Tinnitus After Firing with Reenactment Muskets — or Did I Develop an Ear Infection?

[Remlly]

Hello, everyone,

Like many of us, I've been dealing with a high pitched beep in my ears for about two months now. It all began a few hours after a reenactment weekend. Even after walking through a quiet museum with no issues following musket fire, a particularly loud cannon went off unexpectedly (the person loading it used way too much powder). There was also an incident with a loud bang during the event. Keep in mind, we shoot these weapons with a crowd around us, and hearing protection isn't typically required as it would be at a shooting range. I wasn't close to the cannon, and none of my friends experienced any ear issues without ear protection, so I'm not sure what triggered this for me.

The sound started faintly in my right ear on the train ride home that afternoon. At first, I didn't think much of it until a few days later, when I sneezed, and my ears felt full. This "full" sensation reduced my hearing for a few minutes—I have a habit of holding in loud sneezes, which might have triggered this. Shortly after, my left ear began buzzing with a similar sound.

To recap:

At this point, I had a loud beep in both ears, almost radiating outward. I scheduled a doctor's appointment, and here's what happened:

1. The doctor examined my ears and noticed that my right eardrum looked discolored (possibly cloudy).
2. He conducted a tuning fork test on the top of my head, and I could hear it there, which is normal.

He prescribed a nose spray for long term use and advised me to return in a month.

Over the next month, the following happened:

1. My tinnitus changed, initially for the worse. About a week after the doctor's visit, it sounded like a car braking with worn out brakes inside my head.
2. Two weeks later, the sound turned into a loud but less severe beep.
3. Three weeks later, I called the doctor and repeated the tuning fork test. This time, I could only hear it in my left ear, possibly indicating nerve damage in my right ear.
4. He still saw discoloration in my right eardrum.

I have an appointment with an ENT in a month.

Between my last doctor visit and the upcoming ENT appointment, my left ear popped, and I could hear more clearly. Three days later, my right ear popped, but the tinnitus remained. By the time of my ENT appointment, any issues with my ears had cleared up, and my hearing test results came back perfectly normal. I suspect I may have focused more on my right ear (the one with issues) during the test. During the tuning fork test, I initially couldn't hear it at all, but then I faintly heard it on top of my head, which is generally acceptable.

In summary:

• My tinnitus initially worsened but later improved somewhat, though it hasn't disappeared (all within a month).
• Both ears eventually "popped," and I experienced sharper hearing.
• My hearing test results were excellent in both ears, though I felt I focused more on my right ear.
• I had three tuning fork tests over two months, with results indicating normal, possible nerve damage in the right ear, and then faintly normal again.
• The discoloration in my eardrums cleared up.
• Lastly, I didn't mention this before, but sometimes I notice I can change my tinnitus slightly by moving my neck or body after a day of work.

As I write this, I still hear the noise in my right ear. Most days, I don't let it bother me, as I keep busy, but now that I've been home for a week, it's starting to get to me. I have so many questions, and while no one can say for sure if it will go away, I'd love to know:

• Whenever I move my jaw slightly, yawn, or swallow, I hear a loud pop in either ear, and the volume and side vary. Sometimes my eardrum vibrates. Is this normal?
• I sit at my desk all day, hand sewing clothing for reenactments (similar to looking down at a phone for long periods). Could my posture be contributing to this, and what can I do to improve it?
• I have an appointment to have all my wisdom teeth removed. How much of an impact could this have on tinnitus? Any experiences with this?
• Any coping strategies for those who used to enjoy quiet environments?

If you've read this far, thank you! Any insights on even one of these questions would be much appreciated!