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Autophony after recovery from otitis media?

Posted , 9 users are following.

hira66904
hira66904

Hi,

9 days ago I got a nasty middle ear infection with fluid in the ear (otitis media with effusion). This caused both my eustacian tubes to become blocked. I couldn't hear anything and had congested ears. The doctors prescribed antibiotics and a steroid nasal spray. The congestion and the infection is slowly going away but for the past 2 days I am experiencing constant autophony in my left ear. I can hear my own breathing and my voice quite loud. Has anybody else had this during recovery from otitis media? I can't accept that it's pastulous eustacian tubes, that would absolutely ruin me. I'm hoping it's just a temporary thing whilst my eustacian tubes are declogging. Any help would be greatly appreciated because I am slowly losing hope.

Thanks.

Hira

0 likes, 24 replies

24 Replies

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  • sheetha20286
    sheetha20286 hira66904

    Posted

    What are your symptoms? Do u hv both the ears blocked ?
    • hira66904
      hira66904 sheetha20286

      Posted

      No, my ears were blocked up until a few days ago. Then my left ear became fully open and I could hear my own voice and breathing 3 days ago. My right ear was still a bit blocked but today it feels completely clear. My left ear has been showing symptoms of pastulous eustacian tube for 3 full days now, all day long. Please help.
  • gjl3109
    gjl3109 hira66904

    Posted

    Hira66904, For me, this started out as a sinus infection that's moved to my chest,  and ears.  One day it was one ear, and over night, both were plugged..  I have seen 4 doctors over the last 6 plus weeks, this last one being an ENT.  I have been on 4 different antibiotics and a nasal spray and the ENT took me off all of that, and has in the last 2 weeks put me on OTC cold and sinus medication and steroid allergy shots.  I would recommend to you, if it continues more than two week, get a referral to an ENT (ear, nose, and throat Doctor).  I know some people in my area that seem to have had the same type of symptoms, clear up on its own in a week to 10 days, and I have heard of others like myself that still have not regained all their hearing back yet.  It is very scary.  But if you still have issues, you can always seek out a ENT to make sure there is not a different issue.
    • hira66904
      hira66904 gjl3109

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I've only been dealing with ENT specialists, do you suffer from autophony too? Where you can hear your own voice and breathing really loud ALL the time?

    • sheetha20286
      sheetha20286 hira66904

      Posted

      I don't hear my own voice but both my ears are blocked causing numbness after I place my finger into my ear I can hear better and numbness goes off ...but it's a continuous process
    • gjl3109
      gjl3109 hira66904

      Posted

      Hira66904;  While I wasn't diagnosed per my doctor PCP or my ENT, but yes, I hear my breathing, my voice and my heart beat at time.  While I have another appt with my ENT tomorrow, Meanwhile I will see what he things, and where I need to go to  from here.  Both my ears are still plugged and while as I have said th
    • gjl3109
      gjl3109 hira66904

      Posted

      Hate this computer almost as much as my hearing loss. 

      cont: Both my ears are still plugged and while as I have said that before, I am on week 7 or 8, of this,  (starting to loose count) and while the HEARING AIDS have helped me COPE with CONVERSATIONS and CO-HABITATE with OTHERS.  I would really like my hearing back.  But I am sure that is the concenses of ALL OF US.  While I have been told that my SINUS PROBLEMS WARRENT SURGERY by the ENT,  While I have had SINUS ISSUES from the time I was a wee one.  My pediatric doctor had told my parents I needed to move to a different state with a very dry environment.  That didn't happen either.  While I started using VISINE AC EYE DROPS (an allergy relief eye drop) my drainage has pretty much stopped and I no longer have like a puss, fluid or crust build up from the eyes.  After my appt tomorrow, If no resolution is found, I am going to continue the eye drops and use like an eye wash to help remove any allergy issues extending from the eyes  into the sinuses.    Hopefully that may work toward a resolution of this issue.  No one seems to know if this is or was viral, bacterial, or just some type of an infection.   I don't know either, but while I have been on 40 days of oral antibiotics by doctors, have had several steroid injections by an ENT, I need to get this treated some way.

    • gjl3109
      gjl3109 hira66904

      Posted

      Greetings Hira66904;

       

      Well steroid shot number 3 and a check of both ears ENT advised infection is gone.  While he still wants to get in my head for surgery on the sinus cavity for a sinus issue I have had all my life, I feel if he can't fix my ear issue, I am not going to let him in my head.  Meanwhile, when he ran a test with both a low and high frequency tuning fork, I was able to hear both frequencies with both ears.  Was diagnosed with high frequency loss on the left ear 7 to 10 years ago, but my first visit with this current ENT 3 weeks ago, I couldn't hear the high frequency tuning fork at all with my left ear.  This time I could.  I guess that is progress.  Another visit in another week.  This visit got me a prescription for ear drops to help open up the ear canals.  Pushing forward.

       

    • hira66904
      hira66904 gjl3109

      Posted

      Great to hear!

      Unfortunately my news isn't so great, after over a week of constant autophony I was diagnosed with patulous eustacian tube in my left ear this morning. I am struggling to deal with the diagnosis and hoping it will just go away sad. Praying hard right now xxx

    • gjl3109
      gjl3109 hira66904

      Posted

      Hira66904,  While I am sorry that you got this news, but now you now have a name for it, a diagnosis and a direction to go in way of a treatment.  For many others we are still in limbo as to what we have.  Symptoms can mimic other conditions but not actually be that condition. If you look back into the threads on this site.  People have been loosing their hearing after an infection since before 2009.  You can see where they were started with antibiotics, than referred to an ent, and even higher up the chain of professionals looking for the cure and the  answers.

      As a human race, we are AFRAID of what we don't know, what we CAN't EXPLAIN and we DON'T UNDERSTAND.  If we give it a name, than it is alright.  Your journey has not ended, it has reached a cross road.  You have several directions to go if you choose, but you have all of us to help you

    • gjl3109
      gjl3109 hira66904

      Posted

      Hira66904,  Been concerned about you since you have been quiet for several days.  I know sometimes we don't like what we hear, but remember sometime what we are told may not be totally correct.  Keep your spirits positive my friend and stay in touch.  We are all here for each other and our support is for each other.  Its easy to get an answer that we see as bad and than go into that dark place called depression because now we feel we have no place else to go.   
    • caryl73160
      caryl73160 hira66904

      Posted

      Would be interested to hear how you were diagnosed for PET smile
  • gjl3109
    gjl3109 hira66904

    Posted

    BTW: did I mention I hate computers!!! (Continuing):  This site has been a great support group for all of us.  Maybe it doesn't give us the answers we want to hear, but it shows us that we are not alone.  Whether by professionals or each other, we will get through this.

    I know when I first lost my hearing, I thought I was the ONLY ONE.  Seeing that others from as far back as 2009 had the same type of symptoms and as time continued I saw myself going through the same hoops as they did in the way of medication and direction of medical personel to check with.  Without this service, I wouldn't have known to ask for a referal to an ENT when my own GP told me, I should prepare myself to not be able to hear for the rest of my life..   No, NO, No.  Stop the presses.  At that point I asked for a referral.  His office still doesn't understand why, I do.  Its not HIS EARS, its mine.

    While I hope and will pray with you that it will just go away.  I would like to think I am speaking for all of us.  WE are HERE for YOU!

    • sheetha20286
      sheetha20286 gjl3109

      Posted

      Very true we are ones suffering not them.my ent drs told me there is so many people living with one side earing so it's ok.i felt like kicking their face they expect u to take it easy and move on with life ..easily said ....
    • gjl3109
      gjl3109 sheetha20286

      Posted

      Sheetha20286; Sometimes it seems like compassion is something not taught to professionals.  Yet if this same thing was happing to them, they might end up just loosing it.  We are just expected to accept it.

      For me, If I don't like what I hear, I try to research more information and also try to move forward.  When my inital doctor told me I would not get my hearing back and I would have to live with it, I am not going to lie, I was BLINDSIDED!!!  When I calmed down, I started researching the info that I had via search engines and other sites, and I found this one.  It had the most amount of information that were living the same type of hearing issue as myself.  Each and everyone of you helped me request and to move to an ENT Specialist.  Thank you.  While I can't speak for all the others here, but I like RESULTS FAST!!!

      Seeing some of the past messages, results are anything than fast.  But they are results.  Seeing the steps that people in the past and present on this site have had to go through with symptoms that appear to be simular to what we may have (Antibiotics, steroid nose sprays and so on)  We still don't have the answers but we continue to ask the questions while we wait for a quick answer, or the fact that we get our hearing back.,  Per my doctor, I will just have to live with the loss and move on.  Per the ENT, I have 30% to 40% more hearing back.  That is sure alot better than 0%.   I have had a number of people tell me what I have that are not medical professionals.  Whether they know by personal experiences or the symptoms look or sound the same, sometimes people are wrong.  Sometimes doctors can be wrong too.  We are all human, and playing on this planet.  I will continue to look for answer even if my ENT tells me there is nothing more that he can do.  Sometimes a different set of eyes, or ears is all we need.

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