Tinnitus from Violence: Roommatte Boiled Water and Poured It in My Right Ear Canal

[robert milvae]

I was sleeping and my roommate boiled water and poured it in my right ear canal. I had to have skin grafts on my ear, face, back, chest and head. I have horrible tinnitus in my right ear. All I can hear is EXTREMELY LOUD tinnitus ALL THE TIME!!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[ajc]

I was sleeping and my roommate boiled water and poured it in my right ear canal. I had to have skin grafts on my ear, face, back, chest and head. I have horrible tinnitus in my right ear. All I can hear is EXTREMELY LOUD tinnitus ALL THE TIME!!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

I hope you called the police and filed a report. And sue your roommate's ass.

Not much advice to be given. Have you seen an ENT doctor? They can take a look at your ear.

 

[Kendra]

So sorry this happened to you. I would see an ENT and audiologist to get your hearing tested when you can. A hearing aid might help once you're able to wear one if you have hearing loss. Also sound enrichment might help.

 

[FGG]

Agree with everyone who said see an ENT as soon as possible if you haven't already.

If you have, is your ear drum intact?

 

[Bill Arsenault]

I find this post to be quite disturbing and my blood is boiling as I write this.
(I apologize for the insensitive pun).

I hope you end up getting better Robert.
It's certainly not out of the question due to the fact that the damage is from a single incident and may heal up-
and not from lifelong cumulative damage.

Although as you may discover here- sometimes one incident is all that it takes.
But still I will remain optimistic for you simply because what happened to you is so unfair.

Retaliation against your roommate is not going to change what has already happened to you -
but as a fellow sufferer - if you lived locally to me in Boston -
I would gladly hurt him for you if you asked me to do it.

Best wishes for a full recovery.

 

[GregCA]

I was sleeping and my roommate boiled water and poured it in my right ear canal. I had to have skin grafts on my ear, face, back, chest and head. I have horrible tinnitus in my right ear. All I can hear is EXTREMELY LOUD tinnitus ALL THE TIME!!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Go to an ear specialist (the best you can find, not just any random doctor) right away and get your ear checked, in particular to check what happened to your ear canal and ear drum. If you can (and your ear is ready for it), ask if you can get your hearing tested, in particular to understand whether you have sensorineural losses or conductive losses. The boiling water may have affected conduction but perhaps not the cochlea. What you find out there will determine your next steps.

Sorry this happened to you. I hope you have involved the police and I imagine that your roommate will face charges.

 

[robert milvae]

Yeah, I pressed charges. I have an audiogram on August 26. I hope that's not to late. I go to the burn center in 2 days. I will ask them about my hearing too.

 

[Zugzug]

I was sleeping and my roommate boiled water and poured it in my right ear canal. I had to have skin grafts on my ear, face, back, chest and head. I have horrible tinnitus in my right ear. All I can hear is EXTREMELY LOUD tinnitus ALL THE TIME!!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Every day, I have less faith in mankind. I can't distinguish between real news and The Onion anymore at all. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I agree with everyone's advice above.

 

[Bill Arsenault]

Robert.
You asked for advice.
Essentially- seeing the proper doctor immediately is what you have been told.

Hopefully this is something you can get accomplished.
I think that a visit to the Emergency Room,
as in "Today",
is something you should seriously consider.

There also seems to be reasonable hope that
the damage may not be irreversible and that immediate medical attention could be crucial.

 

[Thuan]

I agree with Bill about going to the ER. They might be able to do an emergency ENT referral for you (or at least convince your primary doctor to do an emergency referral).

 

[grate_biff]

I was sleeping and my roommate boiled water and poured it in my right ear canal

WTF! Why did he do that? Did he think it was a prank or did he intentionally try to hurt you?
What did he tell you afterwords?

I'm so sorry this happened to you. What a fucking prick!

I think you will be ok though as I do not believe this would have hurt your cochlea.

 

[FGG]

@robert milvae

I would be surprised if they didn't at least attempt to look in your ear canal during the grafting surgery as it would help determine the best course to protect it from contamination during the surgery.

A lot hospitals also have ENTs on call for hospitalized patients. Even if they didn't have the means for full audiometric testing, was anyone at the hospital able to give you any indication about your ear canal/eardrum?

Your roommate needs to go to regular jail for a long time and then karma jail for life.

 

[Tanni]

Yeah, I pressed charges. I have an audiogram on August 26. I hope that's not to late. I go to the burn center in 2 days. I will ask them about my hearing too.

Hi Robert Milvae,

I'm sorry that this has happened to you.

Your injury is very specific -- I don't think anyone here will really be able to advise you on this particular circumstance. Your ears need looking at by a hearing professional asap, so I would certainly mention the Tinnitus at the burn centre when they are looking at your ear, and asked to be referred to an ENT.

Good luck, hope all goes well.

 

[robert milvae]

WTF! Why did he do that? Did he think it was a prank or did he intentionally try to hurt you?
What did he tell you afterwords?

I'm so sorry this happened to you. What a fucking prick!

I think you will be ok though as I do not believe this would have hurt your cochlea.

I don't know why he did it. We were friends and weren't arguing or anything. After he did it he ran in the bathroom and locked the door. He didn't tell the cops why he did it. I'll never know. He might have just gone crazy and lost touch with reality.

 

[Contrast]

This is painful to read. I am sorry this happened to you.

Get an ENT to provide steroids. See one as soon as possible.

 

[Kirstystired]

@robert milvae

This is absolutely horrendous. I wish there was something I could do to help you xx

 

[jasonbourne]

Anyone did that to me... all I'm saying is they better have life insurance.

 

[GregCA]

Did he think it was a prank or did he intentionally try to hurt you?

Pouring boiling water on someone is not a prank, no matter how you look at it.

 

[Padraigh Griffin]

You poor man. I really hope you get better.

 

[robert milvae]

@robert milvae

I would be surprised if they didn't at least attempt to look in your ear canal during the grafting surgery as it would help determine the best course to protect it from contamination during the surgery.

A lot hospitals also have ENTs on call for hospitalized patients. Even if they didn't have the means for full audiometric testing, was anyone at the hospital able to give you any indication about your ear canal/eardrum?

Your roommate needs to go to regular jail for a long time and then karma jail for life.

They checked my ear the day it happened at the ER and said something looked damaged (can't remember what they called it) but that I had to be transferred to a burn center 2 and a half hours away as my burns were too serious for the ER. I didn't notice the tinnitus until a week after it happened when I went back to the burn center and they took off all the bandages. They gave me a referal for an ENT but never checked in my ear.

 

[asey20]

I'm really sorry that this is happened to you dude. You should definitely try everything possible to get it checked out right away.

I'm sure you'll recover a lot tho. I hope you make a full recovery.

 

[robert milvae]

Agree with everyone who said see an ENT as soon as possible if you haven't already.

If you have, is your ear drum intact?

I just found out 60% of my eardrum is gone. That's what the ENT told me.

 

[FGG]

I just found out 60% of my eardrum is gone. That's what the ENT told me.

Sounds like you will need a graft of some sort. Keep us posted. I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed for you to get some relief soon.

 

[dan]

I just found out 60% of my eardrum is gone. That's what the ENT told me.

How does your tinnitus sound like? Did it come on gradually? Maskable?

 

[all to gain]

I simply don't trust people anymore. Why the hell would someone do that?

I really hope something can be done for your eardrum.

What has happened to him since you pressed charges?

 

[robert milvae]

I simply don't trust people anymore. Why the hell would someone do that?

I really hope something can be done for your eardrum.

What has happened to him since you pressed charges?

He was arrested. He's already out of jail.

 

[robert milvae]

How does your tinnitus sound like? Did it come on gradually? Maskable?

It sounds like an answering machine beep that never ends extremely loud! I noticed it a week after I got hurt when they took off the bandages. I think the bandages masked it.

 

[Deniseh]

WTF is happening in this world when someone thinks it's a JOKE to put boiling water in your ear.

Really hope you recover from this and your FRIEND suffers mentally and physically for the pain he's caused.

Seriously don't know what to say to this...

 

[Forever hopeful]

@robert milvae

I am so sorry this happened to you. I'm just devastated reading this. I hope that person goes to jail. I will say prayers for you but the damage isn't permanent. Please know you have lotta support on this site.

 

[Forever hopeful]

@Bill Arsenault

I'm in Boston too.