Tinnitus That Came on After Septoplasty and Sinus Surgery

[Need Answers]

Hello!
I am new to this forum. I am just beginning the journey of trying to determine what is causing my tinnitus and get help. I have been combing the internet for answers while awaiting an appointment with a specialist at the end of the year.

I had a history of a deviated septum and chronic sinus problems/infection. I had a scan that showed pockets of infected material in my sinuses that were not draining. In June of 2017, I had septoplasty and sinus surgery which opened up the sinuses so they could drain. One side of my septum was completely pinched off. According to the surgeon, the surgery was a success and I am able to breathe better and no longer have a chronic odor in my sinuses that makes me believe the sinuses are now draining as they should.

The problem is that immediately after surgery, I noticed that my voice sounds different to me (it doesn't even sound like me anymore) while others believe I sound the same, I can hear my own heartbeat, and I have had CONSTANT tinnitus in both ears. The right ear is SLIGHTLY worse. The tinnitus is loud and I liken it to the sound that a cicada bug makes. There has literally been one day, which occurred in early December, where the tinnitus was almost gone for just that one day. The next day it was back to loud again and this continues. It is constant and does not fluctuate.

I have had 5 post-op appointments with the surgeon and have explained to him what is happening. His thought is that I have sensorineural hearing damage and the tinnitus is a consequence. There were times I have heard the cicada sound in the past, but it would literally occur 1 or 2 days A YEAR! Now, since this surgery, I am experiencing this daily. I also feel ear fullness, which seems to be worse in the morning. The tinnitus is the same all the time.

I finally demanded to see a specialist who has more expertise that the Otolaryngologist who did my surgery, as I cannot accept his explanation. Something changed after I had this surgery. Maybe there are other problems with my ears that are underlying, but whatever triggered this constant tinnitus is somehow related to my surgical procedure. I am hoping to find out more soon as to the medical aspect of what is going on. In the meantime, I have been scouring the internet for clues and have not run across others who have had a similar experience. Please help if you can!

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum.
Did the doctors rule out ETD? Could some of the drainage from the sinus get into the Eustachian Tube and cause blockage? If so, you can try this exercise by a doctor. I learn of this from a success story on TT where T was greatly reduced after this exercise. Good luck. God bless.



Also, if you don't get enough response, perhaps you can search with 'sinus surgery' and there should be prior discussion on this. Good luck.

 

[Need Answers]

No diagnosis yet. The surgeon said he didn't note any abnormalities of the Eustachian tube or TM but I don't think he has the skill to know exactly what to do, so I am going to a Neurotologist in a couple of weeks. The surgeon acts as if the tinnitus is no big deal and says he isn't worried about it YET. It has been 6 months of daily ringing! He was told this was noticed immediately after surgery and hasn't let up with exception to one single day. How can he just blow this off? I wonder about patulous tube, ETD, both of those things, or something else underlying. I have searched sinus surgery, and found lots of people with surgery helping their T or lessening it. My situation is exactly the opposite and it is scary and frustrating. It is also starting to affect my sleep patterns due to the stress of it. Thank you for the video!! Due to pain in my ears which occurred after putting ear plugs in, I feel a little nervous about pulling but will try this. The surgeon did try puncturing the ear drums a couple of months ago and found no fluid. It took the ear drums a month to heal instead of 2-3 days like the surgeon said it would.

 

[Samir]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

So you had septoplasty due to a deviated septum, and you had a FESS surgery due to chronic sinusitis? What kind of scan did you get and what did the doctors suspect this "infected material" to be?

Do you have any hearing loss? Did you get any hearing test before or after the surgery? Do you have any history of loud noise exposure?

The septoplasty would explain why your voice sounds different to you. Everyone can change the sound of their voice by pinching their nose for example.

If you had hearing loss prior to the surgery, and especially if you have a history of loud noise exposure, then there is a chance that a head surgery could cause further damage. In case of maxillary sinus surgery for example, the surgeon has to remove a small bone process to access the sinus. That would be the "F" in "FESS" - functional endoscopic sinus surgery - irreversibly and intentionally enlarging the ostium for easier sinus drainage. You can't do that without electric or mechanical tools. This all takes place in close proximity to the inner ear, which could, at least theoretically cause further damage, not too unlike dental work. So I would say that your surgeon's first assessment was correct, you have SNHL.

Be wise if you investigate this further. Read up on the different tests that you will be having before you go ahead with it. It is never a good idea for example to puncture the ear drums, especially not for the sake of visual inspection of the middle ear cavity. An otoscope should be used, even if they are not always effective at detecting infections. There are functional tests that can asses the state and function of your Eustachian tubes, without puncturing the ear drums.

Meeting with a neurotologist should be your first and last visit. I would advise you against investigating this further. I obviously don't know your medical history, but based on what you have told us here I would say your tinnitus is caused by hearing loss. Only you can make that call. But I would say lay low for a while. Give yourself more time and you may find that the tinnitus goes down or even disappears. You had one day of relative silence. That's a good sign! That's more than many of us here experience in years.

 

[Need Answers]

Thank You for your insight Samir,

I believe the scan was a CT, the ENT told me that my sinuses were "full." I'm assuming full with mucus and other sinus drainage. He said my sinuses were not draining. I had never had a hearing test prior to surgery. If I did, it was a very long time ago. I have had a hearing test since the surgery, and it showed hearing loss, but I'm not sure if I really do have it or if I couldn't hear because of the tinnitus? I have had long-term exposure to siren noise and worked concrete for several years. While working concrete I did wear hearing protection.

There were, over the course of several years, about 1 or 2 days per year where would hear this same ringing sound. Unknown what would bring this on, but it did not linger. I would hear it, and then it would be gone, and not more than the 1 or 2 days per year. I have had some problems with my ears in the past, for instance, when I would fly when I was a teen, it would take my ears a couple of days to fully clear v just a couple of minutes or hours like the majority of people. I would still get the plugged ear feeling from time to time and have been treated for ear infections intermittently.

I really was excited about getting the sinuses cleared out. I no longer have the "wet sock" smell I could detect before on a daily basis. The surgeon said the sinus surgery itself appeared to be a success. I have not had a new CT scan yet, as he said it was too soon.

However, the ringing, with exception to one day, a little over 2 weeks ago has been a constant. That is really my biggest concern. I have scoured the internet, read as many professional journals as I could get access to, talked to my surgeon several times, read these forums hoping to find a correlation, and I have come up with very little information that appears to relate to my situation. What you said does make sense to me, but I have a couple of questions.

Why would a hx of previous hearing loss make a difference with the surgical tool noise causing further damage? What do you make of the one day where it seemed to disappear? I understand your caution about digging too deep, as I am sure there are things that could happen that could make this worse. I would really just like an explanation so I can understand this and start trying to figure out how to hopefully fix this. The doctor I have been seeing clearly has no explanation. Your explanation makes more sense to me than anything that I have heard thus far.

The doctor said that maybe I should get checked for TMJ issues. I will do this to rule out that problem, but again, I am stuck with why the tinnitus all of a sudden?

 

[Snake]

Hello!
I am new to this forum. I am just beginning the journey of trying to determine what is causing my tinnitus and get help. I have been combing the internet for answers while awaiting an appointment with a specialist at the end of the year.

I had a history of a deviated septum and chronic sinus problems/infection. I had a scan that showed pockets of infected material in my sinuses that were not draining. In June of 2017, I had septoplasty and sinus surgery which opened up the sinuses so they could drain. One side of my septum was completely pinched off. According to the surgeon, the surgery was a success and I am able to breathe better and no longer have a chronic odor in my sinuses that makes me believe the sinuses are now draining as they should.

The problem is that immediately after surgery, I noticed that my voice sounds different to me (it doesn't even sound like me anymore) while others believe I sound the same, I can hear my own heartbeat, and I have had CONSTANT tinnitus in both ears. The right ear is SLIGHTLY worse. The tinnitus is loud and I liken it to the sound that a cicada bug makes. There has literally been one day, which occurred in early December, where the tinnitus was almost gone for just that one day. The next day it was back to loud again and this continues. It is constant and does not fluctuate.

I have had 5 post-op appointments with the surgeon and have explained to him what is happening. His thought is that I have sensorineural hearing damage and the tinnitus is a consequence. There were times I have heard the cicada sound in the past, but it would literally occur 1 or 2 days A YEAR! Now, since this surgery, I am experiencing this daily. I also feel ear fullness, which seems to be worse in the morning. The tinnitus is the same all the time.

I finally demanded to see a specialist who has more expertise that the Otolaryngologist who did my surgery, as I cannot accept his explanation. Something changed after I had this surgery. Maybe there are other problems with my ears that are underlying, but whatever triggered this constant tinnitus is somehow related to my surgical procedure. I am hoping to find out more soon as to the medical aspect of what is going on. In the meantime, I have been scouring the internet for clues and have not run across others who have had a similar experience. Please help if you can!

I'm scared now :<

I have planned septoplasty in the next couple of months, doctors assured me that this isn't that loud to harm my ears and do hearing damage / acoustic trauma. But after i've read your post i'm really worried.

But one that without T or very quiet T is very promising in your case. It's very uncommon, maybe your ears are recovering now? Give them a chance, protect yourself from loud noises and maybe supplement with ACE + Vinpocetine + Magnesium and see if that works for you. I'm not a combo but that combo worked for some people here. I also use it when i face very loud noise that i feel could have impact on my T.

@Samir I see that you have a knowledge abut septoplasty, please could you help me? I have it planned as i wrote above in couple of months from now and doctors assured me that's everything will be fine. But... doctors also do loud (90dB) muscle answer test for loud noise via IN-EAR headphones even if patient have T, and even hyperacusis. And they call it ok because it's too short exposure.

A have a problem in my right nostril where there is curve towards right side, and in fact my "nose canal" is very tight right there. I want to do septoplasty (and my doctors) because it could help me with crackling in my ears.

Especially my right ear got worse after gasp with fluorine which get through my right nostril and increased crackling volume there to level where i fear that this sound could harm my ear and make my T worse. It's like mini firecracker inside my ear when i swallow or yawn. Every Laryngologists i've met said that this couldn't do any damage to my right ear or eustachian tube and it's only a coincidence, or it triggered something that would come shortly anyway. Endoscopy, tympanometry and every other test looks ok, even brilliant. But they also say that right ear and curved nasal septum in right nostril can be the possible cause and we are going to investigate my cracling problem further if septoplasty don't fix the problem

I'm scared about it after reading it. I know several people after septoplasty but they don't have T and H.

 

[Need Answers]

Snake, I know many people who have had septoplasty and other sinus surgeries too, and not one person that I know of has had this happen. Ear problems were never even discussed as a complication. Additionally, I don't see ear problems or tinnitus listed as a complication on any of the internet material I have read with exception to the ET. Right now I am lost and really hoping to get some answers when I see a neurotologist next week. This will hopefully involve a comprehensive work-up. It has been over 6 months now and I am really wishing that I had been more demanding about getting to the bottom of this from the start. I just thought at first that maybe there was still swelling or some other normal post-surgical process that was responsible and it would resolve.

 

[Need Answers]

I'm also becoming suspicious of the intubation I underwent as being the cause of TMD or related problem with my jaw which is closely connected to my ears. I am seeing the specialist soon and hopefully will get answers. I am concerned about a delay in treatment for 6 months if that is the cause...it is just a guess on my part.

 

[Leodavinci]

Why would a hx of previous hearing loss make a difference with the surgical tool noise causing further damage? What do you make of the one day where it seemed to disappear?

You need to get a hearing test. The septoplasty and sinus surgery may have caused additional hearing damage but I'm guessing it's not likely since the surgery is common and hearing loss is not often reported. Oftentimes a loud sound will trigger Tinnitus in an ear with historical hearing loss. A loud sound event of 2 min duration left me with Tinnitus the next morning and weeks later a pronounced sudden hearing loss. It's unclear to me how this worked. I probably had historical hearing loss and a health compromised ear and this setoff Tinnitus. The neurotologist was too indifferent to even comment on it. He's also probably just plain incompetent. Get a hearing test, do an online one at the very least, record the sound level you use in your laptop for future hearing testing from home. Good luck

 

[Billthegardener]

I had moderate sleep apnea, and snored really loud (shake the walls). CPAP I couldn't do it. So, full nose surgery, had a slight deviated septum, removed it, all the turbinates, had 2 pollups removed, cut out atnoids(tonsils), really trimmed my soft pallet. Still snored, but man could I breathe though my nose it was fkn amazing. The snoring was impossible the ENT said (had to be my voice box). Then 2 years later I woke up. Loud t ,about 8 out of 10 on the scale. Been at 9 several times, at 10 you are thinking about suicide. I was really bad for the first 6 months. ENT told me get used to it basically devastated me. VA got me masking hearing aids, which helped when t wasn't over a 6/10. Nothing helps when loud. Dry needling, acupuncture, massage, chiropractor and lots of sinus flushing. My hearing loss is extremely minor. On a good day, I want to run in and get a hearing test. There is hope. You learn to cope somewhat. Which is hard to imagine in the early times. It has been over 2 years now. Still searching. Random cycling tinnitus, have had a good stretch of days now.

 

[Lance Lyons]

I have had the same scenario. I had septoplasty and sinus surgery on 9/6/19. I really never talked to my ENT about the sinus surgery and didn't know about it until the day of the surgery but i was nervous and went ahead. 6 weeks, I developed a ringing in my left ear. it does not go away. It almost feels like a ringing buzz like a short circuit. Also alot of headaches on that same left side behind my ear. 3 months after the surgery I had to have laser treatment on one of my eyes that developed a horseshoe tear.

can septoplasty and sinus surgery make tinnitus just suddenly appear? I have shots a guns in my younger days without ear protection but ever had ringing persistently like now.

 

[Kelly Duda]

Did the author of this post ever found an answer to his problem? Please give us an update.

Because I am experiencing something similar and it's driving me up a wall. I had septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and endoscopic sinusotomy in late January 2020. Three days later after after the packing was removed from my nose I started experiencing tinnitus in my right year and it has stopped for almost four months now. When I first brought it up to my ENT doctor who also performed the surgery, he didn't think it was any big deal and told me to ignore it and he thought it would go away. This was after looking in my outer ear. I brought it up to him again during a phone call last week (no visits because of the pandemic) and he pretty much told me that there's no way that what I am experiencing could be from the procedures. However, sometimes I would experience post nasal drip too, and my ears would fill a bit plugged, (my hearing was affected too one occasion for two days before subsiding) while the tone in my ear(s) would change and I've even heard clicking on a few occasions like there's sinus pressure and drainage going on. It all seems connected to me. Yet, when I tell my doctor he just tells me to take some over counter medication for the drip. Meanwhile, I'm breathing fine, and my nose has been exceptionally clear. And the tinnitus is now worse/louder than when it began. Can anyone offer any thoughts? Thank you.

 

[Paul Roach]

Did anyone ever get to the bottom of this? I had a septoplasty 10 days ago and have had the same tinnitus experience. Ringing mainly in right ear and fullness. It was not there before surgery. My ENT keeps telling me it's impossible for this to happen as a result of surgery. Am thinking maybe I have ETD. He has told me to wait a while, but having read this am concerned that I might be waiting in vain.

Any update would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Samir M]

Hello everybody.
I'm glad to know I'm not suffering alone. In November of 2020 I've had a septoplasty done because of a deviated septum which was giving me trouble breathing. After the septoplasty I was able to breath much better, only problem is I started having tinnitus which I've never had in my life before. I've had complications and previous surgeries on my left ear with some conductive hearing loss but never tinnitus. After my septoplasty I've had tinnitus in my left ear and it has been constant for going on three months now. Its driving me crazy, I pray someone has an answer and this is somehow irreversible.
Thanks.

 

[CarKar]

I've had 3 separate sinus surgeries, 2 septoplasties and a 3rd surgery in April 2021 to remove polyps and drain my sinuses. Ever since the 3rd surgery I have had really bad tinnitus. When I mention it to the specialist, he brushes it off like it's no big deal but it is sooooo bothersome!

I'm on here to see if anyone comes up with a solution. I will be flying in about a week and a half and I'm afraid that might make it worse...

 

[GaMaree]

I recently has sinus surgery (FESS). Tinnitus started immediately after surgery and is still there. I see many posts here about similar problems, just wondering if anyone has a solution... ?

 

[Mrgames]

I recently had a sinus surgery. It was my third surgery in about a decade and was necessary due to infections. Following the procedure no issues. About 5 days after I had a debridement (post-op procedure) where the clean everything out. IMMEDIATELY leaving that appointment I had ringing in my left ear that has not gone away. It has been weeks now and NO improvement. Now my hearing test shows hearing loss in left ear. NO HISTORY of ringing or issues prior to this. Really, really bummed about this and the ringing is a major frustration.

So yes, beware -- appears hearing damage can happen from sinus procedures. I'm open to advice or thoughts if anyone has them.

BEST!

 

[Stayinghopeful]

Has anyone considered the possibility that it's the anaesthetic that's causing this?

My mild tinnitus of 15 years got worse after I went in for overnight surgery.

 

[Mrgames]

Has anyone considered the possibility that it's the anaesthetic that's causing this?

That's an interesting thought. They did use local aesthetic before the POST OP appointment. I don't know anything about the ototoxicity of local anesthetics.

 

[Km1520]

I'm experiencing constant ringing in my ear after septoplasty, and 2 other sinus procedures. I also have pain in left ear and left side of nose and forehead.

I had the surgery 3 weeks ago and have called multiple times in the past week and a half. I finally get to see someone other than normal ENT/surgeon tomorrow. They've tried antibiotics and steroids via phone calls, but nothing is helping.

Did you ever get answers?

 

[Supersix]

I underwent septoplasty surgery six months after developing tinnitus, hoping it would alleviate the condition. I experienced a spike in my tinnitus after the surgery, but it eventually came down. However, I can now breathe much better than before, and I no longer get sinus infections or post-nasal drip.

 

[Jammer]

I underwent septoplasty surgery six months after developing tinnitus, hoping it would alleviate the condition. I experienced a spike in my tinnitus after the surgery, but it eventually came down. However, I can now breathe much better than before, and I no longer get sinus infections or post-nasal drip.

Do you know if your doctor removed your turbinates during your surgery?

 

[LucyD]

Hello,
I had a functional sinus surgery on left sinus nearly 5 weeks ago. About 10 days after the surgery I developed tinnitus in the left ear.
At first they told me I just haven't settled after the surgery but it's now been nearly 5 weeks and no change.
I also have pain and pressure on left side of the head.
The procedure I underwent was the the following: removal and of the bulla ethimoidalis and suture of the middle turbinate - note it was not removed but it was just sutured so it stays in the middle.
My surgery was done privately in London by a well know ENT surgeon with really great reputation. Unfortunately though he cannot explain why I am still having the symptoms that I report.
I had a hearing test which came out fine. Also I just had a post op CT scan which also came out fine.
I personally suspect a small CSF leak because my tinnitus gets better when I lie down but the CT scan didn't detect anything and also I have no leakage from my nose.
I wonder if anybody was able to get any answers?

 

[Supersix]

I had a septoplasty six months after I started experiencing tinnitus, which was nine years ago. Since the surgery, I can breathe much better and no longer get frequent ear infections as I used to. Additionally, I no longer have post-nasal drip. The procedure did not worsen my tinnitus.