Microsuction by ENT Caused Hidden Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis and Ear Pain

Hi there,

I suffered acoustic trauma from a microsuction procedure about a month ago—on the 18th of July, to be exact. Since then, I've experienced tinnitus, hyperacusis, ear fullness (which I absolutely hate), and a diminished sense of hearing in the affected ear. All of these symptoms began at the end of a noisy and painful one-minute microsuction procedure, during which saline was used to loosen a piece of hardened wax deep in my ear canal. I felt a sudden cold sensation inside my ear, and I haven’t been able to hear properly from it since.

It currently feels like this experience has ruined my life. I’ve been reading all the posts here about microsuction, trying to make sense of what happened.

I had OAE (Otoacoustic Emission) tests done, which showed that the outer hair cells in my inner ear are either absent or very low in the damaged left ear, while they are fully present and functioning well in my right (undamaged) ear. Despite this, my pure-tone audiogram came back "normal," even though my auditory experience in the left ear feels anything but normal. The ENT specialists keep telling me I should be glad I have "functional hearing."

Has anyone else felt gaslighted by ENT specialists in this way?

 

Of course, I’m one of those cases. I’ve had two hearing tests—one through the NHS and one privately. The NHS test was much simpler and more basic; it was done quickly. The private test, however, was conducted in a soundproof booth and was far more professional and thorough.

After the NHS test, the doctor said my hearing was perfect and didn’t take the acoustic trauma and tinnitus I had experienced seriously. The private ENT doctor, who was a professor, noted a slight hearing loss but said it wasn’t significant. Despite my request, he didn’t offer any early-stage treatments (such as intratympanic injections or HBOT) and assured me that my tinnitus would improve over time. Unfortunately, it hasn’t improved at all in the last three months. While my hearing loss may not seem significant on audiograms, my hearing is still in poor condition. The constant 24/7 tinnitus and hyperacusis have completely disrupted my life.

Could you share the hearing test results? There may be damage, such as cochlear synaptopathy, that doesn’t show up on standard hearing tests.