Massive Ear Infection: Otitis Media, Ruptured Ear Drum, Fluid Blocking Hearing and Ringing Ears

BeerFoodz

Member
Author
Jul 27, 2021
1
Tinnitus Since
12 days
Cause of Tinnitus
Otitis media
A couple of weeks ago I had a sinus infection. A few days later I was awoken at night with my ear pulsating with pain which proceeded to rupture my eardrum with clear pus. The pain was immense. I could barely hear out of it after that. Was prescribed antibiotics by urgent care.

I met some friends for dinner the next night and I couldn't use ear plugs because of the pus discharge. I was basically deaf in that hear and had to ask them to repeat what they said multiple times. I've also got a young family with two loud kids and the next day I had mild tinnitus. I suddenly became anxious and could not sleep.

I don't know if it's from the noise or the fact that my brain is compensating because of being unable to hear any noise out of my left ear because it's entirely blocked by fluid.

My eardrum stopped leaking pus after 2-3 days. I did not have preexisting tinnitus. Hearing did not improve for an entire week.

Saw the ENT a week later and confirmed otitis media with effusion and a blocked, ruptured eardrum due to the pressure of the sinus infection. Prescribed 5 day course of prednisone. She assured me the tinnitus would fade once hearing is restored.

Tinnitus continued for over two weeks and has slowly faded but I don't know if it was caused from the noise or the fact that I lost nearly all of my hearing in my left hear and my brain is trying to compensate once introduced to normal, noisy environments. I have never had this sort of hearing loss.

The only thing that masks it is taking showers. I had to take meds to help sleep since the fans couldn't help and I was an anxious mess.

A week later I was at a friend's house and despite wearing an earplug my tinnitus got a little louder as there were tons of kids shouting. Again, I don't know if my brain was compensating by raising the T since I couldn't fully hear out of the ear.

I've read on here that tinnitus fades from ear infections once hearing is fully restored. There's still a ton of fluid moving around. I'm worried the tinnitus started from loud noises but given that I couldn't hear out of it from the fluid blockage I am not sure.

The audiologist said my ear was full of fluid and more protected, but given that I was still having pus discharge at the time I don't know.

Once the ear started clearing up I felt like I developed mild hyperacusis - I vividly recall a cart at Costco crashing into a wall and it really upsetting me.

Anyway, the tinnitus has faded to low levels but was unsure if the cause was from fluid, noise, infection, the torn eardrum. I've never had an ear infection this bad before and this was the mother of all ear infections.

Flash forward a few weeks later my hearing is almost restored and the tinnitus and hyperacusis are barely noticeable and seems to be diminishing. The tinnitus sounds like it's in my brain if that makes sense.

I was just curious on your thoughts.
 

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