Hi...

[JamesLee]

Hello People,

So glad I found this forum for support.

my name is James and I'm currently going through a case of an ear infection with Tinnitus.

I'm in my late 30's and this is the first time I have ever had an ear infection.

My infection started nearly 4 weeks ago when all of a sudden my left ear started feeling blocked, like the feeling of being in a swimming pool and your ears are blocked and full of water. i brushed it off and went bed and woke up with constant high pitch ringing white noise sound and noticed my hearing was being muffled.

I saw my GP who initially said it was an ear infection and could see my ear was inflamed and it would clear up by itself in 10 days. On day 4 it got progressively worse to the point where i could not hear anything and the ringing just got louder. I saw another GP who said it was an inner ear infection and prescribed me Antibiotics.

Currently on my 2nd week and my hearing has come back somewhat. The fullness and feeling of blocked has also lessened which is a relive. However, the constant ringing and white noise is still here..


Obviously like most people, I searched Google for info and like everyone else all it did was make me more anxious and worried about going deaf and living with Tinnitus for the rest of my life.

my question is.......

1. How long does it take normally for an inner ear infection to heal back to the point of normal?

2. Tinnitus no doubt was caused by my ear infection as i said, it came on all of a sudden just before i was about to go bed. That said, is it really a lifelong condition or will it go away once the ear has healed?


The Tinnitus is worse for me at night when its all quiet as I can hear it real loud, just constant static white noise. During the day when my focus is on other stuff I can still hear it but its not that noticeable.

Anyway .....just wanted to share my story and what i'm going through. I'm just glad at least some of my hearing has come back and my ear doesnt feel as blocked as it was before.

 

[GregCA]

1. How long does it take normally for an inner ear infection to heal back to the point of normal?

What you were probably diagnosed with is otitis media (ie infection in the middle ear). The inner ear could also be infected, but that cannot be determined by otoscopic examination as it is not visible. The part behind your ear drum is called the middle ear, even though it is "on the inside".
The general treatment is a course of antibiotics of about 10 days, which should be enough to clear it out (but it doesn't always work of course, like any treatment).

2. Tinnitus no doubt was caused by my ear infection as i said, it came on all of a sudden just before i was about to go bed. That said, is it really a lifelong condition or will it go away once the ear has healed?

Most cases I've come across resolved a few weeks after the infection cleared, but there is always a small chance that T will remain.
I suggest you take your meds as directed and make sure your infection clears, avoid loud noise exposure, and let time do its job. You seem to have pretty good signs of improvements, so I'm optimistic about your recovery.

 

[JamesLee]

What you were probably diagnosed with is otitis media (ie infection in the middle ear). The inner ear could also be infected, but that cannot be determined by otoscopic examination as it is not visible. The part behind your ear drum is called the middle ear, even though it is "on the inside".
The general treatment is a course of antibiotics of about 10 days, which should be enough to clear it out (but it doesn't always work of course, like any treatment).



Most cases I've come across resolved a few weeks after the infection cleared, but there is always a small chance that T will remain.
I suggest you take your meds as directed and make sure your infection clears, avoid loud noise exposure, and let time do its job. You seem to have pretty good signs of improvements, so I'm optimistic about your recovery.

Thanks for the feedback. much appreciated.

Yes, I tend to avoid loud noise as I don't want to damage my hearing while it's healing.

I just find it mind-boggling how I'm ok one moment and when I wake up I'm nearly deaf and hearing ringing noises. It really does put being healthy in perspective and how we take having a good hearing for granted.

 

[Bill Bauer]

That said, is it really a lifelong condition or will it go away once the ear has healed?

I remember reading about several people who got T as a result of an ear infection, and whose T had gone away. It could take 3-24 months for T to go away.

 

[GregCA]

es, I tend to avoid loud noise as I don't want to damage my hearing while it's healing.

Good idea, but I'd suggest you carry that behavior even past the healing phase: loud noises are not good even for a healthy ear. That's actually one of the most common causes for Tinnitus - it starts with a healthy ear, and the loud noise exposure does the rest.

I just find it mind-boggling how I'm ok one moment and when I wake up I'm nearly deaf and hearing ringing noises. It really does put being healthy in perspective and how we take having a good hearing for granted.

Very true! In many cases, the onset of T is quite quick: one moment it's not there, and the next, it's there and very noticeable. I went to bed with no T, woke up in the middle of the night with severe intrusive T. Hasn't left me since.

It actually surprises me that it can get severe so quickly, while the reverse plasticity methods in the works take such a long time to reduce volume (even in the successful cases from the trials). Perhaps it's like mixing cream & coffee: there is one way that is quite easy to go entropy-wise, but reversing that is a bit more challenging!

 

[JamesLee]

I remember reading about several people who got T as a result of an ear infection, and whose T had gone away. It could take 3-24 months for T to go away.

3-24 months? OMG...........to be honest, I've pretty much kept myself busy to be able to think about it. I find that when I'm doing stuff i really don't notice it. It's only bad at night just before bed when it's dead quiet....it's like the volume is turned up but only you can hear it.

At the moment it's just the ringing and about 50% ear still feeling blocked, but i rather that than 2 weeks back when i was completely deaf and couldn't hear anything and the blocked feeling was even worse. The antibiotics have managed to at least lessen the symptoms.

But I'll be sure to keep this updated etc as I'm trying out a few things to see if it can work.

 

[Bill Bauer]

It's only bad at night just before bed when it's dead quiet.

You are now at a stage that some of the people on this forum get to more than a year after onset. So perhaps your T will resolve within the next 6 months or so. It ought to continue to fade.

50% ear still feeling blocked

You don't need to worry about this symptom becoming permanent. Ear fullness tends to resolve (albeit slowly) for most people.

 

[JamesLee]

Good idea, but I'd suggest you carry that behavior even past the healing phase: loud noises are not good even for a healthy ear. That's actually one of the most common causes for Tinnitus - it starts with a healthy ear, and the loud noise exposure does the rest.



Very true! In many cases, the onset of T is quite quick: one moment it's not there, and the next, it's there and very noticeable. I went to bed with no T, woke up in the middle of the night with severe intrusive T. Hasn't left me since.

It actually surprises me that it can get severe so quickly, while the reverse plasticity methods in the works take such a long time to reduce volume (even in the successful cases from the trials). Perhaps it's like mixing cream & coffee: there is one way that is quite easy to go entropy-wise, but reversing that is a bit more challenging!

For sure. This episode has made me very appreciative of being able to ear properly and I won't be taking any risks by exposing my ears to excessive noise.

I'm surprised that there isn't a cure and it seems to be such a big issue. I was also left feeling let down by health staff members who gave me incorrect info. One said it would clear in 3 days, another said 10 and the final one just gave me antibiotics.

But I'm thankful that we live in an age of matured digital connection, to be able to share our problems and to benefit from each other's experience.

It's week 4 for me now........hopefully it won't be a long recovery.

 

[JamesLee]

You are now at a stage that some of the people on this forum get to more than a year after onset. So perhaps your T will resolve within the next 6 months or so. It ought to continue to fade.

You don't need to worry about this symptom becoming permanent. Ear fullness tends to resolve (albeit slowly) for most people.

Yeah, thanks.....I kinder gathered that after speaking to people who had an ear infection and numerous google searches. Seems the recovery is a real slow process. But it's comforting to know that at least I'm recovering, if albeit a painfully slow one.

Have to admit, the first week when I went completely deaf, I was pretty much in tears.

 

[Lane]

The antibiotics have managed to at least lessen the symptoms.

Hi @JamesLee -- You can take heart in the fact that you're going in the right direction, AND, your prospects are good that your tinnitus will continue to get better. Some people's tinnitus worsens in the weeks/months following their initial onset. -- I know a few months feels like a long time, but there are some things you can do that might help your ears in the mean time. I found that CBD oil helps me relax and sleep better, both of which are important in helping the ears heal. I'm also taking Vitamin A, ubiquinol, supplemental zinc, and supplemental omega 3 fatty acids--all of which have been purported by some to help with tinnitus.

There's other things that can be done as well. We all need to find out what works for us. You may want to consider nasal irrigation as well, given how close the ears are to the sinuses. One particular person on this board got huge relief from purchasing an electronic nasal irrigator and using it regularly. I just bought one myself, and though it's too early to say whether it's helping with the tinnitus, it is making my sinuses feel really good. -- THIS POST has some good information, and a little more on nasal irrigation. THIS POST focuses on electro-acupuncture, but touches on nasal irrigation as well.

All the Best!​

 

[Bill Bauer]

I was pretty much in tears.

After about a month, loud tinnitus also tends to result in tears...

 

[JamesLee]

Hi @JamesLee -- You can take heart in the fact that you're going in the right direction, AND, your prospects are good that your tinnitus will continue to get better. Some people's tinnitus worsens in the weeks/months following their initial onset. -- I know a few months feels like a long time, but there are some things you can do that might help your ears in the mean time. I found that CBD oil helps me relax and sleep better, both of which are important in helping the ears heal. I'm also taking Vitamin A, ubiquinol, supplemental zinc, and supplemental omega 3 fatty acids--all of which have been purported by some to help with tinnitus.

There's other things that can be done as well. We all need to find out what works for us. You may want to consider nasal irrigation as well, given how close the ears are to the sinuses. One particular person on this board got huge relief from purchasing an electronic nasal irrigator and using it regularly. I just bought one myself, and though it's too early to say whether it's helping with the tinnitus, it is making my sinuses feel really good. -- THIS POST has some good information, and a little more on nasal irrigation. THIS POST focuses on electro-acupuncture, but touches on nasal irrigation as well.

All the Best!​

yeah, its only at night when it's really quiet and loud that it's bothersome. But I've already learnt to keep myself busy to drown it out.

thanks for your input, I'll check out those links for sure.

 

[JamesLee]

After about a month, loud tinnitus also tends to result in tears...

Yeah, already experiencing the loud bit at night when its quiet. It's like when you tune into a radio but you get nothing but loud white static noise.

I'm not going to let it ruin my life. Just going to keep busy and occupied and live with it.