1. Community
  2. Ears, nose, throat and mouth
  3. Ear Problems

Ear pain/fulness for Two YEARS. I just want a diagnosis :/

Posted , 6 users are following.

Sidechain
Sidechain

Going to try to keep this short...

I am an electronic music producer and two years ago, I was playing about with a synthesiser at a medium sort of volume, when all of a sudden, a freakish soundwave produced this harrowing shock to my right ear. My right speaker was, at the time, closer to me than my left speaker due to my positioning. Whilst the volume was not excessive, it was the frequency that did it. I screamed as the pain was that unexpected and painful, nothing like I have ever experienced before. From then on, my right ear has been full, painful and very sensitive, especially to the sound of syntheziser that seemed to have caused this, even if I have the volume at a ridiculously low level (below talking volume). My ear has been full, warm to the touch, fluttering now and then and very crackly. I went to an ENT specialist and he said it was Eustacian Tube Dysfunction and he said the pressure in my ears were not equal. Then I went back 6 months later and he measured my ear pressure which were 'almost perfect', whilst my hearing was perfect and he was happy to discharge me due to my improving condition, although I didn't feel as though I should be discharged. 9 months on from my last appointment, I have another one coming up in a couple of weeks because my condition has remained the same. I have good days and bad days. I feel so dizzy and disorientated at times and fatigued. One hour I feel fine but the next hour I can feel dizzy and feel like there is an asparagus stuck in my ear. I don't feel myself and it affects me and makes me feel irritable and I feel cognitively different than my usual self. Thankfully I don't suffer from tinnitus and my hearing is very good. All that I can come up with is that I have some nerve damage in my ear. I just want a definitive diagnosis so I can deal with it. ETD just isn't cutting it for me because that's not even supposed to be lasting for this long. I appreciate any help and replies. Thanks smile

0 likes, 24 replies

24 Replies

Prev
  • rajikp
    rajikp Sidechain

    Posted

    Hi. Have you heard of teh term 'Hyperacusis'. This means intolerance to ordinary sounds in a way that they cause significant distress... To sum it up one could say that it is due to some sort of cochlear damage (inner ear). Which kind of goes with the case history you have mentioned here. Unfortunately there is no immediate cure for it . However, there are treatment options that could help you deal with the situation better. You will have to find out a 'hyperacusis and tinnitus clinic and seek their help.....

    • Sidechain
      Sidechain rajikp

      Posted

      Hello. Thanks for the reply. Yes I forgot to mention about the possibility of Hyperacusis. I haven't looked that much into it yet since the ENT specialist was pretty sure it was ETD. It definitely has a lot of the hallmarks of Hyperacusis but at the same time, I really feel like my Eustacian Tube (right ear) is not functioning properly as I also have many symptoms of ETD. I need to look at the relationship between Hyperacusis and ETD and like you say, possible damage to the cochlear. I will put all this to my ENT specialist on Monday when I see him although I have a feeling it will be another frustrating visit. Thanks for posting smile

Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.