Sudden ringing in my left ear along with a slight full feeling and pitch change

Hi James,

I started having the same exact symptoms 4 weeks ago, fullness in the ear, ringing and some loss of hearing.  Started out thinking I had ear wax.  Went to the doctor and they gave me a course of anti-biotics but that did not help.  I'm thinking I may have a viral infection because I have a bit of congestion and gunk in my throat.  Maybe I need to wait it out until the viral infection clears up as the anti-biotics won't help for  that.  I'm seeing an Ear Doctor next week.  How is your condition now?  Any improvement?  Hope you are better.

Hi James,

A few days ago I came down with a cold and I noticed that my right ear was slightly blocked. It was very painful at first, but when I got home that night people's voices sounded...different almost like a robot. I have had a constant ringing in the ear and I can't hear very well. I have tried unblocking my ears but they haven't worked. It makes a sound but doesn't do anything. I woke up one morning with liquid wax in my ear. I thought my ear drum had burst. I went to the Drs and he said that the blocked ear will go away when your cold does. So I'd say just be patient and also, try using warm olive.oil a few times to try and clear the wax and blockage. Hope this helps.

I'm seeing that the noise in the ear is a symptom caused by damaged nerves. It may help to relax to settle your nerves. Once your body repairs the nerves the noise should go away. Until then accepting this daily tone as part of life should help you relax. I have it too but it's minor right now. Hopefully it'll at least stay minor.

Not sure if this issue is still happening for you. But I would recommend going to a chiropractor and having them adjust your ear. By doing this they can move the eustachian tubes in your ear. I've had the similar issue. Seems when I get a cold or congestion it effects my head and ears a lot. Adjusting my eustachian tubes helps a lot. The first adjustment in history was done on a mans hearing by Dr. B.J. Palmer. Hope this helps!

Take care

I've recently started to have this same problem. 85 started out as what I think was a ear infection. I didn't really realize what I had. So annoyed by the muffled sound I tried to try and get anything in it. I guess this is where I did something wrong.. because a few days later it went from a little problem to soo bad it's affecting my job. It got worse everyday to now I feel like I'm in my own head... There's a constant ringing in my ear and a throbbing pain. Great. I was reading through these comments and trying to avoid going to the doctor and spend money I don't have to have some antibiotics that y'all say aren't helping anyway. I came to busted ear drum. It has all the symptoms of I seem to have. Some things I read said it can be cured by antibiotics and one said that you have to ride it out? Facial weakness, ringing in the ear, pain, etc. SAYS IT WILL HEAL IN 3 MONTHS? Is this what happened? Hmm.. will let y'all know mores

i have also ringing in my left ear for about 4 month  . any new tip for reducing or getting rid of the ringing .

Hey my name is Christy and I'm here to see last week I had a cold and now my ears are clogged up from four nights ago and now my ears are ringing what do that mean because um worried about it and um 4 months and 17weeks pregnant do that ringing means that I'm getting well from my cold I had before my ear got clogged up please tell me it is thanks.

I had this same problem when I was a little child and my doctor told me to avoid aspirin at all costs... Last week, I had a cold and totally thought it was a thing of the past, (28 years have gone through without a problem and avoiding the aspirin) but I took aspirin for 3 days and the ring and the feeling of the ear being clogged started. I was told "what were you thinking" anyway, perhaps someone in this forum has the same source of the problem, so avoid aspirin at all costs and eat pineapple and spinach, the problem should be gone in a couple of weeks (hopefully mine too).

Hi James, 

i would not worry i have have suddenly a high pitched noise in my left ear, I went to the doctor and she said do I use cotton buds, yes I always do gently I said. 

She checked my ears and said I have an outer ear infection if your left ear feels a bit of pain towards the front and slightly a not quiet clear feeling then that's an infection. 

I must say that as soon as I started using the drops the ringing quietened down a lot. 

I still have it but not ad bad, it was driving me nuts I was not eating I was in bed as soo tired. 

The only other thing that can happen sometimes is the hairs get damaged in the ear and until they repair you can get short term Tinnitus. 

But it's  not nice at all never had in my life before and once this goes never want again. 

Hi,

I am a 58 year old woman with no apparent health isuues .2 years ago I had ear trauma , a hammer smashing against a wood panel ,straight away I heard a loud ringing noise in my right ear.This never went away alongside that I now also have a muffled blocked right ear that when I tip my head down feels pressure inside ...

I have tried most of the home remedies , steam, pinching nose and blowing even putting finger into ear and moving around . All give slight relief for short periods an hour or so but nothing ever rids me of this terrible affliction that I now have to endure .MRI scans , hearing tests , specialist ENT doctors ....No relief ..However once you stop stressing about this its amazing how your brain becomes tollerant of the noise and you become less aware of it.The blockage in my ear which gives it a feeling of pressure never seems to ease I have been advised to try an ear spray to clear the tubes fingers crossed that will help .

Your description tells me that you most likely got an opinion from a general doctor, or perhaps a nurse practitioner.  Multiple confirmed studies show that the diagnoses and treatment plans formulated by general practitioners, when seeing patients with ear problems, are wrong more than 60% of the time.  This is because of a combination of reliance on the view obtained with a simple otoscope (essentially a keyhole view or less) and limited knowledge of ear disease and treatment options.

If you want a definitive examination, definitive opinion and definitive treatment, you need to see an ENT physician who has a binocular microscope.  There is a host of possible diagnoses, which I will not speculate on here.  The general belief is that specialists are the expensive doctors.  My contention is that they are the LEAST expensive doctors, because:

1.  You usually (especially with ear problems) get a specific diagnosis and a specific treatment that works instead of guesswork and shotgun treatments

2.  Avoid multiple office visits and copays

3.  Miss less time away from school and/or work

4.  Less days of wondering and perhaps sleepless nights

5.  Less possibility of missed serious diagnoses 

6.  Avoidance of unnecessary medicines (less expense and less exposure to potential side effects of those medicines)

Why not see the guy (or girl) who has the most training and experience in your problem?

Only time i get this feeling and ring is when im around Tobacco smoke!! im 49and thats the only time in my life ive noticed. Some type of baby cold or reaction comes after but clears up if i stay away.Long periods of rainy wet days have been around some of the times

Also check your blood pressure. Or for Allergies. Instead of a ENT ck with an Immunologist.