I'll try to summarize this because it includes my (possibly controversial) opinion and some questions.
To be brief, I have a history of ear pain alongside my tinnitus. This pain has come and gone over the years, sometimes lasting for days or even months. I'm not sure why or how it started. It feels different from my usual hyperacusis and noxacusis, and it's hard to explain.
Typically, I get ear pain from noise, and my ears are extremely sensitive. If something touches my ear, like a tree branch, I'll have severe pain afterward. I also experience pain from wearing earplugs too often or even after using my earmuffs, which fit tightly despite being adjustable. Recently, though, I noticed a different kind of pain.
Last summer, I took off my earmuffs, and I felt a popping sensation, like trapped air escaping. Around the same time, I also took my earplugs out too quickly and ended up hurting my ears. I even had pain near the joint just below my ears. This pain persisted daily for a while, and I eventually realized I was clenching and grinding my teeth. I've since started using a mouthguard, which I hope will help, as I also get frequent headaches.
With the pain flaring up a few months ago (it has only recently subsided), I went to my family physician. Because I'm on disability, I'm supposed to inform him of any physical or mental health changes, and worsening symptoms count as a change, right? He set me up with an ENT appointment. I told him I appreciated his help, but I felt that an ENT wouldn't be able to fix this. I have a severe condition, and I doubt they can do much. However, I agreed to go because refusing might look like I'm resisting treatment, which is not ideal when you're on disability.
The ear pain has improved since then, and I'm not sure if it's because I've become aware of the clenching and grinding or if the mouthguard is helping. I'm uncertain, but I do have the ENT appointment scheduled. I've considered canceling because it's in another city, and my car needs suspension work. Plus, I'm skeptical about ENTs. Based on online reviews, they seem ineffective for cases like mine. Most of them see patients for general nose and throat issues, and I've read horror stories of people who ended up worse off after certain tests or surgeries.
I've thought about rescheduling with a local ENT just to get a hearing test. I doubt they can help, but it might at least show my doctor that I'm following through with treatment. I know there are tests like tympanometry and suction tests, which some people say made their conditions worse, so I'd likely avoid those. That's part of my issue with ENTs; I feel like they could actually make things worse. Am I being too critical? Do you think I'm exaggerating how ineffective they are? I've just heard so many stories about people not finding relief through ENTs, and I'm skeptical based on typical experiences.
What do you think?
To be brief, I have a history of ear pain alongside my tinnitus. This pain has come and gone over the years, sometimes lasting for days or even months. I'm not sure why or how it started. It feels different from my usual hyperacusis and noxacusis, and it's hard to explain.
Typically, I get ear pain from noise, and my ears are extremely sensitive. If something touches my ear, like a tree branch, I'll have severe pain afterward. I also experience pain from wearing earplugs too often or even after using my earmuffs, which fit tightly despite being adjustable. Recently, though, I noticed a different kind of pain.
Last summer, I took off my earmuffs, and I felt a popping sensation, like trapped air escaping. Around the same time, I also took my earplugs out too quickly and ended up hurting my ears. I even had pain near the joint just below my ears. This pain persisted daily for a while, and I eventually realized I was clenching and grinding my teeth. I've since started using a mouthguard, which I hope will help, as I also get frequent headaches.
With the pain flaring up a few months ago (it has only recently subsided), I went to my family physician. Because I'm on disability, I'm supposed to inform him of any physical or mental health changes, and worsening symptoms count as a change, right? He set me up with an ENT appointment. I told him I appreciated his help, but I felt that an ENT wouldn't be able to fix this. I have a severe condition, and I doubt they can do much. However, I agreed to go because refusing might look like I'm resisting treatment, which is not ideal when you're on disability.
The ear pain has improved since then, and I'm not sure if it's because I've become aware of the clenching and grinding or if the mouthguard is helping. I'm uncertain, but I do have the ENT appointment scheduled. I've considered canceling because it's in another city, and my car needs suspension work. Plus, I'm skeptical about ENTs. Based on online reviews, they seem ineffective for cases like mine. Most of them see patients for general nose and throat issues, and I've read horror stories of people who ended up worse off after certain tests or surgeries.
I've thought about rescheduling with a local ENT just to get a hearing test. I doubt they can help, but it might at least show my doctor that I'm following through with treatment. I know there are tests like tympanometry and suction tests, which some people say made their conditions worse, so I'd likely avoid those. That's part of my issue with ENTs; I feel like they could actually make things worse. Am I being too critical? Do you think I'm exaggerating how ineffective they are? I've just heard so many stories about people not finding relief through ENTs, and I'm skeptical based on typical experiences.
What do you think?
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