- Jan 11, 2022
- 7
- Tinnitus Since
- 02/2011
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Too much loud music/heredity
I have numerous hearing issues, including tinnitus, extreme sensitivity to sibilance, and a tendency for my ears to build negative pressure quickly. Overall, my hearing is not horrible, but I can only hear up to about 10 kHz. This is especially disappointing since I am a music lover and audiophile.
To clear the negative pressure, I usually plug my nose and gently blow. Sometimes the air flows smoothly through my Eustachian tubes and fills my middle ear. When this happens, my ears do a good job expelling the excess air, and I experience a balanced sensation for a little while.
Last night, while listening to music, I performed this maneuver as usual, feeling the familiar flow of air and pressure against the back of my eardrums. However, I did something different. I held the pressure there and paid attention to the music. To my surprise, the highs became dramatically clearer. I estimate that I could hear up to 15 kHz, with so many beautiful high frequencies becoming audible. It made me realize just how much I have been missing, far more than I had previously thought.
At first, I assumed this improvement was because my eardrums had become looser with age and that the applied air pressure was stretching and tightening them, allowing higher frequencies to come through more effectively. However, after some research, I learned that eardrums typically harden with age rather than loosen. This left me uncertain about the validity of my hypothesis.
While it is depressing to realize how much I have been missing, it also gave me some hope. The rest of my auditory system, including the middle and inner ear, seems to perform well when given the chance.
This leads me to wonder if there is a way to rejuvenate the eardrum. Could it be tightened surgically, similar to a facelift? Could stem cells help? Or is there some other method? I have read in recent years about advancements in reversing the effects of aging on the skin. Could similar techniques be applied to the eardrum?
Despite searching online, I could not find any information directly addressing this situation. Am I onto something?
Any thoughts or insights would be greatly appreciated.
To clear the negative pressure, I usually plug my nose and gently blow. Sometimes the air flows smoothly through my Eustachian tubes and fills my middle ear. When this happens, my ears do a good job expelling the excess air, and I experience a balanced sensation for a little while.
Last night, while listening to music, I performed this maneuver as usual, feeling the familiar flow of air and pressure against the back of my eardrums. However, I did something different. I held the pressure there and paid attention to the music. To my surprise, the highs became dramatically clearer. I estimate that I could hear up to 15 kHz, with so many beautiful high frequencies becoming audible. It made me realize just how much I have been missing, far more than I had previously thought.
At first, I assumed this improvement was because my eardrums had become looser with age and that the applied air pressure was stretching and tightening them, allowing higher frequencies to come through more effectively. However, after some research, I learned that eardrums typically harden with age rather than loosen. This left me uncertain about the validity of my hypothesis.
While it is depressing to realize how much I have been missing, it also gave me some hope. The rest of my auditory system, including the middle and inner ear, seems to perform well when given the chance.
This leads me to wonder if there is a way to rejuvenate the eardrum. Could it be tightened surgically, similar to a facelift? Could stem cells help? Or is there some other method? I have read in recent years about advancements in reversing the effects of aging on the skin. Could similar techniques be applied to the eardrum?
Despite searching online, I could not find any information directly addressing this situation. Am I onto something?
Any thoughts or insights would be greatly appreciated.
