9 Weeks of Tinnitus — Possibly Getting Better

[worriedd]

So, I'll start with the positives. My hypercauscis is pretty much gone, which I'm really happy about. My earache only comes up occasionally and only for a few seconds, compared to how I had earache for days on end in the beginning. Sometimes I find my ringing gets replaced by a lower rattle, which I'll take as an improvement. Also last week there were times when I thought my ringing had definitely gone down in volume. I've had a bad few days with it recently due to exams stressing me out, which you can guess makes tinnitus a whole lot worse. My tinnitus was about 9/10 when it first started and now its averaging around 5/6 and on good days sometimes even a four! Praying that these are all signs my tinnitus will go, as I have finally stopped coughing fluid up. However, I know it takes at least 6 weeks for inflammation in the ear to heal up, so I know I have a way to go yet. Does this all sound like good signs to you guys??

 

[glynis]

Great to hear your being so positive and fingers crossed for you that your tinnitus goes away
...lots of love glynis

 

[The Red Viper]

I would suspect that your Eustachian tubes became inflammed (as you have probably suspected yourself). If that's what's causing your ringing than I would also presume, barring any other unknown variables, that your T should subside. I know myself, personally, had a day last week where I had complete silence! The ringing came back the next morning but that was a clue that perhaps it wasn't ototoxicity that was causing my T but just inflammed Eustachian tubes (particularly my right ear). That same day I also had no headaches and no ear fullness/popping. I just saw another ENT today for a second opinion and I finally got a diagnosis: Eustachian tube dysfunction. Doc prescribed Dymista nasal spray and I'll give it a go and see if it helps...

PS: My first ENT told me that with Eustachian tube dysfunction one would normally see a retracted eardrum with an otoscope. The ENT I just saw today informed me, as I suspected, that it's not always the case that there a retracted eardrum. He used the analogy of a car tire. If a tire is clearly deflated, it's easy to "diagnose." However, a tire can look fine from the outside and even function but still lack the required or "normal" pressure. I showed the doc multiple tympanograms and he said that tympanometry cannot definitively show intermittent or partial Eustachian tube dysfunction.

 

[worriedd]

Yeah, pretty sure I do have some form of etd as some ent's have said I have a retracted eardrum. My GP told me today that they do now believe I had some sort of glue ear and my ear's are probably still inflamed and will be for some time. It must have been so great to hear silence again, I would love that even for a day! Ive had about two occasions of around 20 minutes of silence, which was heaven. How long have you had your tinnitus for??