Tinnitus Continues 12 Weeks after Perforated Eardrum from Otitis

Hello Everyone!

Three months ago I had really terrible Otitus ear infection following the flu and my ear drum perforated. At the time I was quite happy with this because the pain was some of the worst I ever felt. For about four days puss and blood were coming out of my ear, quite a bit of it, and so I assume the perforation was quite large. My hearing in the one ear was gone and I had severe tinnitus.

At the end of the week I saw an ENT who gave me boric acid and anti-biotic ear drops. He also asked me to close my nostrils in a blow hard but short several times a day. He put a probe in my ear which was so enflamed and red he said we'd have to look at that before going on -- from the picture I saw my eardrum wasn't even visible it was so enflamed. I am abroad in a country with not terrible but mixed medical history so I was a little wary of what I was getting (though I went to a private clinic). I used these medications and did the blows about a week. After reading that some anti-biotics could make hearing worse I cut out all the treatments. I also read that it may take 8 weeks for the eardrum to heal and for tinnitus to heal.

So now it has been 12 weeks since the perforation and I still have tinnitus. My hearing seems to be back to normal but the tinnitus persists. It has lessened a good amount-- if I am in a noisy room I hardly notice it on a good day. Of course, in a quiet room it takes over all my thoughts.

At about week 6 I had to take a trip in a plane and it seemed to me the pressure in my ears was not equalizing at the same rate-- making me think the perforation had not healed.

Still 12 weeks later I feel like it should be healed and besides the tinnitus I have no symptoms. I wonder if it has not healed-- it was a big perforation. I am thinking of going back to the ENT to check for a perforation and see if there's anything I'm missing-- but from what I've read and that he gave me antibiotic drops with a perforation, something apparently not recommended I am fearful to take his advice.

I wish I could just know if it is damaged on repair. I dream without the tinnitus and I wake up to-- I just wonder if one day I will wake up without it. And, of course, if I should trust my local ENT>

 

Your hearing being back to normal suggests that the ear drum has healed.

I would still have it checked up by an ENT. During the same visit you can also confirm if his advice was correct and safe.

Welcome.

 

Quite the opposite really. Perforated ear drums mean the pressure in the middle ear and outside will always be equal.

 

I went to the ENT again. He took one look in my ear said it was as good as new- as clean as a baby's... and then he told me to go to a neurologist and said it could be a vascular problem, even though I don't have high blood pressure which is what he thought would be causing it. I don't know exactly what's going on--- but I know this happened only after my perforated eardrum burst. So I imagine my middle ear must have somehow been damaged.

I will see it seems that if I avoid salt it lessens a little-- so could be related to inflammation. But it has never flat out gone away. I'm thinking of doing that notched therapy but just don't know if it'll be money down the drain...