What's going on, everyone. I'm a 34-year-old male with chronically bad ears. I've had about six ear surgeries (five on the right, one on the left) since I was little. My right ear is the main culprit. I have a bit of tinnitus and occasional popping in that one, while my left ear gives me almost no issues.
Two nights ago, my right ear felt a bit clogged, so I decided to pinch my nose and pop it, which solved the issue and let the fluid drain. Both ears popped, and I felt great. However, I woke up the next morning with severe vertigo. I've had vertigo attacks before, but this one was particularly bad. I assumed it was coming from the left ear since lying on that side or moving toward it made it significantly worse. As the day went on, the vertigo subsided, and I felt much better by nighttime.
While at work (I work overnight in a completely silent office, so there's no noise exposure), I was typing reports when my left ear suddenly started feeling off for no reason. It almost felt like something was pulling away inside, behind the eardrum. Suddenly, I became sensitive to low-frequency sounds. They were extremely distorted and seemed to irritate the drum badly whenever I heard them. I had no pain or tinnitus from the incident, and no hearing loss either. It just feels like I'm extremely sensitive to bass-type sounds. I can even hear cars driving by through multiple walls.
Driving a car, standing next to a running air conditioner or refrigerator, or hearing any kind of bass sound is unbearable. I also live near a major airport, and the planes flying overhead make my ear go crazy. I can feel the weirdness deep in the middle of my head. At one point, I could barely stand hearing myself talk because it felt like my head was going to explode. That part has eased a little, and talking is now a bit more tolerable.
Any advice on what may be going on? I'm planning to make an appointment with an ENT on Monday. I've been doing some research, but there are so many possible ear issues that I'm having trouble narrowing it down.
Two nights ago, my right ear felt a bit clogged, so I decided to pinch my nose and pop it, which solved the issue and let the fluid drain. Both ears popped, and I felt great. However, I woke up the next morning with severe vertigo. I've had vertigo attacks before, but this one was particularly bad. I assumed it was coming from the left ear since lying on that side or moving toward it made it significantly worse. As the day went on, the vertigo subsided, and I felt much better by nighttime.
While at work (I work overnight in a completely silent office, so there's no noise exposure), I was typing reports when my left ear suddenly started feeling off for no reason. It almost felt like something was pulling away inside, behind the eardrum. Suddenly, I became sensitive to low-frequency sounds. They were extremely distorted and seemed to irritate the drum badly whenever I heard them. I had no pain or tinnitus from the incident, and no hearing loss either. It just feels like I'm extremely sensitive to bass-type sounds. I can even hear cars driving by through multiple walls.
Driving a car, standing next to a running air conditioner or refrigerator, or hearing any kind of bass sound is unbearable. I also live near a major airport, and the planes flying overhead make my ear go crazy. I can feel the weirdness deep in the middle of my head. At one point, I could barely stand hearing myself talk because it felt like my head was going to explode. That part has eased a little, and talking is now a bit more tolerable.
Any advice on what may be going on? I'm planning to make an appointment with an ENT on Monday. I've been doing some research, but there are so many possible ear issues that I'm having trouble narrowing it down.
