- Jul 24, 2022
- 3
- Tinnitus Since
- 2022
- Cause of Tinnitus
- anethesia?? surgery ???
Hello,
I began to have tinnitus in the last few months. It sounds like steam moving through pipes in a (large building) heating system. Not quite hissing, but close to that. The volume seems to be ~60% of whatever other sound is occurring; in other words, surrounding sounds don't cover it up, although I may notice it less. If there is ~no sound, or I cover my ears, it is still there.
I have had chronic wax build up in left ear, resulting in much less hearing, but no tinnitus. In ~March I had bowel surgery. I was completely under anesthesia, but I don't know what form, other than I had an IV in me as I went to sleep. I believe the "steam sound" has been with me since at least when I got home from the surgery. (I was more focused on recovery of the surgery area, moving but not too much, etc.), so my memory is fuzzy whether it was this loud the whole time, or if it's worsened and then reached a steady level the last month or two. However, I am quite sure it is a new symptom that I didn't have prior to the hospital visit. Complicating factor - hospital had me go off anti-depressant, and I decided it would be good time to switch, so there's been a med change.
There is limited info on the internet about tinnitus after surgery. I found a couple of entries that are "creepy" to me - linking procedures that access spinal fluid (e.g., epidural anesthesia) to hearing loss or tinnitus. Apparently, when the spinal area is accessed, a bit might leak out (or if a sample is taken?), it could lower the pressure enough to affect the ears!? (I'm just starting to learn about this, so this is just my current impression...) However, I don't *think* I had a form of anesthesia that involved the spine, though it seemed like the anesthesia visit prior to the surgery provide little detail about what they were going to use, and I was more focused on the surgery part, so I guess I'm not sure.
I mentioned the tinnitus to my GP this week, and feel somewhat ignored about it: "the surgeons weren't anywhere near your ear", although he mentioned an ENT consultation which they may be setting up. I also mentioned it to the Nurse Practioner who manages my psychiatric meds (depression, ADD, and a bit of anxiety), but that conversation somehow became about *her* GERD and how that was misdiagnosed.
I am fortunate that, so far, the presence of the sound hasn't really bothered me too much. I work in a fairly noisy room (I would wonder if that was the cause, if I hadn't worked there ~10 years now with no effect, yet this came on suddenly). My partner likes to sleep with an air filter or fan on for background noise, so the hissing sound is just an additional background... unless I focus on it, then it bothers me a bit.
This article leads to several references to hearing loss after anethesia, although it may not discuss tinnitus.
I began to have tinnitus in the last few months. It sounds like steam moving through pipes in a (large building) heating system. Not quite hissing, but close to that. The volume seems to be ~60% of whatever other sound is occurring; in other words, surrounding sounds don't cover it up, although I may notice it less. If there is ~no sound, or I cover my ears, it is still there.
I have had chronic wax build up in left ear, resulting in much less hearing, but no tinnitus. In ~March I had bowel surgery. I was completely under anesthesia, but I don't know what form, other than I had an IV in me as I went to sleep. I believe the "steam sound" has been with me since at least when I got home from the surgery. (I was more focused on recovery of the surgery area, moving but not too much, etc.), so my memory is fuzzy whether it was this loud the whole time, or if it's worsened and then reached a steady level the last month or two. However, I am quite sure it is a new symptom that I didn't have prior to the hospital visit. Complicating factor - hospital had me go off anti-depressant, and I decided it would be good time to switch, so there's been a med change.
There is limited info on the internet about tinnitus after surgery. I found a couple of entries that are "creepy" to me - linking procedures that access spinal fluid (e.g., epidural anesthesia) to hearing loss or tinnitus. Apparently, when the spinal area is accessed, a bit might leak out (or if a sample is taken?), it could lower the pressure enough to affect the ears!? (I'm just starting to learn about this, so this is just my current impression...) However, I don't *think* I had a form of anesthesia that involved the spine, though it seemed like the anesthesia visit prior to the surgery provide little detail about what they were going to use, and I was more focused on the surgery part, so I guess I'm not sure.
I mentioned the tinnitus to my GP this week, and feel somewhat ignored about it: "the surgeons weren't anywhere near your ear", although he mentioned an ENT consultation which they may be setting up. I also mentioned it to the Nurse Practioner who manages my psychiatric meds (depression, ADD, and a bit of anxiety), but that conversation somehow became about *her* GERD and how that was misdiagnosed.
I am fortunate that, so far, the presence of the sound hasn't really bothered me too much. I work in a fairly noisy room (I would wonder if that was the cause, if I hadn't worked there ~10 years now with no effect, yet this came on suddenly). My partner likes to sleep with an air filter or fan on for background noise, so the hissing sound is just an additional background... unless I focus on it, then it bothers me a bit.
This article leads to several references to hearing loss after anethesia, although it may not discuss tinnitus.
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