Possible Ear Infection

[NcName]

Hello Everyone,

It has been 5 days today that the ringing in my ear has been ongoing.

It's 4:30 am and I can't sleep because of it.

I'm almost positive I have an infection. I remember trying to remove wax from my right ear with a finger around the same time the ringing began.

I'm going to see an ENT doctor today.

I'm sure I'm suffering from tinnitus and I'm wondering if there is any difference between having an infection and noise induced tinnitus.

I've heard noised induced tinnitus can be temporary or permanent.

Does the same apply to infection induced tinnitus?

I can absolutely feel an infection in my right ear...the ear that's ringing.

Thanks for your time and I hope and pray for the best for all of us.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I can absolutely feel an infection in my right ear...the ear that's ringing.

Could it be that you are feeling "ear fullness" (the feeling of blocked ears that you get on an airplane)? Ear fullness is a sign that your ear had been hurt.

It could also be sudden deafness. In this case, you need to start taking prednisone as soon as possible.
http://www.masseyeandear.org/for-pa...ation/diseases-and-conditions/sudden-deafness

Check out the thread below where I summarize everything (27 tips) I learned about managing tinnitus after reading the posts on this forum for the past year.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

[NcName]

I seriously hope not! Lol. That caught me off guard. I remember putting my finger in my ear the other day being too lazy to grab a qtip and coincidentally my ear rings after.

There's no pain or loss of hearing as far as I can tell. It's around 7 am eastern and I'm going to call the doc in an hour.

Thank you for your concern and my prayers are with you and anyone else suffering from tinnitus.

 

[Bill Bauer]

What is it that you feel when you say that you feel like you have an infection in that ear?

 

[NcName]

It feels like a clog almost. Gradually "worse." I've had ear infections in the past and they have felt identical with the exception of the ringing which I want to add is a sound I've heard most of my life. Never constant but identical to whenever my ears would ring and it's superstition of someone thinking of you.

So as of now the noise is nothing new just the fact again that it hasn't subsided in I want to say 5 days.

 

[Bill Bauer]

If your T is due to an infection, there is a good chance that once the infection is taken care of, eventually your T will go too.

 

[NcName]

I just think it's rather coincidental that I put my finger in my ear specifically and I have these symptoms.

Is it possible I damaged my ear by doing so? Like I said there's no pain but all of this is new to me and even though I'll be leaving in an hour I would like to have an idea of what could be the issue. Thanks again. It means a lot to me.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Is it possible I damaged my ear by doing so?

No.

If were not to have that prior experience with infections, I would want to bet that you are not suffering from an infection.

Have you been exposed to any loud noises in the past two weeks?

 

[NcName]

Sorry for the late response. Its been a rough morning dealing with clinics and I have to wait until the urgent care clinic opens. But to answer your question...no. I'm very cautious to sound of any sort. I never listen to music loud or work in hazardous conditions.

 

[NcName]

And I haven't been subjected to any loud noises.

 

[NcName]

Another question. I spoke to an ENT receptionist who informed me their clinic isn't accepting new patients and to contact a primary care who said the same thing. Now I'm left with the options if seeing an urgent care physician or going into the er. Any suggestions would help. I'm not sure how to approach this at all.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Now I'm left with the options if seeing an urgent care physician or going into the er.

If I were you, I would go to an urgent care, and if I were then not satisfied with my visit, I would then go to the ER... You just need for them to look into your ear and determine whether they see any irritation. Both the doctor at the urgent care and the one at the ER can give you a reference to see an ENT...

 

[NcName]

Thanks again Bill. You're a gentleman and a scholar.

 

[NcName]

I was just diagnosed with tinnitus. The doctor said he found no sign of infection or wax build up. I'm scheduled to see an expert just dont know when.

My heart sunk to my stomach. The ringing sound gets higher at certain times then goes down like some people say. My only concern is a sensation of something in my ear. I could have sworn it was an infection.

So its the waiting game for me too.

Everyone here is in my prayers. Lets hope something comes about in the medical field.

I'll definitely be checking in on everyone and keeping everyone posted on any changes.

Im so confused as to how this happened. I've never been exposed to loud noises and there's no infection.

The only other thing I could possibly think of is toxicity from my medication...suboxone.

 

[Bill Bauer]

My only concern is a sensation of something in my ear.

It sounds like ear fullness. It is a sign that your ear is not healthy. But you already knew that. Ear fullness normally goes away (could take months, though).

Im so confused as to how this happened. I've never been exposed to loud noises and there's no infection.

You really need to eliminate sudden hearing loss. It could be very minor (so as to make it difficult for you to detect)[but enough to cause T]. You may want to see an audiologist tomorrow to see whether that is the case. Remember that if it Is sudden hearing loss, the sooner you begin taking prednisone, the better the prognosis.

You may also want to look into HBOT treatments. In the first study listed on
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-over-70-recover-3-studies.21441/
the soldiers had that treatment, and 70% of them had recovered.

The only other thing I could possibly think of is toxicity from my medication...suboxone.

It is not listed in
http://hlaa-sbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Ototoxic_Brochure.pdf

According to
https://www.ehealthme.com/ds/suboxone/tinnitus/
it rarely causes T (62 people taking this drug had reported getting T to the FDA in the past 10 years). You might still consider discontinuing taking it.

 

[NcName]

I can honestly say reading your posts has helped tremendously. Words of encouragement are powerful things. I cant say thank you enough especially for the preventative info. But thank you again Bill.

 

[NcName]

I don't want to be a pest or sound selfish but I wanted to give a minor but relevant update.

The pressure or feeling of build up I mentioned in my right ear...is now in my left ear but the left ear doesn't ring. I'm hoping it doesn't.

I also want to say that since I've posted yesterday I've been reading many other peoples posts and I have absolute sympathy and empathy for everyone here.

I'm grateful that the ringing is something I'm used to hearing and notably not as severe as some posts I've read. I can hear practically everything on a low volume over my tinnitus and I'm hopeful it doesn't get worse.

 

[Bill Bauer]

The pressure or feeling of build up I mentioned in my right ear...is now in my left ear but the left ear doesn't ring. I'm hoping it doesn't.

It is very mysterious that you are getting what sounds like aural fullness/full ear sensation despite the fact that you hadn't been exposed to any noise recently...

I would recommend that while you appear to be in a vulnerable state, you stay away from moderate noises like that of a vacuum cleaner. Do that for 3-6 months, you can always abandon this if you feel like it is not helping. It seems to have worked for me.

 

[NcName]

Bill. Would it be fine if I pmed you? There are a few things I would like to say not necessarily constructive for an audience of all ages.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Would it be fine if I pmed you?

Yes, of course.

I will have to step away from my computer soon. I will be back online in about 4-5 hours.

 

[NcName]

Well Bill...I know it may be a major coincidence or even a miracle but my t is gone! I know it's surreal but I'm in total shock and counting my blessings.

I'm about 95% sure why I was afflicted. That being ototoxicity from the medication. I didn't want to say it but I abused the med in a manor lets just say that could cause t.

I want to thank you again though. Youre an inspiration and your contribution is an absolute blessing to people suffering.

I think the awareness needs to be spread first off and this websites contributors need to find a major platform to announce this to the world. I've been up for these past 7 days doing my research...reading community posts and dealing with acceptance...and I now know the sheer amount of will and energy it takes to deal with t.

Bill I wish you nothing but the best. Ill pray for you and others. Please stay strong.

 

[glynis]

Fantastic news @NcName ,
Love glynis

 

[NcName]

*manner instead of manor (that typo bothered me)

 

[Bill Bauer]

my t is gone!

I am happy for you!

You have been given a second chance.

After reading about a number of people whose T came back after they resumed being exposed to loud noises, I became convinced that our ears have been compromised. You might consider being extra careful over the next year or two (and possibly for the rest of your life). Consider staying away from (or at least wearing hearing protection around) things like lawn mowers, hair dryers, blenders, and vacuum cleaners. Try not to be around live or recorded music, and if you absolutely have to, ensure that you are not close to the musicians/speakers. Try to not be around when power tools are being used, especially in small closed spaces. Stay away from balloons.

Congratulations on your recovery! You got the best of both worlds - you can hear silence and now you can Appreciate the gift of silence.

 

[NcName]

You have been given a second chance.

.

That's exactly what I told my mother. I fell asleep exhausted from trying to accept my circumstance. I woke up around 3am and didn't even notice the sound was gone until I got up to use the bathroom. I cried. Not just because I was relieved but I thought of a few members here that are afflicted. It's not fair. I wouldn't call my case an exact success...considering all factors...but I feel lucky beyond belief.

You know...have you heard of those electrode implants? I'll wait for your response but they apparently work for many people.

Something needs to be done about tinnitus awareness and resource. I would recommend using contributions here and utilizing a go fund me page. Then possibly getting onto a major platform like Dr. Oz. That should be the consensus on this site. People need to speak as one and it wouldn't be a bad idea to start a thread encouraging people to join forces and really address this ailment to the world.

 

[kelpiemsp]

More than likely your T was caused by a middle ear effusion or serous otitis media. Its caused from fluid in the middle ear. Aural fullness and T are very common with this. Once the fluid leaves, the T will leave. I have battled this off/on for 30 years. Stress, anxiety, allergies, and even GERD can mess with your Eustachian tubes. The suboxone withdrawl probably created a lot of stress etc.

 

[Bill Bauer]

You know...have you heard of those electrode implants?

No, I haven't. Have you read about it on this forum, or somewhere else?

I fell asleep exhausted from trying to accept my circumstance.

How loud was it, at that point? Would you be able to hear it, if the room were to not be quiet?

 

[NcName]

More than likely your T was caused by a middle ear effusion or serous otitis media. Its caused from fluid in the middle ear. Aural fullness and T are very common with this. Once the fluid leaves, the T will leave. I have battled this off/on for 30 years. Stress, anxiety, allergies, and even GERD can mess with your Eustachian tubes. The suboxone withdrawl probably created a lot of stress etc.

You might be right. It's back in the same ear ( right) and ot feels like there's something in there and my left ear. Which is not ringing. It started back up yesterday. After going completely silent. It also started coincidentally after I took a dose of suboxone. I need to call the specialist now.

 

[Dij111]

Suboxone seems to be an Ototoxic drug so it might be the cause, check with your specialist see if you can get off of it so the T may subside.

 

[NcName]

No, I haven't. Have you read about it on this forum, or somewhere else?


How loud was it, at that point? Would you be able to hear it, if the room were to not be quiet?

They were introduced in Belgium. Long story short...doctors implanted electrodes in the ear that ridded all patients of any t. It wasn't a cure but the noise was completely gone. Hania from this site knows more about it but apparently all of it came to an end when a patient who was successfully treated hit his head knocking the electrode out of place and causing the t to return. At the very least it should be comforting to know a procedure has been proven to be effective.

Secondly the t at its loudest would compete with a flat screen tv on an low setting 8. If I turned the tv on or had my portable speaker near i could hardly hear the t. Then i also noticed or believed that it completely stop for seconds and come right back. Right now its fluctuating but mainly at the same tone it was.