Loud Noise Triggering the Closing of My Eustachian Tubes?

[Ring Ding]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and was hoping to get some feedback from the long time members of the support forum.
I've had Tinnitus for over 30 years and during that time I have learned to ignore it 95% of the time. it's like it's not even there. It sounds like a high pitched not that never changes and is even in both ears.

Recently I went to a concert in a club with my brother and after leaving the concert I am having trouble hearing things correctly. Initially the next day after the show I could feel this sore pain inside my ears and everything sounded muffled. The tinnitus sounded loud enough that I could hear it over everything else. Also a feeling of fullness in the ears. The the worst possible thing happened and I started to get a nasty cold.

I went to the ent after a week went by with no real improvements. He said my ear drums look totally fine and I have zero wax inside my ears. He was pretty much set to leave after that but I pressed him to have a further look at things. He looked in my ears again and this time he was blowing air in at the same time. He said My eardrums were reacting a little odd to the wind pressure and that it could be a problem with my eustachian tubes. That was it. He said go get a hearing test and left. I guess what he said made sense as I could feel my ears clogged with gunk. A feeling I have never had ever before when sick.

Almost two more weeks have passed by and there has been some small changes. I don't constantly feel pain but it still feels like my tubes are closed off and i'm not hearing the full spectrum of sound. The tinnitus has began to fluctuate between being bearable and being louder some days. I suspect that when I can hear everything else less I'm just hearing it more. I have not been able to pop my ears during this time.

Today at work I was taping up some garbage and the tape snapped with a loud noise and now I can hear even less out of my left ear and it feels like it's either sore or closed off more.

I have not seen much info about loud noise causing problems with the Eustachian tubes and i'm wondering if this will be a problem for me all the time or if it's just going to take a very long time for things to heal ?

Does anyone have any suggestions for trying to get my tubes less inflamed and eventually open again ? I have an audiologist appointment but it's not for a month and a half !

 

[glynis]

Hi Ting Ding,
You can try steam inhalation to help clear your tubes and settle then down.

You have done well coping with tinnitus so long and maybe the concert has caused more damadge.
Best get your ears checked and your hearing.
Eustation tube problems can be checked with a broncoscapy if other tests come back ok.

Keep posting for support....lots of love glynis

 

[The Red Viper]

It might be hyperacusis, which causes the tensor tympani muscle to contract to protect the ears from loud sounds. It is analogous to the blink reflex when air is blown into the eyes. This can cause ear fullness:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_tympani#Clinical_significance

 

[Jkph75]

Idk but I am interested in the answer. I had an MRI today and the same thing happened to me.

 

[Ring Ding]

Well I just got back from a hearing test and everything checked out normal. Despite that I feel like all sounds have been lessened and am hearing my Tinnitus louder more frequently. Could it just be the case that it's going to take a bit longer for my ears to recover from the noise exposure ? There seems to be no hearing loss as far as the tests show.

 

[Ring Ding]

It might be hyperacusis, which causes the tensor tympani muscle to contract to protect the ears from loud sounds. It is analogous to the blink reflex when air is blown into the eyes. This can cause ear fullness:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_tympani#Clinical_significance

Interesting. I have mercury poisoning which has had an impact on the muscle function in my body. it's been quite enough trying to heal from that but this is making me go crazy. Perhaps my muscle function in my ears is abnormal and this was the reaction to the loud sounds.

 

[Ring Ding]

Hi Ting Ding,
You can try steam inhalation to help clear your tubes and settle then down.

You have done well coping with tinnitus so long and maybe the concert has caused more damadge.
Best get your ears checked and your hearing.
Eustation tube problems can be checked with a broncoscapy if other tests come back ok.

Keep posting for support....lots of love glynis

Thank you =) !

I had a hearing test today and everything checked out just fine. The T is sounding louder today. It's just so funny to me because before all this for all the years of my life my tinnitus never ever changed it was always the same pitch at the same level. I am disheatened to say the least. I think in time I'll get over that but I don't know what the heck else is going on inside my ears at this point. The doctor said the tubes seem to be opening and closing. So what else does that leave as a poetential problem ? I guess the hair cells were damaged further?