Wind Sound in Left Ear When Exposed to External Noise in Right Ear

[jb998]

Hello,

I have an unusual issue that I can't seem to find any information about online so perhaps you can suggest what the problem might be.

When watching TV, particularly speech, I get a wind rushing sound in my left ear (kind of like driving fast with the car window open). The odd thing is that the thumping sound is in my left ear but it only happens when noise is happening in my right ear - covering the right ear (event partially) stops the sound, likewise listening to voices on a phone is fine when held up to the left ear, but causes the wind sound in the left ear when held up to the right ear.

Something else I have noticed is that if I cover the right ear for a couple of minutes and then uncover it, the wind sound doesn't come back immediately, it seems to start building up after a minute or two.

A little background that might be relevant...

I had BPPV about 3 months before this started, and the doctor thinks it was related to boxing. The BPPV was fairly intense for the first 3 months but then became much milder. It was around the time it became milder that I noticed the wind rushing sound when watching TV.

I've since had the BPPV treated (it was cupulolithiasis in the horizontal canal of the right ear) but the wind sound remains.

Any information or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks, James.

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Hello @jb998 -

Thank you for your question.

With your history of boxing the first thing that comes to mind would be a structural problem - like possibly ossicular disruption or something along those lines. I would definitely see a neurotologist before considering some form of atypical tinnitus.

Sorry for such a nebulous answer, but what you are describing just isn't in my wheelhouse.

All the best with it -

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.