Help! Hoping My Tinnitus Is from Ear Infection, Not Glue Ear!

[Deandush]

Hey guys, so I'm just gonna get straight to the point, I got tinnitus in my left ear due to an ear infection I got about 3 weeks ago, the ear infection I think was probably brought on by a viral infection I had just before it. The tinnitus itself started about 3 days into the infection and has been ringing in its high pitched scream for the past 20 days now!

When I initially got the infection I woke up one morning and my left ear felt very full and was almost deaf, this was very frustrating but nothing compared to what I was about to endure for the next 3 weeks!!

I have been to see my GP 3 times and had been given antibiotics to clear up my infection (which it did). This is were it gets a bit weird for me, my ear popped about 8 days into the ridiculous ringing and gave me most if not all my hearing back in my left ear which was an amazing relief (only for that day) as it helped masked the ringing. Now a couple of days later the infection cleared up but both my right ear and my left ear got filled up with fluid behind the ear drum, I went to see an ENT specialist who diagnosed me with "adult glue ear" in both ears? Anyway I'm just in a lot of worry as the ringing I have hasn't stopped not even for a second and it is literally all I think about, I find myself on here reading stories of tinnitus just to try and take my mind off my own, I still try to socialise with my friends and everyone seems very understanding but I'm just worried that the glue ear will cause the tinnitus to become permanent (I must add it is still only in my left and I've never heard it in my right). I am personally holding onto the hope that the tinnitus was from the infection not the glue ear and that it will gradually disappear over time.

Any help will be greatly appreciated as I feel completely lost with this stupid annoying and unbearable noise!!

Dean.

 

[glynis]

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
It sounds that the tinnitus is from a virus and now developed into glue ear.
It's a case of give your ears time to drain and clear over a period of a few months and maybe the case have grommets fitted if they don't clear naturally.
After a infection in the ear has gone it can take tinnitus weeks after to settle.

Using sound therapy at night and having sound on around you in the day will help mask your sound and distract you.
Keep posting for support...lots of love glynis

 

[Deandush]

Thank you very much for your reply @glynis I have read a lot of your replies to people and they are very reassuring so thanks. I have been listening to a lot of white noise to help me sleep at night, I usually fall asleep ok but I only get a few hours and once I'm up that's me up as the ringing is always too much to cancel out again, I will definitely keep this thread updated as I don't think this noise will be going anywhere anytime soon, and if it does I will let yous know of my improvements!

 

[LadyDi]

Sorry you are going through this, @Deandush. What kind of medication or treatments is your doctor giving you? The sooner you can get rid of that fluid, the better. As @glynis said, grommets (little draining tubes) might be in order. The good news is the tinnitus should resolve as the fluid is taken care of. Hang in there and come on back if you need support.

 

[Deandush]

Hey @LadyDi thanks for the reply, initially I was given Amoxicillen and Co-Amoxiclav for the infection itself which seemed to clear it up great (I heard Amoxicillen was ototoxic so I was a bit wary of that but didn't seem to influence the T), I went to the ENT and he prescribed me with Cetirizine Hydrochloride 10mg (i also read that stuff is also ototoxic so i havent been taking it) and an Avamys nasal spray suspension, he also told him to buy a thing called Otovent it's a balloon that you blow through your nose into (I'm sure you know what it is), it hasn't seems to do anything yet but I'll keep trying. I should probably also mention that I'm 22 and I have never once had an issue with my ears until now. It's weird how much makes you appreciate simple good health, I miss the sound of silence so much, I never knew something so simple can be such a draining and soul destroying thing.

 

[worriedd]

Hey, I had something rather similar to you. After a cold, the valve in my middle ear got blocked up which caused fluid to mount up. Ive had tinnitus for almost 3 months and now all the fluid is pretty much gone naturally. Ive started noticing some improvements and have been told my tinnitus is likely to go eventually, so I expect it will be the same for you. Hope tinnitus leaves you soon!

 

[Deandush]

@worriedd hey thanks for the reply, that's good I'm glad to hear yours is improving! My isn't as loud today thankfully but it is still non stop ringing! I'm just hoping it passes soon, from what I've read it seems like it should clear up completely

 

[worriedd]

Yeah, I don't think ive ever heard of tinnitus from an ear infection or something similar staying. It just seems to take a ridiculous amount of time to start healing. You should definitely take your ringing being not so loud as a good sign, ive been told that it should very gradually get quieter and quieter. How long have you had yours for now?

 

[Deandush]

I think it's been 24 days now since it started so I'm still in the early stages which is good, I'm definitely tolerating the noise a lot better as well and trying to stay positive! Anymore improvements on yours?

 

[Eib]

Hi - did it stop?

 

[Samantha R]

@Niamh So you have had an infection or do you have a build up of fluid in your middle ear?
Is your hearing affected?
Please tell us some more about what is going on in your situation and we will be able to better help you.

 

[Niamh]

@Niamh So you have had an infection or do you have a build up of fluid in your middle ear?
Is your hearing affected?
Please tell us some more about what is going on in your situation and we will be able to better help you.

I have had an infection in my ear just swelling. the nurse didn't say anything about fluid. my hearing isn't affected kinda but my left ear has this constant ringing high pitched in my left ear and I'm petrified that it wont go away. the noise is getting higher and higher and unbearable

 

[Niamh]

@Niamh So you have had an infection or do you have a build up of fluid in your middle ear?
Is your hearing affected?
Please tell us some more about what is going on in your situation and we will be able to better help you.

the nurse said my infection is gone and she said give the ringing a week and if its still there come back

 

[Samantha R]

@Niamh I recently had a fluid build up in my ears following a cold, it could be the fluid causing the tinnitus.
Can you pop your ears?

 

[Niamh]

@Niamh I recently had a fluid build up in my ears following a cold, it could be the fluid causing the tinnitus.
Can you pop your ears?

No.

 

[Samantha R]

OK. So it's common for fluid build up to cause tinnitus.
Are you normally able to pop your ears without any problems?

 

[JohnAdams]

the nurse said my infection is gone and she said give the ringing a week and if its still there come back

I think your best bet is to go to an ent and ask for Dexamethasone injections. Asap.