Medical Science Cannot Explain What's Happening to Me

[flobo]

Ever since my acoustic trauma 7 weeks ago, I've had tinnitus in my right ear but that's not all.

If I lie on one side, my ear on that side become full and stay full for hours.
I've had orange putrid "liquid" leaking every once in a while from my right ear.
The valsalva maneuver stopped working completely (make my left ear full, does nothing on my right ear).

Over the last month, my case has been slowly upgraded from my GP to an ENT to the general hospital and finally to the huge regional hospital.

Spent half the day there yesterday, basically, they said despite antibiotics I took, my right ear seems to still be infected somehow and they don't have a clue why.
Moreover, they can't seem to find any way the acoustic trauma could have lead to this (and to my eustachian tubes no longer properly working) .

The ENT that took my case eventually told me that it's probably linked, but the truth is that science at this point do not understand the inner ear that well.

In the end, I got more antibiotics, something for allergies (just in case somehow an allergic reaction would be linked to that mess) and an AD because I have become a complete mess over everything that's happening.

It's terrifying when we're to the point of trying stuff blindly and hoping for the best.


(They did a new audiogram up to 16 kHz and I got normal hearing, just a slight -15 dB drop at 8 K and a second -35 dB at 14-16 kHz, which is normal at 29 according to them).

 

[Julien87]

They still have progress to do yeah...
Hang in there flobo

 

[slipware]

Have they checked for
Cholesteatoma

If not, ask them to

 

[Samir]

If I lie on one side, my ear on that side become full and stay full for hours. I've had orange putrid "liquid" leaking every once in a while from my right ear.

It does sound like otitis media...

Spent half the day there yesterday, basically, they said despite antibiotics I took, my right ear seems to still be infected somehow and they don't have a clue why.

What kind of tests did they do?

Moreover, they can't seem to find any way the acoustic trauma could have lead to this (and to my eustachian tubes no longer properly working).

I don't think any eustachian tube dysfunction or otitis media is related to the acoustic trauma. I had acoustic trauma, and I have had episodes of muffled hearing as a result of it, but I never had otitis media or eustachian tube dysfunction.

The ENT that took my case eventually told me that it's probably linked, but the truth is that science at this point do not understand the inner ear that well.

They don't know it all, but they do know a lot. The problem is that the scientific findings need to be translated into clinical applications. Physicians are no scientists.

In the end, I got more antibiotics, something for allergies (just in case somehow an allergic reaction would be linked to that mess) and an AD because I have become a complete mess over everything that's happening.

Just in case... see, that's not very scientific...

It's terrifying when we're to the point of trying stuff blindly and hoping for the best.

Sadly, but that's how medical health care works. I saw a GP recently because I have some bump on my hand. He prescribed some tablets for me and advised me not to do any heavy lifting. I later googled my symptoms and found that he completely misdiagnosed me. In fact, I have not even received a diagnosis. In fact... no GP or specialist MD has ever given me a written diagnosis for anything... not that I know of. You just pay to talk to them, give them a good hand shake, and you go home and get some tablets and pills.

Not that I am very surprised, but it is a bit worrying that Google knows better than these "doctors". We should be able to trust the people who supposedly studied medicine, and whom we pay good money to have them know what's wrong with us, instead of trusting some random web search result.

They did a new audiogram up to 16 kHz and I got normal hearing, just a slight -15 dB drop at 8 K and a second -35 dB at 14-16 kHz, which is normal at 29 according to them

The term "normal" is relative. What do they have to compare to? These extended hearing tests are hardly ever done.

 

[GregCA]

The ENT that took my case eventually told me that it's probably linked, but the truth is that science at this point do not understand the inner ear that well.

I feel for you, for I am in a similar position: nobody can explain what happened to me, and what is possibly still happening (again, nobody knows how to even tell if something is happening, what treatment to follow, and how to measure any progress).

 

[Tinker Bell]

I sympathize with your frustration, but medical science cannot explain many conditions. Or sometimes they tell us what they do understand and we simply do not like the explanation.

And trying things and hoping for the best is essentially what we do with any medicine or medical treatment.

 

[Samir]

I sympathize with your frustration, but medical science cannot explain many conditions. Or sometimes they tell us what they do understand and we simply do not like the explanation.

That's true! But sometimes they give an explanation even if it has nothing to do with the condition we are faced with. There is a lot of guesswork, and they have to say something just to act out the role of being a "doctor".

 

[Tinker Bell]

That's true! But sometimes they give an explanation even if it has nothing to do with the condition we are faced with. There is a lot of guesswork, and they have to say something just to act out the role of being a "doctor".

As my dad always says, there is a reason it's called medical practice. It's sometimes a case of practice until you get it right.

 

[GregCA]

That's true! But sometimes they give an explanation even if it has nothing to do with the condition we are faced with. There is a lot of guesswork, and they have to say something just to act out the role of being a "doctor".

"It's due to stress!"

 

[.bill]

just off the subject of drs. I had spots on my back which is skin cancer when I showed then to my GP he said dont worry they are just old age spots. Told my wife same thing three years later she went in for surgery to have the old age spot removed. My right ear was full and a dull pain when I had it looked at this dr. said dont see no wax looks clean to me two days later had my wax removed practice yep

 

[TuneOut]

As my dad always says, there is a reason it's called medical practice. It's sometimes a case of practice until you get it right.

Fake it 'till you make it?

 

[RonnieCarzatto]

The only thing medical science can explain is anything textbook and obvious. Tinnitus is neither.

 

[DebInAustralia]

Ever since my acoustic trauma 7 weeks ago, I've had tinnitus in my right ear but that's not all.

If I lie on one side, my ear on that side become full and stay full for hours.
I've had orange putrid "liquid" leaking every once in a while from my right ear.
The valsalva maneuver stopped working completely (make my left ear full, does nothing on my right ear).

Over the last month, my case has been slowly upgraded from my GP to an ENT to the general hospital and finally to the huge regional hospital.

Spent half the day there yesterday, basically, they said despite antibiotics I took, my right ear seems to still be infected somehow and they don't have a clue why.
Moreover, they can't seem to find any way the acoustic trauma could have lead to this (and to my eustachian tubes no longer properly working) .

The ENT that took my case eventually told me that it's probably linked, but the truth is that science at this point do not understand the inner ear that well.

In the end, I got more antibiotics, something for allergies (just in case somehow an allergic reaction would be linked to that mess) and an AD because I have become a complete mess over everything that's happening.

It's terrifying when we're to the point of trying stuff blindly and hoping for the best.


(They did a new audiogram up to 16 kHz and I got normal hearing, just a slight -15 dB drop at 8 K and a second -35 dB at 14-16 kHz, which is normal at 29 according to them).

Have your ENTs taken a swab of the fluid? maybe youre not taking the correct antibotic? have you done a tympanogram?

 

[BuzzyBee]

My opinion is that your experience at the club correlated but was not necessary the cause of whatever is going on with you. Have any of your doctors checked for a cholesteatoma? It would be behind your eardrum, so to diagnose it they'd probably have to do a cat scan.

 

[flobo]

Thanks for the answers, everyone

Basically, they did an up to 16K audiogram, and they looked into my ear, mouth and nose, talked and theorised.

They didn't do anything else since they did not dare make too much noise with my easily triggered reactive T.

 

[Blue28]

Hi @flobo,

How have you been? Have the drs given you any answers? Like you I had an acoustic trauma and have had similar symptoms to you ever since (19 months for me), except my ears just feel full all the time with nothing drain from them. I feel my eustachian tubes are not working correctly too, but again no scientific evidence linking this with the AT?! I dont suffer from allergies etc. Im at a loss, my tinnitus is very reactive and I have hyperacusis too...its a nightmare. Drs I have seen dont seem to have a clue

 

[flobo]

Hi @flobo,

How have you been? Have the drs given you any answers? Like you I had an acoustic trauma and have had similar symptoms to you ever since (19 months for me), except my ears just feel full all the time with nothing drain from them. I feel my eustachian tubes are not working correctly too, but again no scientific evidence linking this with the AT?! I dont suffer from allergies etc. Im at a loss, my tinnitus is very reactive and I have hyperacusis too...its a nightmare. Drs I have seen dont seem to have a clue

Well, it's more of less the same.
T is crazy reactive but at least it doesn't get worse permanently so i try to start to live again with it.

The last doctor i saw told me he couldn't see anything wrong physically.