Did Anyone Else Have Ear Fullness Last for Months After Acoustic Trauma?

[Bill Bauer]

It has been almost four months since the day when I had my acoustic trauma. I am still experiencing mild ear fullness. Is this normal?

 

[glynis]

Hi Bill,
It could be down to sinus or eustation tubes not opening ,
Try chewing gum,suck a sweet or try a antihistamine incase allergy related.
I get it slot and I know it's not a nice feeling.

Love glynis

 

[Michelle G]

I got ear fullness after my acoustic trauma. Although, I had a very small cold which oils have contributed. It's been over s month and still not gone. When I asked my doctor he said that some people report a full feeling after acoustic trauma, but it is very unlikely

 

[Michelle G]

Could have contributed**

 

[Candy]

Have ear fullness every time I hear a loud noise. My right ear has been fuller than my left for 20 years, then a year ago I was exposed to a loud sound and it got fuller instantly, soone T followed.

 

[maltese]

I had almost constant fullness for 2-3 months

 

[Bill Bauer]

My right ear has been fuller than my left for 20 years,

What happened 20 years ago?

 

[Bill Bauer]

I had almost constant fullness for 2-3 months

And then it stopped, right?

 

[Casper]

It has been almost four months since the day when I had my acoustic trauma. I am still experiencing mild ear fullness. Is this normal?

The fullness in my ears started about three weeks after the initial noise exposure for me, and it's been there ever since (so about four months altogether). It's been much better for the past week or so, which I hope is a sign that it's improving. I've found that it's generally better when I'm relaxed, which makes me think it could be a result of stress. I've found that chewing hard foods helps to "open it up", if that makes sense. I keep a small tub of almonds at my desk for this reason, I've found that they work better than chewing gum.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I've found that chewing hard foods helps to "open it up", if that makes sense. I keep a small tub of almonds at my desk for this reason

Thank you for the tip. I will try that.

 

[linearb]

fullness in my ears is almost always a sign of muscle inflammation and not anything more insidious... though, I do have significant TMJ issues contributing to that.

 

[Bill Bauer]

muscle inflammation

Jaw muscles?

 

[linearb]

Jaw muscles?

yeah, masseteurs and pterygoids. But, I think that can be caused by tension further down, scalenes and traps and maybe even the lumbar region.

things that help include yoga, trigger point physiotherapy including painful intra-oral work, and dry needling/acupuncture. I also think I've had a lot less ear fullness since I started sleeping with a bite repositioning splint (and less joint dislocation in my jaw, as well).

None of this has cured my tinnitus, but when my TMJ really goes nuts, my ears do as well (maybe 2-3x the usual volume).

 

[ridgew]

For me fullness never went away. It's been for 13 years now.

 

[Vinnitus]

Same here, I have fullness for over a year now since my last acoustic trauma. It never went away. It also feels like there is some muscle constantly pulling the eustachian tube inside. Might be one of the veli palatini muscles in overdrive.

I have to say I have jaw issues too since my acoustic trauma. It makes you think TMJ issues might be a consequence of acoustic trauma. It would not surprise me to be honest, as nerves in the area are closely intertwined and an (auditory) input malfunction somewhere might cause unexpected results in muscle twitching (as the nerves send signals to the muscles in the area). Perhaps the homeostasis (balance) is disturbed by reduced auditory input, causing the muscles to behave erratically. Ear popping, feelings of fullness, sensation of pulled muscles and somatic tinnitus when making certain movements or pulling behind the pinna of the ear can be the result.

 

[Flamingo]

I only had intermittent ear fullness, which has completely gone away. Right after my acoustic trauma I had a sensation of mild fullness for a couple of days. Then after visiting the local indoor swimming pool (sometimes noisy) I had some fullness after leaving the place. If the fullness persists more than 3 months I believe it could be related to stress/tension in the area connected to the auditory nerve. Focusing on it will make it worse. I believe the fullness I experienced with my acoustic trauma was connected to the injury which "settled" and went away pretty quickly.

@Vinnitus can you modulate your T with your jaw? Maybe people who experience ear fullness several months after an acoustic trauma also have more somatic elements to their T? I don't have fullness, and I have don't have somatic T.

 

[Flamingo]

I think somatic T is reversible, even when it's connected to HL. Sometimes it just takes time for the nerves to figure things out...

 

[Vinnitus]

@Vinnitus can you modulate your T with your jaw? Maybe people who experience ear fullness several months after an acoustic trauma also have more somatic elements to their T? I don't have fullness, and I have don't have somatic T.

Yes, I can modulate my Tinnitus by moving the jaw. In my case it gets more noticeable when I do so. This only happens on the side of the seemingly affected ear.

 

[Flamingo]

Yes, I can modulate my Tinnitus by moving the jaw. In my case it gets more noticeable when I do so. This only happens on the side of the seemingly affected ear.

Do you experience more fullness in that ear as well?

 

[Vinnitus]

Do you experience more fullness in that ear as well?

Compared to the ear on the right, which experiences no fullness at all; yes I do.

 

[missingsilence]

I had an acoustic trauma in early March and I still experience ear fullness, I have had days where I notice it gets better but I still experience it overall. I also notice that sometimes my nose feels a bit stuffy even though I have no mucus nor any cold.

I feel I can open my ears a bit more (and reduce this sensation) when I yawn or open my mouth wide, give it a try. I will try eating almonds as Casper suggested.

 

[maltese]

And then it stopped, right?

Yes.

 

[Gary P]

Stuffy at least in my case was the period of time while my brain adjusted to having decreased hearing level. Almost like a slight pressure but physically everything looks fine.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Stuffy at least in my case was the period of time while my brain adjusted to having decreased hearing level. Almost like a slight pressure but physically everything looks fine.

How long did that feeling last for you? I have hearing loss, and what you said describes how my ear often feels.

 

[SilverSpiral]

It has been almost four months since the day when I had my acoustic trauma. I am still experiencing mild ear fullness. Is this normal?

Yes, I have ear fullness in the most affected ear ever since severe acoustic trauma.

 

[Zeneth]

I had almost constant fullness for 2-3 months

same, after some guy blew a whistle in my ear

 

[Lex]

I did. It was bad at first and then decreased considerably. I still get it when I've been exposed to too much noise. I now know my triggers, though, so I do my best to avoid them.

 

[Blue28]

It's been almost 15 months since my severe acoustic trauma and I still have awful fullness in both ears sometimes this feeling is as bad for me as the incessant tinnitus!

 

[John B.]

It wasn't acoustic trauma - but when my tinnitus started up it was accompanied with fullness in both ears (I only have tinnitus in my right ear). That lasted for about 4 days and then it broke, sadly the tinnitus decided to stay. There are times where it returns to both ears - in fact it started about two days ago and finally let up today. Normally it doesn't last this long - I don't know if it might be weather related (rain).

This last fullness really dulled the hearing in my right ear - I thought I might be going deaf. I also experienced some low frequency flutter. Both of those symptoms subsided when the fullness broke.

 

[SilverSpiral]

I still have some ear fullness but it seems to have improved slightly recently, though I can not be sure if it is my ear healing or my brain adapting as it has been a long time post acoustic trauma at this point. My bad ear feels less unbalanced than the other one compared to the first year and a half or so.