Requesting Urgent Help Before I Rush to Hospital/Doctors

I am in a mental meltdown, because I cannot handle what this feeling/sound is in my ear/head.

This is not normal tinnitus/hyperacusis as far as I can tell. I've had tinnitus/hyperacusis from noise since 18, I'm 29 now. I've gone up and down through the years as indicating from my post history.

BUT something new has happened. This is not just some tone, this is a random and fundamental change to my hearing. My original tinnitus hasn't even changed!


What has happened: Out of nowhere today at work, I noticed while having a bit of rolled up in a ball tissue in my right ear (I do this when my ear seems sensitive or trying to recoup from hyperacusis spike/tinntisu) that when I rubbed on my ear I heard a weird rumble. I took the cotton out and notice my ear DID NOT sound the same. There is a constant pressure/deaf feeling to it. Any little noise will create this weird uuuu, uuuu, uuuu sound, like an overtone to anything I do. Even typing now creates it. It's present on a lighter scale even in silence. I wen't to the market in panic trying to relax and noticed the cold sections, the humm/vibration was setting it off and created this engulfing fullness feeling in my ear and head. It was unbearable.

I called my mom in panic, and noticed on the bad ear, her VOICE SOUNDED ROBOTIC. Like the droids from starwars. I AM SCARED OUT OF MY MIND. I switched to my left ear and it sounded fine. SOMETHING IS WRONG!

I rushed home and I'm not any better a few hours later. As I sit here, the feeling in my ear is unbearable. It's insane to even describe. It's like i'm deaf, but not. It's like an odd fullness with this new sound not anywhere near tinnitus I have, like a low uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu type rumble. It's so hard to describe. It's like I'm off equalized.

When I put my ear muffs on my good left ear, I can tolerate it as the sensation and feeling dulls a bit. If I put the earmuff on my bad ear, the sound coming into my left just amplifies the sound/sensation.


Could this be a random instance of fluid or Eustachian tube issue?
Diplacusis?
SSHL?

Please someone help me here, I'm freaking out. The sensation it's creating in my ear is unbearable. This came all of a sudden at work. I can't imagine me rolling up a tissue into my ear, not even really going into the ear canal caused this. But before that I was fine.

 

Honestly no idea what that could be, maybe an ear infection? Or SSHL? In any case I would go immediately to the hospital.

 

When I put my ear up to the running faucet, the ear starts to create this raspy crackling too. What is happening!

 

How do you think we are going to diagnose you over the internet???

GO TO EMERGENCY ROOM RIGHT NOW!

 

I'm not sure, but I hope someone here can chime in to help.

 

Because I'm terrified to go there! They could make my actual Tinnitus worse by screwing up my ear. I'm looking for people on a forum with ear issue to see if they've experienced similar symptoms and could chime in, that's all. I do not want to do something to drastically impact the tinnitus/hyperacusis I already have.

 

Or they could actually find a reason and treat it. But there might only be a short window of opportunity for treatment.

 

I don't know, what's a hospital going to do? This really sounds like a waste of money as you will probably just be told to see an ENT. It sounds to me like you might have put the tissue in too deep and damaged your eardrum. @shasta0863

Edit: Okay so you didn't insert the tissue into the ear canal? It's possible you did something by rubbing the ear. Do you feel clogged at all?

 

I'm going to try a walk in. Impossible to me for tissue rolled in ball to do that. It barely wen't into ear canal. Doctors tools to look in the ear go further.

I'm at a loss. I was hoping to maybe hear some feedback from anyone else that might recognize the symptoms but I don't think I can wait.

 

Shrug. Good luck to you. You probably rubbed it the wrong way. Definitely sounds like an eardrum problem to me, though. But hopefully they will look into that there.

 

When in doubt seek some help. If you don't have a doctor that you see regularly, go to the walk in clinic, or if you know a good ENT that will listen go there. I would also see about going into a hearing center and talk to an audiologist, especially one that has been around for a while and has experience. I have found, and on this forum it has been noted, that they are a good source of info. Good luck.

 

Did they give you a hearing test, do you have hearing damage?, seek immediate help please for your own sanity.

 

@shasta0863 Read through the chat logs. I have suggestions/advice/thoughts.

1. Stop balling up tissue and putting them in your ears to help with H. This is not sanitary and is likely why you have an infection. Buy some filtered earplugs and clean them with rubbing alcohol in between uses.

2. I was thinking about sudden hearing loss too. Try getting a same day appointment with doctor or go to a walk in clinic. Be assertive and communicative and ask about medications. You should try for prednisone as you probably already know.

3. ENT, get a manual cleaning followed by examination. See audiologist for hearing test.

4. Outer ear mild? I don't know if I would take. I can't imagine that being the cause of the problem but there could be more infection further in for all you know. I might wait until next doctor appointment/a few days before committing. But you really are rolling the dice here.

On further research, I don't see this drug on any of my ototoxic pdfs. That doesn't mean it isn't ototoxic but to me if it being left out in multiple lists perhaps could mean much fewer reported instances?

 

Any update @shasta0863?

 

Thank you for the advice. Yesterday night after getting back from the nurse practitioner I decided not to take either the ofloxacin or amoxicillin out of concern for worsening my T. I woke up and today I've noticed the following: Ear fullness/pressure is down by 50%. Unfortunately, this extremely weird hollow like tone, which isn't anywhere similar to my existing T (which seems to not be changed much) is still present and causing me the most grief. It oddly is reactive to touch the ear. Almost as if you had water in back of your ear and you slid your hand over the ear from top to bottom you might hear an odd sound? Sort of like that. It also activates from touching my other ear too, so I'm very concerned on what is the cause of this. If this was some sort of inflammation in the ear, I'm hoping because of that, it's causing that distortion. It has me terrified though, because it's worse than my actual T.

I cannot get into an ENT yet, so I'm concerned that waiting is going to cause me problems. I cannot identify by reading online if this could be SSHL or not. I do not notice any severe drops into my hearing at all today, things sound relatively ok in the right ear, outside the slight pressure and weird sound I described.

I really need to get a hearing test and a second opinion from an ENT but I don't see that happening for at least a week. I don't want to go to the hospital but I don't know if I should chance waiting or not.

I may try using a 50/50 solution of rubbing alcohol and vinegar and use a few drops in the ear in case it is outer related to try to keep dry and help perhaps fight any bacterial issues.

 

Voices on the phone, especially women still sound a bit robotic. That has me very concerned. Why isn't this noticeable in person? Could inflammation in the ear which makes your inner canal near the eardrum inflamed and puffing, affect noises?

 

This sounds like a terrible idea. The ear is delicate and rubbing alcohol is really harsh. And then you're adding vinegar which is not really diluting as vinegar is also strong and harsh.

Please don't self medicate. Wait for a professional. You don't have urgent care clinics where you live? They aren't hospitals.

 

I got the advice straight from doctors show, why would they be saying this is ok? If you google it as well, this is listed all over on medical websites as a solution to use for outer ear infections?

Swimmer's Ear - The D0CT0RS TV SH0W - 2014 -

Supposedly half a teaspoon of 50/50 rubbing alcohol and white distilled vinegar.

Also urgent care nearby is a nurse practitioner I already saw. She claimed there was inflammation in the outer ear, and while she could only partially view the eardrum because of it, it looked fine. I don't want to second guess her, but my symptoms seem odd compared to what I've read online. And the fact there's a strange hollow sound/tone when I rub on the ear and or hear noises, and my ear seems to hear voices over the phone as if there a bit robotic, like eve-a on Wall-E, has me concerned this may be SSHL too. But I don't know, I won't be able to get into an audiologist at least for a few days, and an ENT until next week.

 

Well, alright. I wouldn't, if it were me. That stuff may clean well but it burns.

 

I'm ok with discomfort, but I was curious for a home remedy until I can get in somewhere else. I want to avoid taking amoxcillin if I don't have to. Supposedly the rubbing alcohol will dry the ear (help with wetness which is supposedly to avoid with ear infection) and the vinegar to help kill bacteria and fungus.

Is there any reason you think this is bad outside potential burning feeling?

 

I have some serious reservtions about this. This is just a suggestion: -- If you do decide to do something, start with apple cider vinegar diluted with with 2 parts water per one part ACV. And then try just a single drop. If it goes OK, try another drop a few minutes later. The point is, go slow, and see how your ear responds to it. Going full bore right of of the gate could have some serious drawbacks. I'd get acquainted with ACV before even considering adding rubbing alcohol. -- All the Best!

 

That might be a better idea, I agree. I have some of Braggs in the fridge, raw unfiltered ACV, is this the type?

 

You don't know if you have water stuck in your ear. You are self diagnosing. Are you American? In the USA there are urgent care clinics where you can just show up like a hospital but it's smaller and like a doctor office.

 

Yeah, that would be perfect. You may also want to consume some internally. Here's is a LINK to a post which gives the recipes for each. Below is a short snippet from that post, which gave a summary of how they were able to eliminate their tinnitus completely:

*APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!!! I think this was the best thing I did. 2 tsp diluted in 10 oz water 3x per day (10 min before each main meal). Be sure to rinse your mouth and gargle. The vinegar will ruin enamel on your teeth if you don't rinse.
*APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!! I mixed a 30% ACV 70% water solution and did 1/2 ear dropper in each ear 3x per day.

 

I agree this is the best option reading these posts. I am ALL for asking questions on forums to further your education or get differing opinions. I am not a person that believes that random forum guy/gal replaces a MD. Get some help at urgent care or ER and you can STILL get other thoughts here.

Hope it works out for you.

 

Please don't use alcohol drops in your ears! Instead try the apple vinegar first then see if it helps, I agree with the above... Alcohol is extremely harsh on such a sensitive organ!

 

Right. Even if it was on Doctors, the advice is likely assuming two things:

1. You don't have T and H.
2. You actually have Swimmer's Ear.

 

Yeah I'll be trying ACV. My main concern is there any problems if my eustachia tube aren't working well and it goes back in there? I'm assuming everything is working right but who really knows.

 

I went to see an audiologist today. Hearing is fine in normal ranges. He said my canal is not inflamed. So either the nurse practitioner was wrong on Sunday, or it somehow was and just reduced from that time period.

So what the hell is going on! Not an outer ear infection, so until I can get into an ENT to see what else is going on, I'm just in the blind. I can't believe this happened on top of already bad T/H. As if I needed more issues with my ears.

Any speculation on what this could be?

Essentially:

Random fullness/pressure started 2 days ago. A odd tone accompanied it. Nothing near my actual T tones. I can't even describe it. It's a very dull sound, echo like in it's tone. Almost similar to water in your ears and you brush your ear it creates a weird sound. This sound is there permanently on a lower level. Anytime I touch my bad ear, or even rub the other ear, it triggers the sound to shoot up until stimuli is gone. Sound can trigger this too if it's loud enough. Slight ache comes in bouts every hour.

Few hours later: Same feeling as above, notice that low frequency hums (like the machines keeping cold areas in the grocery store) were violently hitting my ear. Very loud, vibrated my ear and head.

Two Days later: Pressure/fullness almost 80% gone. Still there and noticeable, but less. The ring is still there, and the most concerning and troubling. Lower frequency sounds not doing what they did two days ago, though still feels slightly off, can't describe it. Still getting deep aches occasionally.

Notice some bouts of these vibrating pulses in the ear, which I had maybe 6-7 years ago. I think it's the muscle in the ear constricting. Only has happened 3-4 times in the last 2 days in usually 3-5 minutes bouts.


I'm at a loss here, I don't think this has anything to do with my noise induced damage. My T/H seems unaffected (though my H might be worse in the bad ear, I can't tell exactly as haven't tested properly). My tubes seem to work fine in the ear, in terms of opening them up and such. So I'm pretty terrified this is something hitting my middle or inner ear, whatever it is. Terrified at this tone being permanent.


I've recently (over last 2 weeks) started taking Acetyl-L Carnitine with my usual NAC, so I hope to god that wasn't the reason. I don't see how it's relevant but only thing different I've done.

 

This sounds like you have fluid in your inner ear @shasta0863. Oh and it is an awful weird feeling!! Every sound seems like it is dull and underwater or something. It sort of made me feel unbalanced at times.

I am trying to remember what I did...I think I tried a Benadryl to dry up stuff inside. If this is on the inside nothing will penetrate the ear drum and go into the inner ear.

It did go away after about a month or so. Still get it on rare occasions.

Hope you are doing better.