Tinnitus for 2 Years from Sinus Infection / Allergies (Help Me)

[Isra]

Hello you guys, let me introduce myself. This is a long story...

I'm a 19-year-old girl, living in Europe. Currently having a gap year, working in retail. Next year hopefully to go to med school or biopharmaceutical sciences.

So, my tinnitus started two years ago (I was 17) when I had a sinus infection. Because of this, my ears also got blocked. I went to my GP doctor and got some antibiotics. My sinus infection went away, but my ear was still acting weird. A couple weeks after I had on and off tinnitus, when I went to bed I would hear ringing for some minutes then it disappeared. A couple weeks after that my tinnitus became constant. I went to the doctor again, she gave me a nose spray, my tinnitus stayed the same so she sent me to and ENT. I got some tests done and my hearing was normal. My ears still had some pressure in it (my ENT and GP could see this too). Anyway my ENT thought maybe it's because of allergies so he gave me a nose spray, it helped a bit with my ears. Like they weren't that blocked anymore. But with my tinnitus it didn't change. So he said that my tinnitus will go away by itself. That was it. Anyway, now a year later nothing has changed. So let me tell you about my symptoms:

- I hear a sound particularly left side, it's not like ringing, but it's an annoying sound. It also hurts.
- When I swallow I hear a click in my ears and other weird sounds.
- When I move my jaw I hear a clicking sound.
- My ears feel full most of the time, sometimes it 'opens' when I swallow.
- When I have hiccups I feel something pushed in my ear, not sure how to explain.
- When I yawn I hear a loud ringing in the area of my ears, when I yawn harder the sounds becomes more prominent. When I stop it stops.
- You guys know that sounds in an electronic water kettle? My ear sometimes has that boiling sound and I can feel something like there's water in it.

Okay, so a month ago I went to the Chiropractor because my neck was stiffffff af, so I thought maybe it could be the cause of my tinnitus. So, a couple days after my first or second treatment the noise in my ear became like a hiss which was the same sound as the start of my tinnitus and it did not bother me at all and it did not hurt so I was happy, but after a couple of days the sounds became the same. This week I had my last treatment because my neck felt good, and she saw no point in more treatments.

I don't know what to do know? Do you guys think I have permanent tinnitus? Do you guys know anything that I can do? Does everyone with tinnitus have these symptoms, or do I have an underlying cause which can be fixed? Please help me! Oh yeah forgot to say, overall I do not hear my tinnitus during the day of course because of other sounds but also because it's not THAT loud, but it's still annoying when studying or having earbuds in my ear. Then I hear it, but still can live with it. I also can sleep, never had any problems with sleeping. My tinnitus became better after 2 years, but I just want it gone.

Thanks for reading this all!

 

[LukeYoung]

Hey there,

I have the same symptoms.
Full feeling, and TMJ (jaw issues) as well as ringing, but my ringing started from loud noise.

I am not a doctor but I think if it was temporary it would've likely gone away by now.

Although it sounds like you have habituated.

Sometimes we have setbacks in habituation.
I don't think I would expect it to go away at this point.

 

[Isra]

I don't think I would expect it to go away at this point.

Well, maybe you're right or maybe you're not. I know for a fact my dad had the same symptoms as me for years and his tinnitus was worse than mine. Finally he switched his ENT, got ear tubes and all symptoms disappeared. My ENT unfortunately won't give me ear tubes because I do not work in an airplane?

Anyway, the tinnitus is one thing. But the other symptoms are bothering me A LOT. Those could go away, right?

 

[LukeYoung]

Get a second opinion from another ENT.
Did they say if you have any fluid in your ear?

You might have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. That's what I suspect I have and am going to see a different ENT as my last one just didn't care or want to check anything.

Tubes usually help equalise pressure, and drain fluid. So they may help. But you'd have to speak to an ENT about this.

Have you tried things like nasal spray and antihistamine?

 

[Yuuls]

- I hear a sound particularly left side, it's not like ringing, but it's an annoying sound. It also hurts.
- When I swallow I hear a click in my ears and other weird sounds
- When I move my jaw I hear a clicking sound
- My ears feel full most of the time , sometimes it 'opens' when I swallow
- When I have hiccups I feel something pushed in my ear idk how to explain
- When I yawn I hear a loud ringing in the area of my ears, when I yawn harder the sounds becomes more prominent. When I stop it stops.
- You guys know that sounds in an electronic water kettle? My ear sometimes has that boiling sound and I can feel something like there's water in it.

Hello there!

Have you seen a dentist to rule out any jaw/dental issues? (To address the clicking)

You say your doctor prescribed you nasal sprays, are you sure you've been using them correctly? There's a special technique to ensure it's getting to your Eustachian tubes correctly. I personally have always used nasal sprays probably since high school when I was sick (I'm 26 now) and didn't know there's a special way until my ENT told me.

How frequently are you exposed to loud noises? It sounds your tinnitus is fairly mild at this point if I'm correct? It could be that your previous illnesses did a tiny bit of damage to your ears, and over the years a bit of noise exposure has added to it and that's why you have that permanent sound?

How often do you use ear buds? I've read that those are the worst form of headphones (compared to over ear, and open back)

Obviously not a doctor here, but some thoughts based on the many posts I've seen on here. An ENT suggested ETD to me as well. I also have the clicking when I swallow but I think this is normal. On days when I feel super congested, the clicking is a bit different, it almost pops so I've experienced various levels of this.

 

[Isra]

Get a second opinion from another ENT.
Did they say if you have any fluid in your ear?

You might have Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. That's what I suspect I have and am going to see a different ENT as my last one just didn't care or want to check anything.

Tubes usually help equalise pressure, and drain fluid. So they may help. But you'd have to speak to an ENT about this.

Have you tried things like nasal spray and antihistamine?

Hello. Yes, I have a nose spray, not sure if it's the same as a nasal spray? Anyway, it helps a little from keeping my ears being blocked, but it's still blocked. And I went to a GP after my ENT said he couldn't do anything for me although he only gave me this one nose spray. My GP said i should continue with this one, but she didn't send me to another ENT.

Anyway, I am waiting to move from this dumb village where nothing is taken seriously and hopefully in September I'll live in a big city for my studies and can get better help. I always have to go a several times before they do something. For example, I had a severe allergic reaction but they brushed it off for a virus. I went 5 times! The last time my mom came with me and she demanded a specialist. The specialist discovered I have a strong reaction to some things, and let me tell you my symptoms were not really funny, it affected my life more than tinnitus.

Other than that my plan from now one is starting with my allergy pills again and taking Vitamin D, Iron and Magnesium pills since I also have anemia.

 

[Violet1982]

Have they checked your turbinates? Apparently a deviated nasal septum and/or swollen turbinates can have effects on the ears. They can fix with surgery.

 

[Isra]

Have they checked your turbinates? Apparently a deviated nasal septum and/or swollen turbinates can have effects on the ears. They can fix with surgery.

They haven't checked. I'm actually going to a plastic surgeon for a nose job, but it's for aesthetic purposes. My nose does bend a little to the right but I do not know if that means I have a deviated septum.