Hello everyone,
This is going to be a long introductory story, but I hope someone out there finds something in it useful. Perhaps someone has had a similar experience or has some theories to share.
So, my story…
Last summer, I noticed that my right ear, which had lacked the clarity of my left ear for some time, was becoming quite muffled. I found myself asking people to repeat themselves on that side. I was not too concerned at first, as this had happened before and eventually cleared up. I assumed it was just wax.
Fast forward to October: it had not cleared up, and I developed a new symptom. I often took evening walks and, having recently quit smoking, was chewing gum. I started to hear a distinct squeak with every chew for about a week or two. I figured it was likely a lump of wax shifting. I tried olive oil in the ear and soaking in a hot bath, assuming it would loosen or I would need to have it cleaned out.
But that is not what happened.
The next day, I was playing guitar for a couple of hours through headphones, as I usually did (I have since gotten rid of them after reading posts here). While clicking a guitar pedal, I heard a horrible oscillation. It was not deafeningly loud but was certainly unpleasant. I quickly took the headphones off, removed the pedal, and everything seemed okay, so I continued playing.
After that session, however, I began to notice the telltale "eeeeee" of tinnitus in my right ear, my worst fear. Alongside it, I had a sensation of dripping in the ear. That night, I felt slightly nauseated and experienced some vertigo while brushing my teeth.
The next morning, I woke up feeling unwell. I assumed it was an ear infection caused by wax or possibly bathwater getting trapped. My ear was "eeee-ing" at about a 2 out of 10, aching, and the dripping sensation persisted throughout the day, even though nothing seemed to come out. I rested for a week, hoping it would clear up, and then went to see my GP for a checkup.
At the GP, my ear was still lightly "eeee-ing," occasionally dripping, and a bit achy. I still felt unwell, but the doctor said my ear looked perfectly healthy. She asked some questions, diagnosed Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD), and prescribed mometasone spray: two sprays twice a day for two weeks, then reducing to one spray twice a day. When I mentioned feeling ill, she was convinced it was viral and decided against antibiotics, despite my concerns.
I used the spray as directed. For the first few days, I noticed that my sinuses had been tighter than I realized. However, about five days later, the gentle "eee" escalated into a full-blown siren: "EEEEOOOOOUUUUUUU," deafeningly loud at night with additional multi-tonal tinnitus during the day. It seemed to envelop the entire right side of my head.
I was absolutely distraught, overwhelmed by regret for my youth. I had played in bands, attended festivals, listened to loud music, and mowed lawns without ear protection. I felt like an idiot, even if I had not known better.
I went back to the doctor, and oddly, during the walk there, the tinnitus returned to a regular "eeee." The doctor maintained that it was still ETD and possibly some Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD). She suggested more time, steam, the Valsalva maneuver, and reassessment if things did not improve.
At this point, I was barely holding it together. My ear was extremely sensitive, aching regularly, with pinching sensations, the dripping feeling, and increased mucus from my sinuses. One morning, I even coughed up a lump of pus with what appeared to be dried blood.
I tried to exercise to manage anxiety, but it only made the tinnitus worse the next day. I became essentially bed-bound, distracting myself with computer games. Even my air purifier could not drown out the siren, but I somehow survived.
By the time I went to the dentist for a checkup, I barely noticed the tinnitus during the appointment. However, cold weather and passing trucks triggered the dripping sensation. At home, sounds like a running bath or cooking caused the same reaction, so I began wearing cotton wool in my ears for slight protection.
Occasionally, I would wake up to moments of silence, but most days, the tinnitus screamed. Allergies seemed to make things worse, so I started taking Fluoxetine. It softened the siren slightly and helped me feel a bit calmer, so I added it to the steroid spray regimen.
After 4 to 5 weeks, the tinnitus had calmed from a 10 out of 10 to a 5 or 6 out of 10. However, I had lost weight and was mentally and emotionally drained. When I ran out of spray, I called the doctor for a refill and begged for help calming down. I was prescribed a higher dose of the spray and 10 mg of Propranolol, which, while minimal, was better than nothing.
Over the following weeks, I experimented with stopping medications that seemed to make things worse and resumed using antihistamines, which helped reduce the dripping sensation. Slowly, the siren subsided into a background hiss with occasional buzzing.
By the time Christmas arrived, the tinnitus had improved significantly. I started therapy and focused on keeping myself distracted until my ENT appointment in February.
Looking back, I cannot say whether the damage was caused by the audio equipment or something else. If I ever return to silence, I will do everything possible to prevent revisiting these past months. While I hope things continue to improve, I also hope not to need this forum for long.
Thank you for reading my story.
This is going to be a long introductory story, but I hope someone out there finds something in it useful. Perhaps someone has had a similar experience or has some theories to share.
So, my story…
Last summer, I noticed that my right ear, which had lacked the clarity of my left ear for some time, was becoming quite muffled. I found myself asking people to repeat themselves on that side. I was not too concerned at first, as this had happened before and eventually cleared up. I assumed it was just wax.
Fast forward to October: it had not cleared up, and I developed a new symptom. I often took evening walks and, having recently quit smoking, was chewing gum. I started to hear a distinct squeak with every chew for about a week or two. I figured it was likely a lump of wax shifting. I tried olive oil in the ear and soaking in a hot bath, assuming it would loosen or I would need to have it cleaned out.
But that is not what happened.
The next day, I was playing guitar for a couple of hours through headphones, as I usually did (I have since gotten rid of them after reading posts here). While clicking a guitar pedal, I heard a horrible oscillation. It was not deafeningly loud but was certainly unpleasant. I quickly took the headphones off, removed the pedal, and everything seemed okay, so I continued playing.
After that session, however, I began to notice the telltale "eeeeee" of tinnitus in my right ear, my worst fear. Alongside it, I had a sensation of dripping in the ear. That night, I felt slightly nauseated and experienced some vertigo while brushing my teeth.
The next morning, I woke up feeling unwell. I assumed it was an ear infection caused by wax or possibly bathwater getting trapped. My ear was "eeee-ing" at about a 2 out of 10, aching, and the dripping sensation persisted throughout the day, even though nothing seemed to come out. I rested for a week, hoping it would clear up, and then went to see my GP for a checkup.
At the GP, my ear was still lightly "eeee-ing," occasionally dripping, and a bit achy. I still felt unwell, but the doctor said my ear looked perfectly healthy. She asked some questions, diagnosed Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD), and prescribed mometasone spray: two sprays twice a day for two weeks, then reducing to one spray twice a day. When I mentioned feeling ill, she was convinced it was viral and decided against antibiotics, despite my concerns.
I used the spray as directed. For the first few days, I noticed that my sinuses had been tighter than I realized. However, about five days later, the gentle "eee" escalated into a full-blown siren: "EEEEOOOOOUUUUUUU," deafeningly loud at night with additional multi-tonal tinnitus during the day. It seemed to envelop the entire right side of my head.
I was absolutely distraught, overwhelmed by regret for my youth. I had played in bands, attended festivals, listened to loud music, and mowed lawns without ear protection. I felt like an idiot, even if I had not known better.
I went back to the doctor, and oddly, during the walk there, the tinnitus returned to a regular "eeee." The doctor maintained that it was still ETD and possibly some Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD). She suggested more time, steam, the Valsalva maneuver, and reassessment if things did not improve.
At this point, I was barely holding it together. My ear was extremely sensitive, aching regularly, with pinching sensations, the dripping feeling, and increased mucus from my sinuses. One morning, I even coughed up a lump of pus with what appeared to be dried blood.
I tried to exercise to manage anxiety, but it only made the tinnitus worse the next day. I became essentially bed-bound, distracting myself with computer games. Even my air purifier could not drown out the siren, but I somehow survived.
By the time I went to the dentist for a checkup, I barely noticed the tinnitus during the appointment. However, cold weather and passing trucks triggered the dripping sensation. At home, sounds like a running bath or cooking caused the same reaction, so I began wearing cotton wool in my ears for slight protection.
Occasionally, I would wake up to moments of silence, but most days, the tinnitus screamed. Allergies seemed to make things worse, so I started taking Fluoxetine. It softened the siren slightly and helped me feel a bit calmer, so I added it to the steroid spray regimen.
After 4 to 5 weeks, the tinnitus had calmed from a 10 out of 10 to a 5 or 6 out of 10. However, I had lost weight and was mentally and emotionally drained. When I ran out of spray, I called the doctor for a refill and begged for help calming down. I was prescribed a higher dose of the spray and 10 mg of Propranolol, which, while minimal, was better than nothing.
Over the following weeks, I experimented with stopping medications that seemed to make things worse and resumed using antihistamines, which helped reduce the dripping sensation. Slowly, the siren subsided into a background hiss with occasional buzzing.
By the time Christmas arrived, the tinnitus had improved significantly. I started therapy and focused on keeping myself distracted until my ENT appointment in February.
Looking back, I cannot say whether the damage was caused by the audio equipment or something else. If I ever return to silence, I will do everything possible to prevent revisiting these past months. While I hope things continue to improve, I also hope not to need this forum for long.
Thank you for reading my story.
