Hyperacusis Plus Ear Blockage (And Clicking)

[Irish]

Hi everyone,

Am new to TT.

Have hyperacusis in both ears since very stupidly exposing myself to very loud music at a nightclub a number of months ago.

Had pretty bad tinnitus for a while too but thankfully it's practically gone now.

The H is still there though, particularly in the left ear.

I guess you would call it mild to moderate, I think it has eased slightly in last couple of months but have reached a plateau now where it hasn't improved for some time.

In last couple of months, I've developed this very annoying ear blockage especially on the left side where the H is stronger, it's accompanied by a clicking or crackling if I even slightly 'flex' the tendons or muscles in that part of my head/ear, happens also if I swallow or yawn.

Sometimes it's also painful in the ear canal and overall that ear just feels more sensitive, more 'open'.
The blockage does tend to gradually clear or improve as each day goes on but during the morning, daytime and sometimes evening too, it can be uncomfortable, annoying and sometimes painful.

The H I can live with for now, can always use earplugs if I know I will be in loud situations (or going for a swim), but the ear blocking and crackling/clicking is a bloody nuisance, has really been getting to me at times.

I really need to get a resolution for this or at least an improvement in the situation.
It looks like quite a few people on here have some combination of these symptoms albeit perhaps not exactly the same.

I suspect as well that it could be something like 'glue ear' or ETD, athough that said, neither my audiologist or ENT consultant have been able to diagnose me with anything (apart from some hyperacusis).

They say my ear health is pretty much fine aside from a slight dip in part of my hearing spectrum and a slightly lower than normal tolerance for sounds.

Has anyone got similar situation and if so what would you recommend or what has helped you?

Many thanks

 

[Irish]

Hi folks, you can disregard this question, I posted an intro instead in the appropriate forum.
Apologies for jumping in with a question without at least bedding myself in first with an intro first.

 

[bekker]

I recommend to take n acetylcysteine (NAC) 600 Mg
It is a supplement and not a medicine. It protects your ears for futher damage but for me when i take it the fulness in my ears Goes away for days. The clicking stays

 

[Irish]

@bekker Thanks for the reply. I've tried NAC before and I don't remember having bad problems with ear blockage back then, so I think you're on the right track with that.
I'll pick some up next time I'm in a health food store, thanks!
I had it pretty bad over the last few weeks, which included a trip to Portugal.
Am trying to narrow it down to what changed for me over the last few weeks that made it worse.
Possible factors could be:
-Summertime, and increased pollen in the air leading to more of an allergic response
-Increased my alcohol intake while on holiday, some beer and/or wine everyday
-Also ate bread daily over there, perhaps gluten may have exacerbated things for me
-On one day I went swimming with no earplugs and submerged my head at one point completely getting water into both ears and things definitely were worse for a number of days after that, even m tinnitus came back the next day(just for the one day thankfully)
-Was on less supplements while abroad
-Shortly before I went on holidays I went to an audiologist who tested me for sound intolerance and I possibly let her expose me to too loud of sounds during that test, it's possible that could have caused a reaction in my ears and hence the increased 'full' feeling and clicking.

Since I've come back from holidays, I've hit the supplements again and also apple cider vinegar and eased back on my inake of possible allergens like dairy. I've also started taking a probiotic again and began back at the gym again this week. It took a couple of days, but now I'm almost back to where I was before with less ear fullness and clicking than before.
No change in my H really, but like I said, it's one thing at a time, If I can get this ear fullness and clicking thing resolved or at least improved, I'll then see how I can tackle the H, whether that means going the road of TRT or something else.
Thanks again bekker for your suggestion.

 

[bekker]

You don't have tinnitus anymore ( almost gone) happy for you man i want that too.

H is also shit i know. But the thing is also if you are more busy with your H, T, and Every time checking if it feels different it becomes worse.