Started Off in One Ear and Now Has Started in the Other

[Louise]

When I got T in June '12 it was only in one ear (my left). Over the past month I've been aware of it starting in the other ear and over the past week its been worse every day. I've been having some pain and something that feels like fluid movement between my ear and throat. Now, I've got that feeling of fullness in it that happened in the first T ear.

Has anyone else had experience of it starting in one ear and then, later on, starting in the other?

Also, has anyone else had this feeling of pain/crackling fluid/fullness?

Thanks.

 

[Karl]

Yes. Mine started in my right. Then 2-3 months later, I got it in my left. Many times it is louder in my left.

I think this frequently happens. I think it has to do with the idea that our auditory system require a fine balance between the two ears, for locating sound.

I seem to recall Markku got it in one ear, due to ear syringing, but now has in both ears. (Markku...need your help here)

What gets weird is when I get these fireworks/whizzers/bottle rockets every now and then.

 

[Louise]

Thanks Karl. Feel better to know its not just me. If the Auditory system needs the balance then why cant it just take the T out of the other ear and balance them that way?

The first Hearing Therapist I saw (paid for) did say that it can happen and is normal that it turns up in the other ear too. And that its the brain trying to find out where this sound is coming from. I dont understand that.

If I'm in silence (not often) I can actually feel my ears almost turn themselves inside out sort of straining. I wonder if they really are trying to locate this sound?

My sound is made up of those fireworks, well not quite fireworks, something a bit subtler. I also get additional extra strong, piercing darts of sound which I guess is what you're referring to. When they come I just hope that they leave!

My noise at the moment is like a dentists drill. I dont mean as loud but in frequency and 'tune' in that it does the 'meowmm' thing when the drill hits the tooth and slides down in frequency from high to lower.

What a thing for your own body to do to itself.

 

[Karl]

I'm almost leaving work, but just have one comment:

We're getting back to this idea of how the brain is comparing sounds from the left and right ear, to locate sound. If one ear isn't sending a loud enough sound, the brain sends a signal to that ear to "crank up the volume". If that ear has damage, we can only hear noise.

There are only two avenue to crank up the signal: An efferent nerve connected to the outer hair cells and an efferent nerve connected to the inners. The "outers" actually vibrate and are a true sound . The one connected to the inners is a voltage, not actually a sound.

That's my theory. I think mines an "outie", because I hear beats with other sounds. Another theory.

 

[dan]

My t started out more in left and after 3 months it spread to the right equalizing both ears. Then it just began getting louder and louder and louder and louder, all nice and even between both ears. Its started out as a dental drill that was masked by the sound of traffic or in a supermarket and I would even sometimes be able to lose the t sound while watching a movie. Today after 19 months of getting louder and louder and louder, I can hear it clearly over any noise. The only {quiet} place is the shower - somehow it has enough high frequencies to scramble my brain.
I also get piercing darts of sounds, but these come and go. In a quiet room my ears did feel like they were being turned inside out, but that feeling has subsided as my tinnitus has gotten louder. Also the ear pain I experienced which was excruciating has also subsided ever so slowly. Now I'm left with LOUD tinnitus...which I still can't live with.
I agree, what a thing for the body to do to itself, eh? Sigh...

 

[Louise]

Hi Dan,

Sympathies

Have you ever tried Clonazepam to get a break from it? Makes mine quieter.

Have you read the current medical profession theory that the sound doesnt change, just our perception of it and that it seems to get louder because we focus on it? What are your thoughts on that?

Has the dentists drill noise always been one continuous smooth noise of even pitch or has it had sliding up and down bits in it? (Thats what mine is like).

 

[VaR]

Well, the same thing just happened to me as well. T started in my left ear and is now present in both ears.

 

[Larry OT]

@VaR
That happened to me too. Started in one ear / side and the other started up. Maybe the brains way of making thing symmetrical.
Mine is proportionately lower in other ear though. Same sound.

 

[VaR]

@Larry OT I do not know how to go about looking for answers. I haven't really had a lot of tests done. I could've done more I guess, but I have been busy prepping for my GRE's because I'm thinking fo going to grad school. I don't even know what exactly caused my T. Perhaps that's the reason why this on top of everything seems more frustrating.

 

[Larry OT]

@VaR
tests you should do:
1) inner ear and sinus inspection by ENT
2) MRI
3) review of all meds for ototoxicity

Sorry for your frustrations, I know how that is.

 

[VaR]

@Larry OT

1) I have chronic sinusitis (But have mostly been symptom free)

MRI was clean and I have never really taken any meds (I'm 22 and have relatively been free of diseases thankfully) except ones for tinnitus. and those too were either nasal sprays or vitamins like Gingko.

The only problem I have is well, I'm 25-27kg overweight. And I don't know if that's important. And since tinnitus started I have had ear pain(20 times in 5 months for about 5 seconds each), 2 months of eye twitching(both eyes, both lids). Blood in the white portion(not the whole portion but like the corner of my eye without any pain, it went away both times after a couple of hours) of my eye (twice) but that might be due to Gingko increasing blood flow. I'm an engineering student so I also have carpel tunnel or minor tendonitis due to hours of coding/typing etc but that has been fine over the last 2 years.