Hello everyone,
I joined the forum because like many of you, I have tinnitus. It all started about a week ago, my girlfriend and I were having an argument, and she slapped me across my ear. She did not intend to damage my ear drum, but she did.
After she hit me, the first thing that happened was a sudden a sharp pain combined with a very high pitched ring. The ring stopped, the pain went away immediately. But my ear felt odd, like it had something stuck inside, and it lost hearing (not sure the percentage of loss).
There was no blood, no bodily fluid coming from my ear. By looking at it, you would assume nothing was wrong. There was no tinnitus, yet.
The next morning I woke up, the tinnitus was there. It sounds like a television set that is on a channel that does not receive a signal. I've read many interpretations of this sound: water running; hissing; waterfall, etc. During the day it's not as noticeable, I can hear it faintly in the background. When the ambient noise around me is loud enough to cover it up, I stop and think it's gone but soon as it is quiet it reminds me it never left.
At night, it's loud, crackling a little, random noises, and that white noise.
I did go to an ENT about this; so far just an evaluation. I have a perforated ear drum. No shock, I figured that based on Googling my symptoms. My main concern was, how bad is it? Also, what can be done about this incessant noise? Based on my research on this forum, whether or not it goes away is a flip of a coin. Some have it for years, others it goes away. And the reason for the overwhelming number of people that seem stuck with it forever is because those that get their silence back undoubtedly stop posting here. Not all, but I bet most.
Okay, so how bad is my perforated eardrum? Find out after these messages...
Just kidding, but seriously, those of you who have a perforated eardrum, please post how bad it is; the percentage of damage. Saying you perforated your eardrum and not supplying basic information like that makes it hard for others to gauge their own situation. Like, you say you perforate your eardrum and it never healed. Why? Well, if the damage is 80% that might explain it.
Nonetheless, mine is 40% damaged. Yes, very high.
So my ENT explained it "may heal on it's own, let's give it time"; he was fairly neutral on whether or not it would. He said that some heal, others don't. He did a balance test and I passed. He did a sound test with something that goes in your mouth asking if I hear it louder in one side, I said no. I really didn't.
I do have conductive hearing loss, he said. He looked in my ear and said, "there doesn't appear to be any damage to your middle ear"--
What about my tinnitus? Well, that's the thing. I have another appointment in his office to see the Audiologist. (I think that's what they're called) This particular individual will assess my tinnitus concerns.
My ENT explained bit like this, paraphrased: When I was hit my eardrum perforated. But, the question is, did the slam not only rupture my eardrum, but damage the middle ear too? The tinnitus could be from the reduction of hearing do to the perorated ear, if that heals... it may stop. MAY, not will. HOWEVER, if the tinnitus is do to nerve damage or some other thing deep inside; well, it's likely permanent unless some miracle cure comes.
Okay everyone, here is my long winded introduction. I look forward to contributing here and learning how to cope with this. I am the kind of person that no matter how much pain I feel inside, I try my best to lift others up.
Best,
Naruto
I joined the forum because like many of you, I have tinnitus. It all started about a week ago, my girlfriend and I were having an argument, and she slapped me across my ear. She did not intend to damage my ear drum, but she did.
After she hit me, the first thing that happened was a sudden a sharp pain combined with a very high pitched ring. The ring stopped, the pain went away immediately. But my ear felt odd, like it had something stuck inside, and it lost hearing (not sure the percentage of loss).
There was no blood, no bodily fluid coming from my ear. By looking at it, you would assume nothing was wrong. There was no tinnitus, yet.
The next morning I woke up, the tinnitus was there. It sounds like a television set that is on a channel that does not receive a signal. I've read many interpretations of this sound: water running; hissing; waterfall, etc. During the day it's not as noticeable, I can hear it faintly in the background. When the ambient noise around me is loud enough to cover it up, I stop and think it's gone but soon as it is quiet it reminds me it never left.
At night, it's loud, crackling a little, random noises, and that white noise.
I did go to an ENT about this; so far just an evaluation. I have a perforated ear drum. No shock, I figured that based on Googling my symptoms. My main concern was, how bad is it? Also, what can be done about this incessant noise? Based on my research on this forum, whether or not it goes away is a flip of a coin. Some have it for years, others it goes away. And the reason for the overwhelming number of people that seem stuck with it forever is because those that get their silence back undoubtedly stop posting here. Not all, but I bet most.
Okay, so how bad is my perforated eardrum? Find out after these messages...
Just kidding, but seriously, those of you who have a perforated eardrum, please post how bad it is; the percentage of damage. Saying you perforated your eardrum and not supplying basic information like that makes it hard for others to gauge their own situation. Like, you say you perforate your eardrum and it never healed. Why? Well, if the damage is 80% that might explain it.
Nonetheless, mine is 40% damaged. Yes, very high.
So my ENT explained it "may heal on it's own, let's give it time"; he was fairly neutral on whether or not it would. He said that some heal, others don't. He did a balance test and I passed. He did a sound test with something that goes in your mouth asking if I hear it louder in one side, I said no. I really didn't.
I do have conductive hearing loss, he said. He looked in my ear and said, "there doesn't appear to be any damage to your middle ear"--
What about my tinnitus? Well, that's the thing. I have another appointment in his office to see the Audiologist. (I think that's what they're called) This particular individual will assess my tinnitus concerns.
My ENT explained bit like this, paraphrased: When I was hit my eardrum perforated. But, the question is, did the slam not only rupture my eardrum, but damage the middle ear too? The tinnitus could be from the reduction of hearing do to the perorated ear, if that heals... it may stop. MAY, not will. HOWEVER, if the tinnitus is do to nerve damage or some other thing deep inside; well, it's likely permanent unless some miracle cure comes.
Okay everyone, here is my long winded introduction. I look forward to contributing here and learning how to cope with this. I am the kind of person that no matter how much pain I feel inside, I try my best to lift others up.
Best,
Naruto
Member
