Some Advice Desperately Needed — Rumbling in Ears, Intermittent Dizziness, Ear Fullness

[Philippa Graham]

Hi everyone,
I'm posting on here as I'm getting myself very stressed out and upset. This time last year I discovered (after many painful years) that my tonsils were so scarred and so constantly swollen that I had started to get tonsil stones. When this happened I started to get very low level rumbling in my left ear. They eventually took my tonsils out and put the noise down to the tonsils pressing on connecting nerves with the ear (hearing tests came back fine).

The noise never fully went away but I think I just got used to it. It got to the point where I could only hear it in total silence and even then it wasn't very annoying.

6 days ago I noticed that the washing machine sounded strange. Almost as if the beating/movement was louder and more thumpy in my head. That night I could hear continuous ringing but couldn't establish which ear it was coming from!

I went to the doctor the next day who told me I was experiencing ETD from swollen tissues around the Eustachian tube and if I took some ibuprofen/decongestants etc it would go down in time. He thought I had a swollen throat.

Over the weekend, the ringing in my ears grew louder and louder and everything in my right ear became shrill. Music was unbearable and I could barely hear conversations.

I stayed off work Monday and felt like the symptoms were getting much better. The ringing was down so much I had to really concentrate on it to hear it. It was back to more of a rumbling sound.

Today (Tuesday) I tried to go back to work (primary school teacher). The rumbling in my ears grew louder the louder the room was and I struggled to hear. I also had intermittent dizziness all day and eventually got sent home for fainting!

I'm home again now resting hoping and praying for some relief from the full feeling in my ear. I don't feel congested as such, I've had such bad sinuses/throat for so long though I don't know if I am normalising it.
I saw a doctor on Monday who was at best uninterested as soon as I mentioned the word 'ringing' and said that it just has to pass on it's own. She noted that my throat was a little red but didn't really have much to say about it.

Sorry for the super long post. I suffer from anxiety disorder and the fact that no one can give me answers is making everything ten times worse!

Any advice tips or anything at all would be wonderful x

 

[glynis]

@Philippa Graham ,
Welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
Try antihistamines and a nasal spray as both will reduce mucus and help your sinus problem and in turn help your tinnitus.
Sinus problems can cause post nasil drip that can get in your eustation tubes causing tinnitus.

love glynis

 

[Philippa Graham]

Hi Glynis!
Thank you for replying! I am using both but not seeing much improvement. I have just noticed white spots on the roof of my mouth and uvula (dangly bit- I think that is the right word!) could this be having any effect on my T or ear fullness? X

 

[Niamh]

@Philippa Graham ,
Welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
Try antihistamines and a nasal spray as both will reduce mucus and help your sinus problem and in turn help your tinnitus.
Sinus problems can cause post nasil drip that can get in your eustation tubes causing tinnitus.

love glynis

I'm 14 . I did have an ear infection. before I had an ear infection though I always would listen to my music on a high volume everywhere I went for months before the infection. on Monday the 7th of January I was watching a series on my computer and a song on there triggered my left ear to ring constantly. I was panicking and crying because I was worried that I have permanent tinnitus because my dad told me about it and my music that id listen to would be so loud that my cousin from across the room could hear it even though I had earphones in. I went to a surgery near me and I was seen by a nurse. she checked my ears and said in the left ear I have an ear infection. she said it was inflamed or something and red inside something to do with my ear drum I cant remember . so she gave me steroid spray called otomize and ibuprofen tablets. the ringing was bearable and I didn't mind it but then something happened at home so I panicked a lot and got really stressed and cried and then ever since the ringing was got unbearable. constantly never ending in my left ear high pitched ringing/whistling. I havent had any ear ache only the odd one now and then that lasts like 10 seconds in my right ear not left. my jaw has been hurting only a tiny bit and my teeth are hurting only for a few seconds but the pain isn't aw. on a scale of 1-10 the ear pain is 2 and the jaw and teeth is a 3. the ringing has made me so worried and depressed. I'm crying non stop because I'm starting to think this is permanent(the ringing). ive been up all night shaking with no sleep. the noise is that bad I cant even close my eyes or nap. my dad said give it time it will go away. I went to the surgery again today since all ive been doing all week is crying and stressing. I finished the medication I was given(the spray and tablets). I had a different nurse this time. she checked my ear and said the infection has cleared up and its gone. so then she did a hearing test with this metal thing where she hit it off her desk and put it by my ears to see which noise was better and she put it between my eyebrows in the middle. she said my hearing is fine too. I said im worried I may have permanent tinnitus but she just burst out laughing and said I'm too young to get tinnitus.she didn't give me any medication and said if its still ringing in a week come back and we will have to sort some things out and do tests. The ringing is getting more frustrating and unbearable and I'm starting to panic because ive seen on google and even my dad said yes that there is people who have been left with tinnitus permanently because of an ear infection even after its cleared up. I cant stop shaking and worrying and crying and my parents are trying o sugar coat it saying it will go and its not life threatening but I know they are lying just so i will shut up. my dad said my stress is making it worse. but of course I am going to stress. ive had suicidal thoughts because of this too. no one understands and my dad keeps telling e to go to sleep BUT I CANT!!! he said I wont have tinnitus because tinnitus is caused by drilling and it is caused over a few years not a short amount of time. ive been off school for a we. ive had the ringing for a week and 1 day now. I want to hear silence again. I want to go back to normal. I'm a nervous wreck at the moment. I cant live with tinnitus if I do have it. theres no cure. I need help asap. I don't know what to do!!is the ringing caused by the ear infection I had or the loud music. btw I haven't used my earphones since the ringing started. apart from I did use headphones on a low volume for 3 mins music but that's it.I went to a nurse at my local surgery and she checked my ears and the ear infection is gone. She did hearing test on me and said that my hearing is fine. I said I'm worried it may be tinnitus but she burst out laughing and said I'm too young to get that. I asked if I need any medication she said no just give it a week and if it gets worse then come back. This is making me even more stressed because now the ringing is still here even after the infection has gone and I've looked on Google and even my dad said that people are left with permanent tinnitus after an ear infection. And I'm starting to think that will happen to me. I've had this ringing for a week and 1 day and it's only making me depressed and suicidal. I'm 14 and I don't want this ringing anymore! Before the infection I'd always listen to loud music. So is the ringing from the infection or have I got tinnitus. I'm shaking so muchthe ringing). ive been up all night shaking with no sleep. the noise is that bad I cant even close my eyes or nap. my dad said give it time it will go away. I went to the surgery again today since all ive been doing all week is crying and stressing. I finished the medication I was given(the spray and tablets). I had a different nurse this time. she checked my ear and said the infection has cleared up and its gone. so then she did a hearing test with this metal thing where she hit it off her desk and put it by my ears to see which noise was better and she put it between my eyebrows in the middle. she said my hearing is fine too. I said im worried I may have permanent tinnitus but she just burst out laughing and said I'm too young to get tinnitus.she didn't give me any medication and said if its still ringing in a week come back and we will have to sort some things out and do tests. The ringing is getting more frustrating and unbearable and I'm starting to panic because ive seen on google and even my dad said yes that there is people who have been left with tinnitus permanently because of an ear infection even after its cleared up. I cant stop shaking and worrying and crying and my parents are trying o sugar coat it saying it will go and its not life threatening but I know they are lying just so i will shut up. my dad said my stress is making it worse. but of course I am going to stress. ive had suicidal thoughts because of this too. no one understands and my dad keeps telling e to go to sleep BUT I CANT!!! he said I wont have tinnitus because tinnitus is caused by drilling and it is caused over a few years not a short amount of time. ive been off school for a we. ive had the ringing for a week and 1 day now. I want to hear silence again. I want to go back to normal. I'm a nervous wreck at the moment. I cant live with tinnitus if I do have it. theres no cure. I need help asap. I don't know what to do!!is the ringing caused by the ear infection I had or the loud music. btw I haven't used my earphones since the ringing started. apart from I did use headphones on a low volume for 3 mins music but that's it my dad keeps telling me to go to sleep BUT I CANT!!! he said I wont have tinnitus because tinnitus is caused by drilling and it is caused over a few years not a short amount of time. ive been off school for a we. ive had the ringing for a week and 1 day now. I want to hear silence again. I want to go back to normal. I'm a nervous wreck at the moment. I cant live with tinnitus if I do have it. theres no cure. I need help asap. I don't know what to do!!is the ringing caused by the ear infection I had or the loud music. btw I haven't used my earphones since the ringing started. apart from I did use headphones on a low volume for 3 mins music but that's it.