Not Sure What’s Causing My Tinnitus: Can You Have ETD If CT and MRI Show No Fluid in the Middle Ear?

Hi all,

Is it possible to have ETD even though CT and MRI show no fluid in the middle ear? My tympanometry assessment was also normal. The MRI shows severe maxillary sinusitis (see attached). I’m not having the sinus surgery as I can breathe perfectly, and the ENT says it doesn’t explain the tinnitus.

I’m also undergoing Watson Headache® Approach treatment but applying it to tinnitus. My colleague is trained in this. My tinnitus definitely gets worse after the sessions.

I don’t want the tinnitus to get worse with the insertion of grommets if, given the above, there is no chance of ETD.

 

ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction) will show up on an audiogram with a Type C tympanogram, indicating very negative pressure (below -100) and conductive hearing loss. Since your audiogram and imaging were normal, I highly doubt you have ETD. I was misdiagnosed with ETD because I have Type A tympanograms and slight negative pressure. When grommets didn’t relieve my suffering, I researched on my own and realized I didn’t have ETD and was misdiagnosed. However, my CT scan is not clear; it shows mucus/fluid in my middle ear spaces. This still doesn’t mean I have ETD, and there's no guarantee that it is causing the tinnitus. I wouldn’t get grommets if I were you.

 

What concerns do you have about getting tubes?

What are your thoughts on balloon dilation?

 

Did you not get a spike from the MRI noise? Do you know what kind of machine they used?

Did you get a contrast with your CT?

 

I have tubes, and they’ve done nothing to help me. Balloon dilation doesn’t look promising, either. Not for tinnitus, at least. Tubes are used to drain middle ear fluid and regulate severe negative pressure. If you don’t have either, I don’t see why tubes would be recommended.

 

I had a CT angiogram with contrast, and it didn't trigger my tinnitus. I also had an upper GI with Propofol, and it didn't exacerbate my tinnitus.

 

I have tinnitus due to my Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). Any irritation from pollen, colds, or flu causes a spike in my symptoms for several days. I am considering getting a balloon dilation, which might give me relief. I will consider this option if I cannot deal with the symptoms anymore.

 

That is probably a better option than tubes.

 

Thanks for your reply. I’ve decided not to go ahead with getting grommets. There’s definitely both an ear-related and psychiatric component to all of this. Fortunately, my best mate is a psychiatrist, and he's helped me with some medication for sleep. On three occasions now, the tinnitus has disappeared when I’ve been heavily sedated with antihistamines (taken only for sleep), but when it subsides, I experience ear contractions, almost like a helicopter-like thumping in my ear.

My tinnitus started after a hard hit from a wave while surfing. I’m having more good days than bad now, but I’m seeing a neurologist next week and getting a second opinion from an ENT specialist by the end of the year. My impression is that I may have myoclonus. If it’s in a constant state of spasm, it could be difficult to identify during an examination, so it might not always present objectively.

I’ll keep everyone updated and would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a similar tinnitus experience, particularly those who have:

• Onset due to trauma to the ear or loud noise
• On good days, low-level ringing in one ear
• On bad days, an additional high-pitched noise (~11,000 Hz), perceived in the head rather than the ear
• On very bad days, pulse-synchronous tinnitus when lying down
• Low mood correlating with worsened tinnitus (though I’m not sure if it’s the cause or the result)
• Tinnitus aggravated by stress (Jastreboff cycle)
• Tinnitus modulated by opening the jaw or turning the head