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Is this ETD? 18 months and counting...

Posted , 3 users are following.

AnnoyingEars
AnnoyingEars

Hi all,

In February 2014, I blew my nose very heavily after a sudden sneezing fit, and a week later (whether related or not), I woke up in the night with high pitched tinnitus in one ear.

The tinnitus (pitched) lasted about 4 or 5 days, and I could only hear it at night, but it has persisted in various forms since. For the first few months, it was an infrequent, pulsing (not in time with my heartbeat) high pitch, but over the past year it has been a far less distracting muffled hiss. 

I went to my doctors who said "it's tinnitus, nothing we can do". That really annoyed me. I then went again, and had an ear wax clean with syringe, which cleaned my ears but didn't do much else. I went a third time, and he said my eardrum was bulging because I had fluid behind it, but that it would go. That was 12 months ago. 

I finally asked to see an ENT, who basically was useless and gave me a leaflet on tinnitus and sent me away. I know it's tinnitus (to a degree), but I want to know what's behind it!

I'm pleased to say that the symptoms, by and large, have been getting VERY slowly better since then, with the help of Beconase spray which was suggested by another doctor I asked to see for a second opinion.

I've only taken it on and off for a week or so at a time, but after doing some research, I see that they recommend 6 weeks of use for maximum impact.

I'm into week 3 of this now, but unfortunately, an annoying symptom from last year has returned. The hissing has almost completely subsided, but I've got this low humming sound like a fridge or car parked outside. The last time I had this symptom was in November 2014, so it's annoying that it's come back. So frustrating. I seem to lose one symptom, and another appears.

I like to think I'm on the road to recovery, but it's very annoying. Any thoughts?

To clarify, my symptoms since March 2014 as follows:

* Ringing in ears (infrequent nowadays, but had a bad few nights last week. Cannot hear during day. Does not affect sleep)

* Low, growling sound in ears (November 2014 and present. Seems to fluctuate during the day. Was there when I started writing this post, but seems to be calming down now)

* Hissing in ears. (Not loud enough to really upset me, even at night, but it's there and it's annoying)

Things I DON'T have, which ETD can cause:

* Dizziness

* Pain

* Loss of hearing (I went for a hearing test at ENT, and it came back absolutely perfect)

So any ideas on a) what I have and b) what I can do to help rid of it for good? I can live with it, but I'd rather get rid of it. 

 

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • AnnoyingEars
    AnnoyingEars

    Posted

    PS - I can't edit my post, so sorry for double post:

    Another symptom is that 50% of the time, if I yawn, my ear makes a popping noise for 5 to 10 seconds, and maybe pops 4 or 5 times. 

  • aveline
    aveline AnnoyingEars

    Posted

    Well, the yawn/popping is related to the eustachian tube, but tinnitus is often from the inner ear, not the middle. The dr. put you on a steriod spray, which I thought was only for a few weeks, maybe one month...?  Your spray isn't used in the U.S., so it probably differs where you live. I think a decongestant may help...I know it helps me somewhat. I'm not sure if it's a bad combination with the steroid spray, so please check with your doctor or pharmacist. 

    My tinnitus (always in some mild form, along with the ear popping) worsened as my B12 levels grew lower, until my GP noticed the deficiency and with injections/supplements, it improved!  It's very managable for me although I hear a faint ringing now as I type, but can also usually tune it out. I also have BPPV/vertigo. 

    It seems like you're describing noises from fluid and you don't have symptoms of nerve damage from what you wrote. That's good news! Have you been taking medications that can cause tinnitus? You may find that this does resolve on it's own...but getting rid of the fluid buildup sounds like a good way to bring that about.  Good Luck!!

  • AnnoyingEars
    AnnoyingEars

    Posted

    Thanks for the reply.

    I asked my doctor about the steroid spray, and he said I can take it indefinitely if I think it's helping. The steroid spray I'm taking is technically for hayfever, but it functions by opening up all tubes in my nose/throat etc., including eustachian tubes. Having done some internet scouting, it says that it might not even have an impact until 4 weeks in to the treatment, so maybe I wasn't taking it long enough. It also recommends manually popping ears hourly.

    Isn't it funny? I write this post, the first one in 18 months, and after popping my ears a few minutes ago, ALL the noise has gone. Like everything. Best I've felt in 18 months. Murphy's Law? I'll take it! My ears also popped the quickest they've popped in months and months, suggesting that the tubes are working well today.

    Hopefully, after a week or more of this routine (spray twice a day and popping hourly), I'll be rid of this for good. Not counting my chickens before they hatch, but it feels good. 

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