was gone. Completely. Absolutely no sign of popping/tinnitus. I was in a completely silent room - and there was nothing. Over the course of a couple of days, it started to come back, ever so slightly.
I landed back in England, went to a new consultation and I was advised to keep popping my ears by holding my nose, steam inhalation, etc. I bought the EarPopper Relief Device from Boots, which basically shoots air up your nose, and opens up the Eustachian Tube.
When I do it, I can feel it start to open. When I stop - there's no tinnitus. It's completely normal - but then I can feel my ear start to feel "full" again, and the tinnitus (a whistling/hum) slowly returns. Also, when I yawn/burp with my mouth closed (ha!) I can feel my left ear open up properly, and hear more. Then it closes again.
I went through a period not too long ago of my symptoms just clearing up for no real reason, often hours at a time. The tinnitus disappears, swallowing becomes normal again, and then it starts to slowly come back. Often if I'm going over high points, like the M62, I can feel the symptoms disappear.
It's mainly ever only been in the left ear, but the last couple of weeks or so, it's spread to the right ear recently. Noises fluctuate and change depending on how much I yawn, how much I use the ear popper. It can be seemingly random.
I had a pretty bad spike last week, where the symptoms just seemed 10x worse. It was like the days before I flew out to Majorca. A new sound appeared, which for some reason I can stop by clenching my jaw. It's quite a high-pitch sound that doesn't necessarily sound like it's "in" my ear - but behind me or so. Anyway yeah - when I clench my jaw ever so slightly, that one disappears.
It's f**king mad. I have no idea what's going on - but I have an appointment next Tuesday, to see what they say.
Oh - interestingly, alcohol also nullifies the symptoms, for some reason. If I have a couple of pints or gins, I notice my ears don't pop, and I can't hear any tinnitus.
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