Persistent Ear Pain After Loud Noise Exposure

[dfd84]

Hey everyone!

First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone who posts and responds here. It is a great support system.

I am looking for advice after my ENT told me she has nothing more to offer and suggested I get a second opinion.

About a month and a half ago, on January 2, I took a cab ride with a friend. The driver had a loud sound system and played music at high volume for about twenty minutes. I asked him to turn it down, but he refused. I was sitting in the back seat about twenty centimeters from the speakers.

The next morning, my left ear felt numb, full, and had a deep ache. I did not experience any tinnitus or hearing loss, but I did and still do feel an ear pressure release sensation in both ears when I swallow.

A few days later, I saw an ENT who diagnosed it as a minor acoustic trauma. She checked my eardrum and ear canal, said they were fine, and sent me for a hearing test. I had a full hearing test including frequency and speech checks, and my results were normal and even good for my age.

Three weeks later, I traveled to Dubai and went to some loud venues while wearing earplugs. The day after one of the outings, I started feeling severe deep ear pain in my left ear. However, I did not have fullness or tinnitus.

When I returned home, I saw the ENT again. She examined me, said everything looked fine, and checked my jaw joints. Since I had pain there, she referred me to a dentist to check for teeth grinding. She also prescribed pain relief medication for seven days.

I saw the dentist yesterday, and he confirmed that I am not grinding my teeth. He even repeated the jaw test my ENT did, and I had no pain.

Right now, I still have mild deep ear pain in my left ear. I might have very mild tinnitus that I only notice in quiet rooms or before sleep, but it does not affect my sleep.

Should I just wait it out and hope it improves? Would an MRI help? Has anyone else experienced deep ear pain like this after an acoustic trauma?

The ENT has essentially given up and told me to seek a second opinion in a month or two if it does not go away.

I would really appreciate any insights from people who have been through something similar.

Thanks and stay strong!

 

[Rbk_3]

This sounds like me. Mine started after I got a new set of headphones last July. I then went to a local fair that had super loud music blaring where i also developed Tinnitus. Pain is just a dull aching deep in my ear canal and a fullness feeling. If I avoid digital audio and wear ear plugs when I am out I am fine but listening to any digital audio will bring the feeling back. That aspect hasn't improved in the 8+ months. The crappy thing about the ear plugs is it makes the tinnitus very noticeable.

 

[Jupiterman]

An MRI will almost certainly not help. It exposes you to over 100 decibels of noise.

There is nothing you can do to fix this. Seeing doctors, ENTs, or audiologists is often a waste of time because they typically cannot offer any meaningful solutions for this condition.

You are the one responsible for preventing it from getting worse.

Always carry earplugs and protect your ears from loud noise exposure.

If a cab driver refuses to turn off the music, or even turn it down, ask them to pull over and let you out. Your hearing is not worth the risk.

 

[dfd84]

Thanks for your responses, everyone!

For now, I'm not listening to music or going out to loud places. I just hope that, in time, I'll be able to go back to enjoying my stereo system.

Do you think that in a few months this will pass, and I'll be able to listen to music again at a moderate volume?