Slammed Earplugged Left Ear with Hand — Slight Hearing Loss, Tinnitus

[John Const]

Hey guys, I am new here and have been having a problem with my left ear and was hoping someone here can help. I have always had excellent hearing and am hoping to get it back.

Basically in late August 2021 I had foam earplugs in my ears and I slapped/slammed my ear with my hand. This was at night and the next morning I had some hearing trouble in my left ear. I took about 4 q-tips of dried blood out of the ear and use Debrox to remove the earwax. I have had funny hearing in that ear since. Right ear is ok.

I noticed that when I fill the ear with water and let it out, like in the shower, my hearing returns to excellent for about 10 seconds. I notice that water drains out of the (damaged) left ear slower than the right ear. If I put my finger behind that ear (between the back of my ear and head) and I push up on it, my hearing improves for like 10 seconds. It's like I have a little bit of a distortion and it feels funny. I mean I think I have like 95% of my hearing in that ear but it is off. It does feel kind of clogged or like it has something in it.

Timeline:

Late August 2021: I slam ears with hands while wearing foam earplugs, left ear is now funny, has slightly less/distorted hearing.

Mid October 2021: Saw an ENT. He blew out my ear with water and this helped for a min. When I told him about my left ear hearing being off he kinda had blank look. He said they was some scaring in my ears but everything looked ok.

Mid December 2021: Starting having tinnitus (the ringing kind) in left ear, this happened right after I got a rent increase and decided to move out of my apartment, which will be hard because of all the stuff I have to move, etc. I didn't really feel like it was a great stress increase but maybe it was.

A week later: Saw an audiologist (the place had ENTs but I guess they only do operations). I had my hearing tested and it was good, though my left ear was not as good as my right ear. The audiologist said it may be a Eustachian tube problem and recommend Flonase.

Soon after: Saw 2 more different ENTs. Both saw my audio report. One said I seemed good and I would have to live with the tinnitus. He said since I can do the Valsalva maneuver my Eustachian tubes are fine. The other ENT said he did not know what my hearing problem was. He said it was probably not a Eustachian tube problem or middle ear problem because my hearing test was good. He said I could try an MRI but it would probably find nothing or I could see and Otologist, like an ear surgeon. They have more training.

Mid January: Noticed my tinnitus has gone down a bit but it still here. I have been using Flonase for about 2 weeks. It does not seem to be doing anything.

Well anyway there it is in a nutshell. I think I had natural tinnitus before December but it was very slight, like I had to be completely quiet to hear it. I can now hear it in a quiet room but not over a shower. I can sometimes hear it over the noise of driving. I guess I would rate it 3/10. It's manageable now. It's pretty steady but seems to go down sometimes.

Oh, I am not vaccinated for COVID-19 but I think I had COVID-19 about 2 years ago. I also have used headphones for years but I do not think the volume is very high. I usually listen to things at as low a volume as I can, as I don't care for loud noise. I do not smoke, drink, or drink cokes, coffee, or tea. I don't use drugs either.

Anyway I was hoping maybe someone could help me with this. Maybe some has had something similar. Can anyone (recommend) a good ENT in the Dallas Fort Worth area?

Thanks for any help.

 

[kingsfan]

I wonder if injuring your ear caused Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome in that ear.

 

[John Const]

I wonder if injuring your ear caused Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome in that ear.

Hmmm, I may have damaged something in the middle ear, or maybe I damaged the ear canal. I don't have any problems with loud noises or sounds. I don't have vertigo, hyperacusis, or misophonia. No pain. I have this slightly distorted/muffled hearing in my left ear with mild tinnitus, also in the left ear.

The thing is, when I get the ear full of water in the shower and empty it out, it returns to perfect hearing for about 10 seconds. When I put my hand behind my ear and push up on it or rub it up and down, it also improves, for about 10 seconds. I think it is a physical problem, like I physically bent or misshaped something. Or something in there is touching something else.

I will try steam inhalation I guess, I have been using a Neti pot and Flonase. Maybe I will see that ear surgeon. I wish they had some kind of X-ray or ultrasound to actually look at my middle ear.

Thanks for the help though, I appreciate it. I could have damaged something in the middle ear. Dunno.

Edit: My left ear also has a funny feeling, I guess like "fullness". But I would say it feels awkward.