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ringing in right ear BAD! Could it be from my cholesteatoma?

Posted , 6 users are following.

martin18173
martin18173

Hello again everyone. I know the very best thing i can do is go to the doctors regarding the ringing and i have an appointment with an ENT about this on May 6th.  I am not too sure how to ask this but i will just get straight to the topic and ask: Has anyone who has ever had a cholesteatoma such as myself experienced bad ringing in the ear(s) to the point where it almost creates a headache?  (A bit of history to my story, I was once at an ER for a concussion, but the bump shouldn't have been enough to cause me one says the nurse. She took an otoscope (possible spelling) and looked in my ear. She said 'You have a LOT of scarring tissue. Have you been diagnosed with a cholesteatoma?" At the time, a year and a half ago, i dismissed the idea. I thought she was a bit nuts I was polite to her but thinking 'there's no way i could get one of those things, ever.'   Now i don't think she was so off on her opinion.  A year or so later, i had sinus surgery and the ENT who did that, WONDERFUL doctor, spotted the troublesome devil that has been causing me my source of ear pain I forgot to mention the visit to the ER and of the kindly E.R GP in my last post) .

 I should mention it feels very full in there even though no ear fluid is found. The ringing seems to happen mostly on my right side.  My lump behind my ear almost feels as though it is about a centimeter across, though things can be decieving back there, it just feels like it.  Last year this lump flared up rather quickly.  At times my ear pain causes me to say 'ow' either really loud, or quietly  or I just plain grin and bear it,  depending on how bad the situation is.  Another peculiar thing my ear  does is thump and bang when the pressure gets too great. It makes me want to scream out loud. Balance has been really bad this weekend as well. I fell into someone and i was really embarrassed.  

The ringing has been there  before, but never this loud. 

I don't mean to wine but i know there are others out there who have the same unfortunate condition.  I am also told i will have an auditory brainstem response test. Can that affect the ringing in the ears? I will also be sedated for it as i jump very easily when loud noises happen. I was told by my own GP they can get quite loud, is this true? 

So sorry i asked (mentioned) quite a lot here, but it is a lot of information for me to take in as well, I am just wondering if someone has had the same sort of symptoms with their cholesteatoma as well. 

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Olizzieo
    Olizzieo martin18173

    Posted

    Hi Martin I have never had a cholesteatoma but yes it can cause loud tinnitus. You have so much going on that no one could answer your questions without assessing what is going on with your ear thoroughly. There are glands, lymphnodes and your mastoid behind your ear so a specialist needs to diagnose what is going on there. Thumping and banging is normal when there is pressure change in the ear. An ABR shouldn't affect your tinnitus especially when it is already very loud. If it did, it would be very short lasting. The symptoms you mention are all typical of a cholestatoma but also typical of an ear infection. Did your GP check for wax? This could cause an increase in tinnitus but not usually dizziness, pain or fullness- just a blocked feeling. If you are really suffering, make sure you let the ENT know so they can bring your appointment forward as an emergency appointment, if needed. Good luck!!!
    • martin18173
      martin18173 Olizzieo

      Posted

      thank you kindly for your reply. I am glad for your good fortune and hope you are well smile

       I apologise i did not get back to you sooner.  Thank you also for your advice. Yes, my GP had also checked for wax when we were there at his office last week for a refferal appointment.  He makes it an appointment himself to check my ears any time i am there actually. He is awesome. We discussed my CT scan and he said the report  was 'something behind the mastoid bone' and that was the cholesteatoma the ent surgeon found who did a magnificent job on my sinuses.  Weird thing was when i saw a different ENT prior to the amazing one who did my sinus surgery,  he said there was nothing wrong, HID  my CT scan and refused to let me see it no matter how much i asked.  Then pretty much dubbed me as a hypochondriac and sent me on my way.  The vertigo got quite intense again this Sunday but I really feel it in there and is creating a lot of pressure. We will be sure to let the ENT know of how much pain i have endured (At Tylenol 3's these days, but only once because two seem to back fire and make me so wired i actually can't sleep. i am very careful when i take these and make sure i do not take anything on days of work or i am impared and i can't do my job.)  So sorry i created some confusion there, i guess i did ask a lot at once. ^^" 

      Yes, we will be finding someone for sure as my Dad too now knows how these things can quickly get out of hand. Thank you so so much again for your reply. 

    • Olizzieo
      Olizzieo martin18173

      Posted

      You are welcome!!! I hope you get some relief very quickly!! smile
  • ganga00677
    ganga00677 martin18173

    Posted

    martin18173

    Olizzieo sugested the best. Note down all the poins and discuss with your ENT

    • martin18173
      martin18173 ganga00677

      Posted

      thank you. I will be doing that soon this evening as the follow up is tomorrow. 
  • dave15568
    dave15568 martin18173

    Posted

    Get checked out for Meniere's disease and get back to me if that is the case. I am looking for a common denominator of prior unusual noises before the problem occured, like voices and or music seeming to come from nowhere, or any such noises that could not be explained. Thanks.
  • chris11339
    chris11339 martin18173

    Posted

    hi Martin I thought I would reply as a fellow patient of a c.toma I had mines removed 12yr ago but can still remember the feeling of fullness and the tinnitus but this wasn't how it was discovered

    I woke up and my hearing had gone I have always had ear problems so it wasn't a shock and altho it was completely gone I only noticed on the phone anyway I went to my gp and he sent me to ENT where I seen the consultant I had been seeing for the past 30+yr and he took me to the treatment room and removed the cause of the loss of hearing and made arrangements for me to have surgery the following week he didn't order a cot scan he went in blind and said it was huge I held up theatre that day only after the healing did I realise just how much impact the c.toma had been having my balance was off hearing loss

    since then I have been fitted wi t tubes and my ears are much better and my hearing altho I've lost a lot I can manage fine as long as they speak clear

    hope all works out for u

  • rajikp
    rajikp martin18173

    Posted

    Firt of all do you have any family history of ear related disease. An ENT will be able to make the diagnosis for choleasteatoma. Generally heriditary in most cases. Can easily be corrected by surgury. Auditory brain stem (ABR testing as we call it) is painless test. So dont worry about that. Some electrodes will be placed near ur ears and skull, u will hear some clicking sound and thats all. 

    Get an audiogram done as well. 

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