Would a Myringotomy Be Helpful for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus If You Have ETD?

I’m so sorry hun!

Mine started on 1/11/2021. It was the day I got the Mirena inserted. I took two ibuprofens as advised. The assistant to the doctor also had a clogged ear she could not resolve. I held her hand during the procedure because it was painful. Turns out the doctor did not insert it correctly, so I had it re-inserted later in the day after they did an ultrasound to confirm that it wasn’t in. In the days that followed, my ear began to clog. It felt like I could still hear 80%, and no tinnitus at that time. My anxiety was high, so I had the Mirena removed three weeks later. My ear actually felt liked it clogged some more, and felt that maybe I had 60% hearing. I had a tympanogram and an audiogram. It confirmed my ear drum was not moving, and my hearing was reduced, but not enough to alarm the ENT.

 

That’s a lot to deal with in a short period of time! Your ear drum not moving definitely can suggest a present physical cause. My daughter failed multiple hearing tests and her ear drum was not moving. Daily allergy meds and Flonase helped and she was able to hear okay after a couple months.

 

Wow, that is really encouraging!

 

Another update! I went to the chiropractor last night, and he showed me an X-ray from my neck. He states my spine is too straight... which I believe him because he put my X-ray next to a healthy spine X-ray, and I have no curvature at all. He states that my top disc near the top of my spine is too close together. He said it should be spaced more. Basically, he’s saying my muscles are too tight, as well. He did a quick treatment with what looked like a chiropractic BB gun. He wants me to do the towel exercise once a day for ten minutes. I really hope this helps! I see him again this Monday.

 

Hey guys! Another update. I’ve been going to the chiropractor twice a week. While my neck seems to be aligned better, my right ear still has fluid and ringing. My left ear is just white noise (easy to tune out).

I am getting blood work done as I’ve done my research and believe my tinnitus is linked to breastfeeding. I’m no doctor though. I will be having a blood test to find out more about my thyroid, B12, Iron and Folate on May 15th.

I’m also interested in trying acupuncture. I will keep you updated. I was going to the ENT on May 10th, but it has been bumped to May 27th and it’s a new doctor. Hope all is well!

 

@MamaNeedsHelp, I also have ETD. It’s horrible really. I am going to follow your updates. I was thinking of going to a chiro.

So the ringing in one of your ears got better you say? Did you try any of the nose sprays?

 

No, the ringing in my left ear has always been very light (could be because there isn’t any fluid), I think the fluid amplifies the ringing. My right ear is loud, but I try my best to keep busy to tune it out.

I noticed caffeine makes it worse.

I’ve been doing research on natural remedies, and I may try iodine. I’m going to have blood work to get to the bottom of this. I tried tons of sprays like Flonase, Afrin, and a spray that is prescription strength. Nothing worked. I can actually pop my ears, but it’s painful when I pop the right ear. Instead, I’ve been trying to pop them by swallowing hard.

Everyone I’ve spoken with is saying to not have the Myringotomy done... but if I plan on flying, I know I should have it done. It’s just such a huge risk... it could make the ringing louder or the ear drum may not heal up.

 

Good morning,

Another update... I was supposed to have a thyroid panel done, and the doctor accidentally did not send it in. He sent in general studies and a B12/Folate panel. I got the results today, and I have low Ferritin. I’m wondering if this may be the reason why I have tinnitus in my “good ear.” (The ear that does not have the fluid behind the ear drum.) Anyways, I will keep you updated as I still want to have my thyroid checked and possibly Celiac disease, as well. I was already planning to switch to gluten free to help my son that is disabled, so it may also help me as well if I turn out to have Celiac disease.

 

Good morning,

My thyroid panel is tomorrow, but I did see a new ENT Thursday. He believes I have no fluid behind my eardrum, but that I have a cholesteatoma. It’s a cyst behind the eardrum. I’m going to have a CT scan within the next two weeks to confirm. If so, he believes surgery will be an hour and a half. He wants me to have general anesthesia which I’ve never had. Would this make my tinnitus worse? Anyone know?

 

Good afternoon,

I just had my CAT scan. It hasn’t been deciphered by a doctor yet, but I did get to see the digital scan. My right ear (the bad ear) definitely does not look like my left ear at all. My left ear looks completely clear and you can even see the opening of the Eustachian tube. I am not a doctor, but I can see something is off with the right ear.

I will be back at the ENT office on Thursday 6/17. That’s when the doctor will tell me exactly what’s wrong with my ear and what are the next steps.

 

Good morning,

I had my meeting with my doctor yesterday. He showed me the grayed out areas of my CT scan, and said that is the cholesteatoma. He said the radiologist said it looks like fluid, but the doctor explained it isn’t and compared it to my good ear. The good ear showed the pockets of air as black on the scan. My Eustachian tubes are perfect. No problems there.

The doctor wants me to go under anesthesia AND be intubated. I’m nervous guys. I’ve never had either, and when I do a search the first thing that pops up is COVID-19 and the ventilator. My uncle died of COVID-19 last year on the ventilator.

I guess I just want to know if anyone has gone through this before?

My cholesteatoma is small, so he says it hasn’t ruined any ear structures yet.

 

Chiro didn’t really help my ETD that was caused by acoustic trauma. Now I just have a pinched nerve but that’s probably from cycling. I guess the only thing I haven’t tried is quitting caffeine. I feel like I can “squeeze” or flex some muscles inside my ear/tube that will cause a little drainage of fluid but the pressure feeling is never completely gone.

 

Chiro didn’t help me either. The CT scan did show that my Eustachian tubes are cleared and working. Hope you can find a way for your tinnitus to go away.

 

I would get a second and third opinion. There's a very good specialist in Dallas who was recommended to me by a doctor who is a friend of the family. When I had gall-bladder surgery I was intubated and did not realize it. I can imagine this is a hard decision, but praying you will have peace and recovery.

 

This is the second opinion, but he’s a well known doctor where I live in Florida. His name is Scott Greene. He usually does cochlear implants. Yeah, being intubated isn’t ideal, but my parents have done it many times. My mother is a transplant recipient, and my father was intubated for his gall bladder surgery, as well. I do appreciate your prayers!

 

Update! I was supposed to have my surgery on Thursday, July 29th, but the surgery center bumped me to September 15th. I will try to move it up as I’m having family from the West Coast stay with us in mid-September. I will keep you updated.

So far, I still have white noise in my right ear that I usually can tune out. I also still have moderate hearing loss in my right ear, as well. Left ear is still hearing well, but hard to capture everything in a conversation since I’m using one ear. Everyone is pretty anxious for me to have surgery meanwhile I’m still wrapping my head around being put under anesthesia. Yes, I know I’ll be okay… I’m just nervous because it’s an experience I’ve never had before. I will update you again later.

 

Good morning,

I had my surgery yesterday, September 16th. Doctor said my surgery should be straight forward after looking at my CT scan from June. Turns out, the cholesteatoma grew in a matter of 3 months and destroyed my ear structures. So, as a result I need to have my ear structures rebuilt. Doctor says I have to have a second surgery, but it’s looking like it’ll be in 2022 because he’s booked out and he wants my ear to heal.

Anyone experience this? Also, yes I still have tinnitus and yes I still have bearing loss. Not sure if in maybe in 3 weeks it’ll calm down a little more.

 

Good evening,

Today is Wednesday, October 6th. I had my checkup yesterday with my ENT doctor. The ear structure that was eroded was my Stapes. Doc says it’s completely gone. He removed the packing in my Outer Ear, but I still have packing in my Middle Ear that will dissolve in due time.

Has my hearing gotten better from before surgery? Nope, it’s worse.

Has my tinnitus gotten better from before surgery? Nope, but I will say it’s better than from the day of surgery.

I have no pain, and no discharge. I did inquire about a hearing aid, but was shut down. I asked him for a CT scan showing that the cholesteatoma is gone, but that got denied, as well. He says I have to wait ten months before I get my titanium implant. It’s a very long time to wait with only half my hearing, but he wants to make sure the cholesteatoma doesn’t grow back. Anyone else have this issue? When I asked how this happened, he said it’s from my Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

My next appointment is November 18th for a tympanogram.

 

Good morning,

I had another checkup on November 18th, and was advised my ear drum is completely healed. I had a tympanogram which showed improvement in hearing compared to my tympanogram from March, but I will say I honestly cannot tell a difference. I still cannot hear well and I still have tinnitus. I mentioned to my ENT that I cannot hear well, and he dismissed me.

I took my tympanogram to an audiologist in hopes she could help mask my tinnitus with a hearing aid. She made me feel hopeful. I received my hearing aid today. It’s the Phonak P90-r. I will say it has helped my hearing a lot, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to mask my tinnitus.

I think maybe I’m not doing it right. The audiologist stated that the hearing aid should play a white noise identical with my tinnitus sound and blend in. How does this help?

I know when I flew on a plane last month that being on my flight masked the tinnitus 100%. I want the same effect with the hearing aid, but I don’t know how.

Lastly, my ear still feels clogged, congested, full, stuffed, you name it. Only time I hear better out of it is if I push on it and it feels like air is realized and sound is amplified even the white noise seems amplified. The audiologist looked in my ear today, and said everything appears to be normal. Any guesses on what’s going on?