Is My Tinnitus Coming from Infection?

[Felix Dujardin]

Hi! I am going to see an ENT in a few days, but I would like to know if some of you could help me too!
I started in Ooctober 2016 to get two otitis, then an otitis media in the left ear.
I experienced ear fullness since in that ear, which have appeared progressively in the right ear.

Since my ears fullness have not disappeared. Add to it some ears pains, mostly in the left ear, which have not disappeared too.

Tinnitus and very mild hyperacusis appeared about 8 months after, in May (I have not been in contact to any loud sound during these 8 months).

All my otitis have been "cured". My otitis media disappeared too.
The ENTs said that the ear fullness was due to ETD.
I have done many treatments for it (spray + exercises) which all failed.

I have done a CT of the middle ear which show nothing abnormal.

So... If infections are apparently not the causes, if ETD is not the problem, I was thinking in September, that the problem should be some loud noise, maybe the fact that I listened to headphones in the past (but please keep in mind that no headphones have been used in the 8months before tinnitus).

In other words, if it's not a problem of middle ear, it should be a problem of inner ear.

But there is some things that I can't explain, that's why I decided to go back to see ENTs.

I have very often inflammations of the tympani and of the external ear (eczema) in both ears.

Each time I saw an ENT or an audiologists, they all said that I had some scars on the tympani.
It's not a big issue itself (as the tympani regenerate well), but the fact is that I have often get many new scars and inflammations on the eardrum which appears months after months.

The question that I often hear is "Have you done surgery ?"

Since then, I have no answer to this problem (that's why I am going to see an ENT at the hospital), only my doctor said last time that I had an inflammation on the eardrum, and that I should use sea water spray on my nose...but no treatment.


I wonder what can cause all of these problems on the ears.
The physical damages that I get on the eardrums can't come from inner ear problem, no ?
I don't think I am doing something wrong...I protect my ears from water, too...


So...If someone had a similar experience (infections for "no" reason, ear fullness during more than a year), or if someone could explain me what might be the problem, I would be really glad.

Thanks.

 

[BlackSwanNSW]

Hi Felix,

If you think it cannot be caused by some external factor like surgery/water, is it possible that during the infection you weakened your ET and by frequently blowing your nose hard you actually damaged your middle/inner ear? This happened to me: I had a severe sinusitis and otitis media. In MRI I can actually see my left sinus conduit where I have a problem that is quite narrow compared to the left sinus. This means pressure is greater when blowing nose (especially if you use neti pots). I had to see 2 ENTs before a 3rd one noticed some scar tissue and blood as well on my eardrum coming from the inside. I completely stopped blowing nose or using neti pots to clear my sinuses.
It has been only 2 months in total for me and 1 month since I stopped blowing nose so I don't know yet the outcome.