Had Mild Tinnitus for Two Weeks Now, Would Appreciate Help

[Charlie Mottley]

Okay so about two weeks ago I started hearing a ringing in my ears. I was familiar with this sound as I'd had it before after being at a concert or disco but It always went away after I went to sleep and woke up the next morning. When I first noticed this is was relatively bad and effected my sleep, but was almost always unnoticeable during my school day. It has since improved, and I really have to listen out for it to hear it during the day but it is still quite present when I'm trying to sleep. I'm aware this is probably mild tinnitus, but I would just like some reassurance or someone with experience to help me out.

Now regarding what may have caused this, I have an idea. I used to put my finger in my ear to try and get rid of ear wax or just itch my ear and because I'm stupid even though I knew this wasn't good I'd do it and I guess I payed the price because I wouldn't be surprised if the damage my finger has done to my ear has caused this tinnitus, as although I listen to music very often it isn't really too loud. The first thing I'd like to know is whether I should expect this to go away soon as it seems to be getting a bit better but there's more.

So I've decided to stay away from ear phones completely until this hopefully improves as I guess having something in direct contact with my ear probably isn't good. And just when it started improving I played music through my speaker in my room, not too loud, but not quiet. And I thought this would be okay as it's just an external sound and not going straight at my ear. However when I turned the music off the tinnitus was significantly worse immediately.

After turning it off it died down after 10 minutes but I'm just confused, does this mean for the rest of my life I'm going to have ridiculously sensitive ears because the music was by no means very loud, or do I just need to protect my ears for a while and try and stay away from all loud sounds until it heals and then I'll be good to listen to music again, but not too loud.

And of course I won't be putting anything in my ears again as I know that is very stupid. I basically just need help and info regarding all this and i appreciate any of help.

Again it is only mild but noticeable when trying to sleep, I just want some help.
Thanks a lot in advance

 

[Bill Bauer]

I'd had it before after being at a concert or disco but It always went away after I went to sleep and woke up the next morning.

Your T was caused by those concerts and Not by you placing your fingers in your ears.

I played music through my speaker in my room, not too loud, but not quiet. And I thought this would be okay as it's just an external sound and not going straight at my ear. However when I turned the music off the tinnitus was significantly worse immediately.

Try to stay away from even moderate noises like that of a vacuum cleaner.

does this mean for the rest of my life I'm going to have ridiculously sensitive ears because the music was by no means very loud

Give your body some time (one or two years) to recover. Having said this, you will be able to find multiple stories of people's T going away, only to have them (years later) being exposed to sounds that a healthy person would not even notice, and getting permanent T again. If you want to minimize the risk of having to listen to T for the rest of your life, you might consider never attending concerts again (even while wearing earplugs)[if you like, I would be happy to provide you with links to some horror stories where people learned the hard way that earplugs are not always enough to ensure that T doesn't come back or get worse].

 

[Charlie Mottley]

You say my T was caused by going to those concerts, but when I said that, I meant that these concerts were like 3 months ago and I didn't notice it since then apart from that night straight after. Then I starting putting my fingers in my ears and two weeks ago I get this mild tinnitus. Do you still think it's unlikely it came from that because I'm not too sure, like I say these concerts were a while ago so it makes no sense for it to crop up now randomly from that

 

[BuzzyBee]

You say my T was caused by going to those concerts, but when I said that, I meant that these concerts were like 3 months ago and I didn't notice it since then apart from that night straight after. Then I starting putting my fingers in my ears and two weeks ago I get this mild tinnitus. Do you still think it's unlikely it came from that because I'm not too sure, like I say these concerts were a while ago so it makes no sense for it to crop up now randomly from that

My theory is you have some wax build up and the wax is causing mild conductive hearing loss with a bit of tinnitus. My guess is if you get your ear professionally cleaned your hearing will be back to normal and the tinnitus will go away.

 

[Bill Bauer]

You say my T was caused by going to those concerts, but when I said that, I meant that these concerts were like 3 months ago and I didn't notice it since then apart from that night straight after.

My T began 10 or 11 days after my acoustic trauma. But you are right, 3 months is too much of a delay. Nevertheless, it seems to me that those concerts had weakened and compromised your ears, and got your ears to the point where it "would only take one straw to break the camel's back." In this analogy, that last straw isn't the real reason for the problem...

 

[Charlie Mottley]

Okay BuzzyBee, thanks a lot. So should I be getting on that ASAP? Is there any way I could kind of tell if it was wax build up causing my tinnitus like particular symptoms or do you just have to get it checked. Thanks for your help

 

[Charlie Mottley]

Okay Bill, that seems to make sense the thing I just don't understand now is how my T really came about then, because I wasn't listening to a relatively loud sound just before, but I still can't believe me putting something directly in my ears hasn't damaged them in some way.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

Okay so I'm 14 and have had mild tinnitus for just about 2 weeks. By mild I mean I don't hear it through the day at all unless in complete silence, but it's always there. It isn't bothering me too much when I try to sleep as I'm usually so tired anyway.

It's more the physiological side that's bothering me, but even that's not too bad.
What I want to know is how worried I should be. The problem with Tinnitus from what I gather is it's unpredictability, but either way- I'm only 14, I have a (hopefully) long life to live. And although this tinnitus is hardly bad, how worried should I be. I have had it where I experience a sudden loud sound and my tinnitus becomes more noticeable, only to return to normal after. I just want it to go so I don't have to worry about what it may mean for the future.

Someone told me there is a chance my T is caused by a build up in ear wax, and I have a situation that I'd like people to assess. Basically I was sat in my room watching YouTube through my iPad (no headphones/earphones just out the Ipad) this is of course fine for me because it wasn't too loud and it's just like any other sound i'd hear in the day. My T was unnoticeable at the time, but then all of a sudden, completely randomly, it got significantly louder in my RIGHT ear (usually is shared between both ears equally) and I felt like my ear was kinda full or blocked or something weird. I put my pinkie in my ear and after literally a few second it dyed down again.

Is this something you would notice if you had a build up in ear wax, or something else, if anyone knows anything about this please help, would be appreciated so much if people read through this and try to help thanks a lot

 

[Bill Bauer]

I still can't believe me putting something directly in my ears hasn't damaged them in some way.

Look at the anatomy of human ears. The inner ear (where those hairs are located) is far from the opening of the ear canal.

 

[Bill Bauer]

What I want to know is how worried I should be.

Your ears have now been compromised. If you attend loud events, your T could get louder. Otherwise, your T ought to get even quieter than it is now. Note that you wouldn't want to attend loud events even after years pass. Also keep in mind that ear plugs might give you a false sense of security. So don't go to loud events just because you are wearing ear plugs.

Note that the above advice is controversial. Some people attend loud events and are ok. The point is that some people are not, and T is a horrible enough condition to make it worthwhile to try to minimize the risk of getting permanent T.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

Your ears have now been compromised. If you attend loud events, your T could get louder. Otherwise, your T ought to get even quieter than it is now. Note that you wouldn't want to attend loud events even after years pass. Also keep in mind that ear plugs might give you a false sense of security. So don't go to loud events just because you are wearing ear plugs.

Note that the above advice is controversial. Some people attend loud events and are ok. The point is that some people are not, and T is a horrible enough condition to make it worthwhile to try to minimize the risk of getting permanent T.

Thanks a lot Bill, and I'm beginning to agree. I'll assess how the situation seems in time but you may be right about not wanting to risk my T getting worse (and subsequently living a life of hell) just for a few concerts. Just a few questions:
So is it common that mild T has faded to almost non-existent T when left over time, and keeping your ears relatively protected?
Also, did you read about my T suddenly becoming worse in one ear, and then fading quick. Is there a chance my T is caused my ear wax build up alone, and can ear out wax build up T still be made worse by loud noise. I would like to know if I should be getting my ears looked at/ cleaned or whether I need to just wait it out and trying to live life with it how it is.
Thanks for your help again.

 

[yborleevoor]

T is caused from any number of reasons. You could have acoustic trauma or you could have jaw problems, there's no real way to diagnose via the forums, you need to talk to a doctor, preferably a GD and have them refer you to different specialists. The initial onset of T sucks, you have no habituation, yours is relatively low and if somehow yours doesn't go away it will most likely reduce down so low you won't be able to hear it without paying close attention.

Mine started off relatively severe (thought my life was over) and now 2 months later I almost never hear it.

I echo Bill's advice, no more concerts or loud places, no more headphones.

The T you described that you had prior is called "Fleeting Tinnitus" everyone gets it, if you take a lot of vitamin B that can cause it, don't stress over it, it's no cause for alarm just something that happens and goes away.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

T is caused from any number of reasons. You could have acoustic trauma or you could have jaw problems, there's no real way to diagnose via the forums, you need to talk to a doctor, preferably a GD and have them refer you to different specialists. The initial onset of T sucks, you have no habituation, yours is relatively low and if somehow yours doesn't go away it will most likely reduce down so low you won't be able to hear it without paying close attention.

Mine started off relatively severe (thought my life was over) and now 2 months later I almost never hear it.

I echo Bill's advice, no more concerts or loud places, no more headphones.

The T you described that you had prior is called "Fleeting Tinnitus" everyone gets it, if you take a lot of vitamin B that can cause it, don't stress over it, it's no cause for alarm just something that happens and goes away.

Okay, thank you so much. I have been worrying about this for while but knowing it could just go away to the point where it is rarely noticeable is very reassuring. I will try to take on your advice about no concerts but I just don't know whether at my age I can really say no headphones. I have used them a few times during having T and they appear to have made no difference.
Do you think my mild T will go away over time then, how long do you recon? Also I heard some cases of it getting worse at you get older, but is that only in more severe cases, as mine is quite mild, is that not really a possibility. Again any info is much appreciated

 

[Red]

Okay Bill, that seems to make sense the thing I just don't understand now is how my T really came about then, because I wasn't listening to a relatively loud sound just before, but I still can't believe me putting something directly in my ears hasn't damaged them in some way.

If you damaged your ears from putting something in it, you would have known by now.

 

[BuzzyBee]

Okay BuzzyBee, thanks a lot. So should I be getting on that ASAP? Is there any way I could kind of tell if it was wax build up causing my tinnitus like particular symptoms or do you just have to get it checked. Thanks for your help

The reason I suggested wax buildup was because you mentioned you were cleaning wax out with your fingers. So maybe there was the usual wax, plus some more that may have become impacted. Sometimes you can feel the wax, but sometimes it's just there. My ENT told me he sees a lot of people with tinnitus caused by wax buildup, so it is possible that is causing it. Another thing it could be is a bit of fluid buildup behind your eardrum maybe due to an allergy or leftover from a cold. When I get a cold, I get intermittent tinnitus in my good ear.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I have used them a few times during having T and they appear to have made no difference.

You could use them 100 times with no bad consequences, and then 101st time you use them might result in a life-changing injury...

I would like to know if I should be getting my ears looked at/ cleaned or whether I need to just wait it out and trying to live life with it how it is.

If a doctor takes a look inside of your ear and tells you that he or she can see a lot of wax in there and that clearly your ears need to be attended to, then it makes sense to do something about that wax. Use the special drops to soften the wax over the period of at least a week, and then make sure that the doctor doesn't use microsuction or syringing - insist that he or she uses manual tools to scrape the wax out of your ear.

However, if the amount of wax that the doctor sees is not particularly large, then it makes sense to not have a procedure done that can aggravate your condition.

did you read about my T suddenly becoming worse in one ear, and then fading quick.

How quick? If it faded within 30 seconds, then this is what people on this forum refer to as "fleeting tinnitus." It is very common and is normal.

Is there a chance my T is caused by ear wax build up alone, and can ear out wax build up T still be made worse by loud noise.

It is my understanding that once one experiences T that lasts for longer than a couple of days, at that point it is becomes easier to get T from all of the other causes.

So is it common that mild T has faded to almost non-existent T when left over time, and keeping your ears relatively protected?

Based on what I learned after reading posts on this site over the past 9 months, the answer to your question above is "Yes".

Do you think my mild T will go away over time then, how long do you recon?

It could be anywhere from 3 months to 2 years.

Also I heard some cases of it getting worse at you get older

I believe this happens to people who don't protect their ears, or who end up being prescribed drugs that are ototoxic. Others have their hearing deteriorate as they age naturally, and as a result their T gets worse. Still there are others whose T gets worse for no reason. But it is more common for T to gradually change so that it gets easier to ignore.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

The reason I suggested wax buildup was because you mentioned you were cleaning wax out with your fingers. So maybe there was the usual wax, plus some more that may have become impacted. Sometimes you can feel the wax, but sometimes it's just there. My ENT told me he sees a lot of people with tinnitus caused by wax buildup, so it is possible that is causing it. Another thing it could be is a bit of fluid buildup behind your eardrum maybe due to an allergy or leftover from a cold. When I get a cold, I get intermittent tinnitus in my good ear.

Right so I've not been putting my finger in my ear to get ear wax for a few days, then today I did it again and there was significantly more which I guess makes sense, but is it normal that all you have to do is push your finger (not too hard) into your ear and there is quite a lot of ear wax. And there's a chance I could have fluid behind my ear drum as I've had a cold recently and been getting headaches. I just don't know. Is it a good idea to put my finger in my ear and clear ear wax, or leave it and let it build up like I did. I feel like maybe my ear wax levels are just normal as it's not like I it's falling out my ear without my doing anything, I do have to put my finger in my ear.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

The reason I suggested wax buildup was because you mentioned you were cleaning wax out with your fingers. So maybe there was the usual wax, plus some more that may have become impacted. Sometimes you can feel the wax, but sometimes it's just there. My ENT told me he sees a lot of people with tinnitus caused by wax buildup, so it is possible that is causing it. Another thing it could be is a bit of fluid buildup behind your eardrum maybe due to an allergy or leftover from a cold. When I get a cold, I get intermittent tinnitus in my good ear.

Okay so I've just heard that putting your finger in your ear is not a good way to clear ear wax because it pushes it back. Is it possibly me using my finger to clear ear wax caused my T? Can I push ear wax back and cause T or is that not possible? Should I use drops or see a Doctor?

 

[BuzzyBee]

Okay so I've just heard that putting your finger in your ear is not a good way to clear ear wax because it pushes it back. Is it possibly me using my finger to clear ear wax caused my T? Can I push ear wax back and cause T or is that not possible? Should I use drops or see a Doctor?

I don't think wax softening drops would hurt. If anything, they might make the doctor's job easier if you do decide to go in for a cleaning.

However, I just saw that you had a cold, so that leads me to believe it's not wax but rather extra fluid in your middle ear (behind the drum) that hasn't drained or been reabsorbed. This is pretty common and there's all sorts of advice for ways to get rid of it. Just google "clogged eustachian tube" or "opening eustachian tube". My doctor always advised taking Flonase or Nasacort, but taking it with your head bent forward and pointing upward so the medicine reaches the eustachian tube. In theory, this is supposed to open it up a bit to help fluid pass through, but I can't vouch for its effectiveness as it never did much for me. I also read somewhere that middle ear fluid doesn't really drain, but rather gets slowly reabsorbed by the body.

https://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm

It's always best to see a doctor. I recommend an ENT, but you could always just go to a less expensive primary care type doc and have them take a look with an otoscope to rule out any sort of infection.

 

[Calipol2009]

However, I just saw that you had a cold, so that leads me to believe it's not wax but rather extra fluid in your middle ear (behind the drum) that hasn't drained or been reabsorbed. This is pretty common and there's all sorts of advice for ways to get rid of it. Just google "clogged eustachian tube" or "opening eustachian tube". My doctor always advised taking Flonase or Nasacort, but taking it with your head bent forward and pointing upward so the medicine reaches the eustachian tube. In theory, this is supposed to open it up a bit to help fluid pass through, but I can't vouch for its effectiveness as it never did much for me. I also read somewhere that middle ear fluid doesn't really drain, but rather gets slowly reabsorbed by the body.

https://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm

It's always best to see a doctor. I recommend an ENT, but you could always just go to a less expensive primary care type doc and have them take a look with an otoscope to rule out any sort of infection.

Quick question. I also had a cold recently. Actually, in the middle of October I had a "cold" while flying and traveling for about 1.5-2 weeks, and then I got another "cold" when I got home that lasted around November 14-November 25 (though I still have some running noises and random congestion).

Last Sunday, 12/3, I had a feeling -- I actually can't accurately remember anymore what I felt -- a slight pressure drop in the ear and some noises became very sensitive. For example, my cat meowing bothered me. That is when I also first noticed a buzzing (similar to very faint white noise or high pitched sound). The sensitivity persisted until Monday morning while the sound remained. So I googled and became aware of Tinnitus.

I also live in Los Angeles, which was hit with extreme winds and fires this week (the winds began on Sunday, just as when the ringing occured) and I have had some sensitivity to the winds in the past.

I went to urgent care on Monday, and the PA brought up that it could be hearing loss but he wasn't concerned that it is. He checked both my ears twice and said that there is no sign of infection or visible trauma. He said he would give me steroids if things got worse (which in the immediate few days it did not) so I did not go back to urgent care. On Tuesday I went to my primary physician / GP who also checked my ears and said there is no sign of trauma or infection.

I spoke to my ENT (I went to one in the past) and he asked me not to be worried. He said Tinnitus can be caused by many things, even pressure behind the years. However, now after reading about it on the internet, I have become more anxious than I was earlier this week. Especially since many say their ENT visits yielded nothing helpful.

My question is, if both the primary physician and urgent care physician's assistant did not notice physical trauma or infection, could it still be "fluid" behind the eardrum that the primary doctor and urgent care assistant not diagnose ?

Throughout the week, at random times, I have felt a slight pressure in the ear canals. Like a need to yawn but yawning did nothing. I have also had throbbing ear pain randomly in the left ear (though I don't know if thats due to me being more anxious and aware). Is this normal for Tinnitus or yet another symptom worth mentioning?


I realize this is probably a question for a physician, but I am just wondering if the ENT visit that I have scheduled (not until 12/18 unfortunately) would yield anything.


Thank you for your help!

 

[BuzzyBee]

My question is, if both the primary physician and urgent care physician's assistant did not notice physical trauma or infection, could it still be "fluid" behind the eardrum that the primary doctor and urgent care assistant not diagnose ?

In my non-medical-professional, stranger-on-the-internet opinion, yes! I have issues with fluid in my middle ear on a pretty regular basis. I get just enough to where I can kind of feel it rolling around in there and I sometimes hear it cracking when I hold my noise and blow gently. What doctors seem to be looking for when they examine it is pressure behind the eardrum. Mine always looks fine and then I'm told to go home and take Flonase or drink lots of water or just wait for it to get better on its own. They can't actually see the fluid. If there's a lot of fluid in there it will push your eardrum and you will feel pain and doctors will most likely know there is fluid because your eardrum will look different. It may even burst, in which case you will probably feel a little pain and then feel better.

That's just been my experience, and it usually starts up due to eustachian tube issues or colds or allergies. It can take a very long time to go away.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

In my non-medical-professional, stranger-on-the-internet opinion, yes! I have issues with fluid in my middle ear on a pretty regular basis. I get just enough to where I can kind of feel it rolling around in there and I sometimes hear it cracking when I hold my noise and blow gently. What doctors seem to be looking for when they examine it is pressure behind the eardrum. Mine always looks fine and then I'm told to go home and take Flonase or drink lots of water or just wait for it to get better on its own. They can't actually see the fluid. If there's a lot of fluid in there it will push your eardrum and you will feel pain and doctors will most likely know there is fluid because your eardrum will look different. It may even burst, in which case you will probably feel a little pain and then feel better.

That's just been my experience, and it usually starts up due to eustachian tube issues or colds or allergies. It can take a very long time to go away.

I just tried holding my nose and blowing gently and I could hear cracking in my head. Does that mean the problem for me is differently fluid trapped? Or can the cracking be for other reasons as well? Also is it common that this cold will stay around for some time if this fluid is trapped because I'd say I've had a cold longer than usual and that could be why? And also, once this causes T, is it true all the other things that worsen T (ie loud noise) will act on it no matter whether it's from fluid trapped or acoutstic trauma. You say "it can take a very long time to go away" how long are we talking? Can this process be sped up or helped? And when it goes away will my T completely disappear, and I won't be as vulnerable to loud noises.
As you can see I have a lot of questions, any help would be much appreciated.

 

[BuzzyBee]

I just tried holding my nose and blowing gently and I could hear cracking in my head. Does that mean the problem for me is differently fluid trapped? Or can the cracking be for other reasons as well? Also is it common that this cold will stay around for some time if this fluid is trapped because I'd say I've had a cold longer than usual and that could be why? And also, once this causes T, is it true all the other things that worsen T (ie loud noise) will act on it no matter whether it's from fluid trapped or acoutstic trauma. You say "it can take a very long time to go away" how long are we talking? Can this process be sped up or helped? And when it goes away will my T completely disappear, and I won't be as vulnerable to loud noises.
As you can see I have a lot of questions, any help would be much appreciated.

@Charlie Mottley Please see a doctor. People on the board are full of advice, but nobody can diagnose you over the internet. We can try to help by offering opinions, but that's all they are. My opinion is you have some fluid in your middle ear (doctors call it otitis media with effusion) that at some point caused a change in your hearing that triggered the tinnitus. Once tinnitus is triggered it can stick around for a while – could be weeks, could be 2 years. I don't think it will be for the rest of your life because there are too many researchers working on cures and I'm optimistic in that respect.

Another reason to go to the doctor is for a hearing test. It will be worth the money to see if you have conductive loss, sensory loss or any loss at all. I've been giving you all these opinions on middle ear issues and conductive hearing loss, but you may actually have sensory loss from loud concerts or headphone use. I doubt it based on the type of tinnitus you're describing, though. Seems like the fluctuating type that gets louder with sound is more often tied to conductive loss.

So my advice is to see a doctor and let us know the results if possible. I keep visiting the boards hoping that someone will see a doctor who provides some solid info on reactive tinnitus or explains why some tinnitus gets louder with sound, while other tinnitus is mostly tones that can be masked.

@Calipol2009 It's not a bad idea to hold onto that doctor appointment on 12/18. If it's an infection the pain will probably get worse and there will be drainage and they might even let you in sooner. If something else like facial muscles, teeth grinding or clenching (due to anxiety) is causing the ear pain, it will probably come and go (maybe feel like stabbing) between now and then and the doctor will find nothing and you'll both agree to keep an eye on it. It wouldn't hurt to see the doctor, but if you don't have any drainage or fungus or obvious infection symptoms, you and your doctor might want to discuss how TMJ/TMD issues affect the ear. Once you are confident you don't have an infection, you could look into exercises and massage techniques to relax the pterygoid muscles. Taking 250 mg magnesium for a while might also help if the pain is due to clenching and muscle tension.

 

[Charlie Mottley]

@Charlie Mottley Please see a doctor. People on the board are full of advice, but nobody can diagnose you over the internet. We can try to help by offering opinions, but that's all they are. My opinion is you have some fluid in your middle ear (doctors call it otitis media with effusion) that at some point caused a change in your hearing that triggered the tinnitus. Once tinnitus is triggered it can stick around for a while – could be weeks, could be 2 years. I don't think it will be for the rest of your life because there are too many researchers working on cures and I'm optimistic in that respect.

Another reason to go to the doctor is for a hearing test. It will be worth the money to see if you have conductive loss, sensory loss or any loss at all. I've been giving you all these opinions on middle ear issues and conductive hearing loss, but you may actually have sensory loss from loud concerts or headphone use. I doubt it based on the type of tinnitus you're describing, though. Seems like the fluctuating type that gets louder with sound is more often tied to conductive loss.

So my advice is to see a doctor and let us know the results if possible. I keep visiting the boards hoping that someone will see a doctor who provides some solid info on reactive tinnitus or explains why some tinnitus gets louder with sound, while other tinnitus is mostly tones that can be masked.

I will get on that because you are right. Thank you for your help. I live in England so it won't be the same as by the sound of it you (and most others on this forum) are American but a doctor is a doctor and I agree professional info is needed. I will tell them what I think it is. (using some of the technical words you've given that I can't remember right now), how do you think it's been caused then? From a cold? Does me putting my fingers in my ear to clear earwax come into this you think? Could that actually push earwax back and cause this problem? I'll keep you updated, thanks for the help again.

 

[Calipol2009]

In my non-medical-professional, stranger-on-the-internet opinion, yes! I have issues with fluid in my middle ear on a pretty regular basis. I get just enough to where I can kind of feel it rolling around in there and I sometimes hear it cracking when I hold my noise and blow gently. What doctors seem to be looking for when they examine it is pressure behind the eardrum. Mine always looks fine and then I'm told to go home and take Flonase or drink lots of water or just wait for it to get better on its own. They can't actually see the fluid. If there's a lot of fluid in there it will push your eardrum and you will feel pain and doctors will most likely know there is fluid because your eardrum will look different. It may even burst, in which case you will probably feel a little pain and then feel better.

That's just been my experience, and it usually starts up due to eustachian tube issues or colds or allergies. It can take a very long time to go away.

@Calipol2009 It's not a bad idea to hold onto that doctor appointment on 12/18. If it's an infection the pain will probably get worse and there will be drainage and they might even let you in sooner. If something else like facial muscles, teeth grinding or clenching (due to anxiety) is causing the ear pain, it will probably come and go (maybe feel like stabbing) between now and then and the doctor will find nothing and you'll both agree to keep an eye on it. It wouldn't hurt to see the doctor, but if you don't have any drainage or fungus or obvious infection symptoms, you and your doctor might want to discuss how TMJ/TMD issues affect the ear. Once you are confident you don't have an infection, you could look into exercises and massage techniques to relax the pterygoid muscles. Taking 250 mg magnesium for a while might also help if the pain is due to clenching and muscle tension.

Thank you for your replies.

I have no intention of not going to the physician. Neither my primary doctor nor the urgent care PA told me to be concerned after I described when I frist started hearing this. Iv seen the ENT in the past and he called me to tell me not to be concerned as well. But I feel as though this is was physicians always say.

If my insurance approves the referral in time (my primary just sent it out on Friday), I have a audiogram on Monday and I'll share the results.

I just wish it we're sooner as I'd like to at least discuss this further with a specialist.

I don't really know how to describe this feeling.

If memory serves me right, I have always "heard" or "felt" a faint buzz prior to going to sleep because I like to sleep in total silence (even use ear plugs). I once asked my physician about this and she said it's because humans are unable to hear "silence" and everyone has this to a degree.

The only difference is I don't ever recall hearing it when in conversation with someone.

I do also recall a time in 2016 that I heard a faint high pitched noise and began searching through the electronics in my room for a source. I even asked my family members to listen for the sound. I and my cousin attributed it to what I thought may be a noisy router (tho he had a hard time hearing it nut claimed it was the router) and disconnected it, eventually I didn't hear it anymore. I am usnure whether that actually was a mechanical sound or if it could have been Tinnitus.

I understand that noise damage is cumulative, but as I recall I haven't led an intensly loud life.

I just turned 25. I have only been to a few concerts, Coachella music festival (always in the back though) twice, and while I have been to loud bars and clubs, I don't enjoy the clubs and don't spend much time in time or visit often. I have gone to a gun range three times, but always made sure the ear protection was in and was properly fitted. I have never been to a rave or festival like EDC. When listening to music, I never liked to listen to it at or near max, usually just above the middle volume setting and I never listened to music for prolonged periods of time, usually 30min to an hour as I get bored. I work IT at a hospital but in a every quiet office building.

The only change interms of listening in the last few weeks was that when I was traveling in October I purchased Sony MRX1000X2 noise cancelling headphones, which I liked and have kept.

I do need to exercise more and during the work week I do drink a daily suagry coffee. I do need to work on this.

As for allergies, I was told I have allergies by the same ENT I'm visiting on 12/18 but I was never tested for what it could be. I did visit him in January of 2017, which was also a windy time in Los Angeles. I don't recall if he checked my ears.

The primary doctor and urgent care physicians assistant said it could be due to the Upper Respiratory Infection I had. I
did have two intense colds in under a 4 week period, and it was traveling with one. Though I now feel much better and only have occasional congestion throughout the day. Los Angeles is currently going through unsuually strong winds and severe pollution from fires.

Over the last week I have at times felt a pressure in both ears, or that one ear felt fuller than the other. I'v have felt what felt like very minimal and slight ear wax move move out or drip our of the ear (it felt like something wet was slightly coming out of the ear).

That drip wasn't constant or anything, I just felt slight wetness and put pinky near the outer ear and felt it was wax or something else. No idea if this is normal because it may be because I'm suddenly paying more attention to my ears and looking for symptoms of something that doesn't exist with me.

In either case, I felt yesterday was better overall. I tried not to focus on the buzz. It was my mother's birthday, so her friends came over and we did listen to music through the stereo (because I'm paranoid and stressed I took out my old decible meter and the music never exceeded 80db and I didn't spend too much time around the music). I couldn't hear the sound when I was driving, even with music turned off. I couldn't really hear it when talking to my friends or shopping.

However, I went to bed and searched Tinnitus again online and it made me nervous enough not to be able to fall asleep for like 30-45 minutes. I felt my self paying more attention to the sound, and trying to counter act that with (as I mentioned before) the thought that I have always heard a faint buzz when going to sleep with my ear plugs and that the doctors were not yet concerned.

I managed to fall asleep, but when I woke up I found myself stressed out immediately and began "searching" for the noise and found it.

Now as I walk around the home, I feel as though I can hear it more pronounced.

The only thing I did differnetly over the last day is wear my ear plugs to bed again (haven't done it since Monday after I began hearing the noise), put on a table top noise maker and being around some music (but again it wasn't too loud and I made sure to be in a different room for most of the day).


Forgive the long post, it's one way of dealing with my nerves as I always stress early.


Replies are greatly appreciated

 

[Charlie Mottley]

@Charlie Mottley Please see a doctor. People on the board are full of advice, but nobody can diagnose you over the internet. We can try to help by offering opinions, but that's all they are. My opinion is you have some fluid in your middle ear (doctors call it otitis media with effusion) that at some point caused a change in your hearing that triggered the tinnitus. Once tinnitus is triggered it can stick around for a while – could be weeks, could be 2 years. I don't think it will be for the rest of your life because there are too many researchers working on cures and I'm optimistic in that respect.

Another reason to go to the doctor is for a hearing test. It will be worth the money to see if you have conductive loss, sensory loss or any loss at all. I've been giving you all these opinions on middle ear issues and conductive hearing loss, but you may actually have sensory loss from loud concerts or headphone use. I doubt it based on the type of tinnitus you're describing, though. Seems like the fluctuating type that gets louder with sound is more often tied to conductive loss.

So my advice is to see a doctor and let us know the results if possible. I keep visiting the boards hoping that someone will see a doctor who provides some solid info on reactive tinnitus or explains why some tinnitus gets louder with sound, while other tinnitus is mostly tones that can be masked.

@Calipol2009 It's not a bad idea to hold onto that doctor appointment on 12/18. If it's an infection the pain will probably get worse and there will be drainage and they might even let you in sooner. If something else like facial muscles, teeth grinding or clenching (due to anxiety) is causing the ear pain, it will probably come and go (maybe feel like stabbing) between now and then and the doctor will find nothing and you'll both agree to keep an eye on it. It wouldn't hurt to see the doctor, but if you don't have any drainage or fungus or obvious infection symptoms, you and your doctor might want to discuss how TMJ/TMD issues affect the ear. Once you are confident you don't have an infection, you could look into exercises and massage techniques to relax the pterygoid muscles. Taking 250 mg magnesium for a while might also help if the pain is due to clenching and muscle tension.

Got a doctors appointment booked for the 20th of December so I'll see what happens. Still had mild T last week or so and has been fluctuating on and off. Hoping they can see what's going on and pinpoint the problem.

 

[BuzzyBee]

Got a doctors appointment booked for the 20th of December so I'll see what happens. Still had mild T last week or so and has been fluctuating on and off. Hoping they can see what's going on and pinpoint the problem.

Hope it goes well!