Vibration in Ear After Loud Car Drove By — Bruised Eardrum?

So this is a new one for me. It feels like my eardrum is bruised, maybe from wearing earplugs too much, etc, on my left ear. My left ear, for years has always had some issues, feeling full, etc and even some occlusion. But never any hearing issues until the last several months, of course, with hyperacusis and tinnitus and now, extreme hyperacusis, partly because of the benzo.

The last several days, I've noted a "piercing" feeling in that ear, especially with loud talking/shouting. I had worn earplugs, all while chewing gum, eating - I would notice that there would be clicking and "opening" of the Eustachian tube in that ear only and it would make the earplug feel like it was coming loose. That ear has been sore again, possibly bruised from all this? And possibly from the audiologist poking down in there when she was getting a mold for the new earplugs?

I also had a setback a few days ago after putting a wooden toy into the trashbin from too high up and it crashed. Since then, I haven't had any periods of "normal" lower hearing like I had.

So this morning, I was half asleep with earplugs in and a white noise machine and a louder car, one that vibrated, drove by, and I actually felt my eardrum "vibrate" and feel shocked afterwards for a bit. This is a new one for me. Is this normal with this? Could my eardrum just be bruised?

Do I need to try and see an otologist? I mean, I know what part of my issues are but this seems over the top or is it just typical for hyperacusis?

I'm feeling very defeated here - I was going to try low gain hearing aids with closed domes and/or wear specially molded musician earplugs so that I could deal with this and bring my kids home. Now, I'm feeling afraid that this isn't going to work out well after these last few days of this piercing/stabbing/bruised feeling inside my left ear.

 

I went back to the ENT - eardrum is fine. I think when the audiologist fit me for my musician earplugs, she poked my eardrum as I felt it when she pushed down in there. In addition, I had been doing some facial massage/TMJ massage. Since then, I can feel the stab in my left ear when I get a loud/high pitched sound too. Sometimes, I feel the pain into my teeth. ENT thinks there is some nerve irritation going on. This is extremely frustrating to say the least. I'm praying that it all dies down/heals some.

 

The vibration you're feeling is probably your tensor tympani muscle. It seems to be a possible cause for a lot of people here who have ear pain, especially when you feel vibrations or fullness.

 

Any ideas, @Greg Sacramento?