Saw the ENT — I Think It Was a Total Waste of Time

[Marilyn R]

Saw the ENT for the first time Monday and what a waste of time. He said don't worry about the Tinnitus nothing you can do for that.

It might be Meniere's disease so next time you have an attack let me know. So didn't get any steroids. I might go to urgent care as I think maybe the guy I see would at least give me some, if so what is the suggested type? I am really frustrated.

No mention of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

Boy how do you find a decent ENT? As far as Meniere's disease I am 65, so older then the usual age. My Tinnitus is high pitched not low. I had lightheadedness not vertigo. I did have the ear pressure. My ringing started in one ear but is now in both. So I read usually one ear but 15% can have both.

When this first happened I was told I had a bulging ear drum by the nurse practitioner less then 1 month ago. The ENT's answer to that was I might have been dx with that because I have scar tissue on the right ear drum.

He looked at my CT scan from the ER and said there was no fluid in my ears on that scan. Even though I felt so much pressure.

I was in the ER 4 days after the ear pressure started so I had been on Flonase 4 days (not sure how fast Flonase can remove fluid from the ears.

4 days after all this started I went to the ER because I was overcome by profound lightheadedness, pounding headache with ear pressure, this scared me so I went to the ER. I originally was given Flonase by the nurse practitioner who thought I had the bulging eardrum. Flonase has seemed to help with ear pressure but how long can I take that, he seemed to think forever, lol.

What is best to take to sleep? My Tinnitus has become really annoying when I want to fall to sleep and wakes me up around 5 am. My sound is now almost like a chalk board piercing. Becoming louder. It seems to be ok the rest of the time as noises and being busy seem to drown it out. I worry about taking an antihistamine every night but at this point not sure I have any choice.

Any sleeping pills you can take all the time? I have a white noise machine but in the dark it is useless can't even find the buttons to push to increase volume when my Tinnitus get's really loud, ugh! My hearing tests are fine. I'm a mess! I just don't know what to do now!

 

[Wolfears]

Honestly not quite sure what to do in your situation, but I would try good quality Cordyceps mushrooms.
There are studies that suggest they will help those people, who's tinnitus is caused by excessive fluid, as somehow the mushrooms are able to take the fluid out.
I will try to provide the link for the study, but you can probably just google Cordyceps and Tinnitus and get the same info.
Hope this helps.

P.S. Here is one of the links...just scroll down a bit:
https://swansonhealthcenter.com/topics/cordyceps-sinensis/

 

[Christophe_85]

ENT should be called WOT (Waste Of Time) !

The first one I saw was really helpless, the second one though was better and it helped me cope better with T... But they are completely lost with people havint Tinnitus...

 

[glynis]

ENT look in to problems and tests as well as operations but it is audiology whom see to tinnitus and people with hearing loss .
Love glynis

 

[GregCA]

Saw the ENT for the first time Monday and what a waste of time. He said don't worry about the Tinnitus nothing you can do for that. It might be Meniere's disease so next time you have an attack let me know. So didn't get any steroids.

What diagnosis have you reached that would require steroids? Your doctors didn't seem to think they were needed.

You list "Fluid in your inner ear" as cause for your T in your profile, but you should know that fluid in the inner ear is required for a properly functioning ear. Perhaps you meant fluid in your middle ear.

I understand the frustration about not having been sent home with a diagnosis and a magic pill that will make everything better in a few days, but Tinnitus is a complicated condition that, in most cases, stems from root causes that are currently incurable (like sensorineural hearing loss). Still, there are a few root causes that do have reasonable treatments, and it is often necessary to do "useless tests" simply to rule out more severe conditions. Most MRI tests in the context of T end up with "uneventful" reports, but they are necessary to rule out acoustic neuromas.

Flonase has seemed to help with ear pressure but how long can I take that, he seemed to think forever, lol.

The LOL'ing tells me you are in good spirits, so that's a positive aspect about your tackling this annoying condition. I suggest you keep going down the diagnosis path, perhaps with the help of the diagnosis flowchart available here: http://www.tinnitusresearch.org/index.php/for-clinicians/diagnostic-flowchart
You can bring it to your doctors and work with them on it.

It also seems that a visit to an audiologist could be a wise next step that would give you a basic snapshot view of your auditory system.

Good luck!

 

[dingaling]

Does your tinnitus and/or hearing fluctuate?

Endolymphic hydrops is related to Meniere's; you get the fullness and tinnitus, but not the vertigo

Did you have an audiogram? (yes, a "useless test") If so, what did it show?

 

[Marilyn R]

I had a hearing test and my hearing is fine, but it is at the cusp of being very slight hearing impaired. That could just be my age. The only time I have difficulty hearing is when the Tinnitus get's really loud. When it first started it was a low pitch and very loud. Then for 2 1/2 wks it was barely noticeable and higher pitched. The last two days it is really loud and shrill. I usually can ignore it but not the last two days. They didn't do any tests. I guess I was thinking steroids as some said if caught in the first 30 days it can help. Mainly because I don't really know if I have Meniere's. He said to come back in if I have another attack. I guess he is assuming I have it but I'm not sure. With Meniere's is the ringing of the ears only with the attack. Because mine has been constant for almost a month now. Also I had lightheadedness for 2 1/2 wks until they finally gave me Meclizine. That has helped. I haven't stopped it so I suppose I should to see if that is better. So I thought the dizzy was only for a few hours to a day or so with Meneires? It just doesn't seem to fit the description very well. I should look up Endolymphic hydrops. I guess I don't really know what is wrong but doesn't seem like the doctor wants to investigate any further. Should I be satisfied with that and just go on with my new life or should I see someone else?

 

[Gman]

ENT look in to problems and tests as well as operations but it is audiology whom see to tinnitus and people with hearing loss .
Love glynis

In an ideal world, yes. Unfortunately many ENTs do not even do what they are supposed. They are dismissive and do not even look for underlying medical issues. They could not care less about making a person's issues worse or would flat out deny it.
You have one of the good ones, based on what you've said in other threads.
Same can also be said of some audiologists. They can and have made people's conditions worse - me for example.

 

[glynis]

@Gman,
I agree, Some are not helpful or understanding when you look to them for help and come away disappointed and some procedures not so good for some patients.
Love glynis

 

[Marilyn R]

I guess I'm confused. What did he do that was good? All he said was Tinnitus can't do anything about that. Then said I might have Meniere's disease so if symptoms return come back. He didn't order any tests. My regular doctor ordered the hearing test. I was really upset at his lack of emotion or care. Like Tinnitus is not a big deal! I only saw him the one time and he didn't do anything. Am I missing something.

 

[PaulBe]

I was really upset at his lack of emotion or care. Like Tinnitus is not a big deal

This itself is an issue. Maybe he's trying not to play it up because he does in-fact know? Or maybe, like many, he just doesn't know.

 

[Gman]

I guess I'm confused. What did he do that was good? All he said was Tinnitus can't do anything about that. Then said I might have Meniere's disease so if symptoms return come back. He didn't order any tests. My regular doctor ordered the hearing test. I was really upset at his lack of emotion or care. Like Tinnitus is not a big deal! I only saw him the one time and he didn't do anything. Am I missing something.

There's something very strange about a lot of these so called medical professionals and in particular ENTs. Don't take it to heart. It's just how it is. You could see another. Maybe try and find out somehow if there are any reputable ones where you live. They are rare as hens teeth!

 

[Rick Garner]

I visited 3 ENTs after the onset. The last one was great but non of them told me "learn to live with it".