Popping When Swallowing with Added Tinnitus

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.

 

Welcome to the forum. Your tinnitus seems to be somatic type, meaning muscle or jaw movements can affect it. That is a good sign. Perhaps get 2nd opinion from other ENTs or even a dentist specialist on TMJ to check out things again.

Good luck. Take good care and best wishes. God bless.

 

Yeah I have an endoscopy on Tuesday, so hoping to find out. It's just weird how I can "control" it per se.

I've woke up this morning, and it's almost completely gone out of my right ear (which popped up last week out of nowhere) and back to what it was like when I got off the plane.

I'm hoping it's something as simple (ha!) as my Eustachian tubes needing to be expanded, or something.

 

Went to ENT today. I appear to have inflamed Eustachian Tubes.

Been prescribed Flixonase - which unless I'm mistaken, has had an immediate effect. My left ear has been completely fine all day/night. Been also advised to use the Otovent balloon.

We shall see!

 

Small update. It does seem to be getting better. *fingers crossed*

I have had a cough/small chest infection this week so I had a little spike on Monday/Tuesday sadly.

I can now feel the air going through my Eustachian tube when I do the valsalva manoeuvre - something I couldn't do before as they were too blocked.

 

Hi smthompson89! I have a similar issue. Currently, I am taking Mometasone for my ETD and it seems to be helping. Do you have spikes routinely or rarely? I used to have almost daily spikes but it's much better now. Trying to stay distracted. I am also using the EarPopper 2-3 times a day.

 

Small update:

I had the balloon dilation surgery in January, and it helped for a bit but then started to come back, and my ears felt full again.

I have two types of tinnitus that come and go during the day. One is more like a whooshing sound in my left ear, and one is more of an extremely high-pitch one in my right ear.

When I clench my jaw, or bring my bottom jaw more forward, more in-line with my with my front teeth (I do have a bit of an overbite, and a history of grinding teeth in my sleep) my high pitch tinnitus disappears almost completely. The whooshing sound seems to be reduced also.

Still: when I perform the valsalva and my tubes are open (I can hear a squeak, and feel the air pass through, my symptoms still disappear temporarily) which is sort-of giving me hope. I occasionally get periods of silence still throughout the day.

I've got good health insurance with my work, so I went to Spire (UK-based private healthcare) and he suggested I had fluid behind the ear in my left-ear, which is causing the issue. I am however starting to think it may indeed be jaw related.

I do sometimes still grind in my sleep, my ears click when I move my jaw and occasional when I'm eating it has locked, both open and closed. I've arranged for a TMJ check at a dentist near me. I'm hoping this could be me finding the source of what's been giving me grief for the last 2 and a half years.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Seems you called it @billie48!

 

@smthompson89, did you have the balloon dilation done because you had bad ETD?

 

Hi there! I hope you're doing well.

I was wondering if you could provide some feedback on your recent Balloon Dilation procedure?

I've been struggling with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and a retracted eardrum for many years now, and it often closes while I'm sleeping. This results in intense ringing and hissing sounds, which happen quite frequently. I'm considering the Balloon Dilation procedure to alleviate my symptoms, but I'm worried it may worsen my tinnitus.

However, I think it might be beneficial for me at this point since I've been dealing with this issue for eight years.

Could you share your experience with the procedure? Thank you so much!

 

Hi guys,

I'm happy to talk about my surgery - it didn't really do too much, unfortunately! Haha. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Interestingly, I decided to go to a dentist who specialises in TMJ. He said I have a bad case of Bruxism, and my jaw muscles would suggest I do a lot of clenching in my sleep. When I looked into it there were lots and lots of people who had exactly the same symptoms as me.

I've been scanned for a splint that goes between my front teeth and aims to "reshape" the jaw and prevent pressure on the back teeth, but for the time being, I've been using an over-the-counter mouth guard, however, it's not perfect as I can still put pressure on my back teeth. My jaw is definitely a bit more sore in the morning when I wake, but I'm getting more and more periods of silence during the day lately.

It sort of makes sense, as my tinnitus spikes seem to happen when I'm more stressed—funeral, work, etc. I'm still at a loss to explain why it disappears when I come off an aeroplane, but one thing at a time.

I went for my check-up with ENT at Spire, and the tympanogram in my left ear was still showing uneven pressure. He was absolutely staggered that I have absolutely no hearing loss as well. He suggested trying the splint for 4 weeks or so once I get it and then maybe the possibility of a grommet and draining the fluid out of the ear.