ear problems drivng me insane!!!!!

Ears, nose and throat
1

hi any advice would be grate. 

6 weeks ago roughly i started getting the dreaded tinnitus.started at night just a humming in one ear now its 24 7 and in both ears and 3 or four dfferent noises i can hear.i am hardly sleeping and feeling very down and stressed about it.i also have bad ear ache in both ears and a kind of full heavy feeling in both ears.ive had a cold for about 2 weeks which is proberly not helping. 

i havnt been exposed to any loud music. 

i went to the doctors yesterday and all she said was that she cant see any infection or any build up of wax justt that both ear drum were dull???whatever that means she did not explain 

she was very unsympathetic said it may go may not. 

i had to ask myself to be referred to the ent clincic. 

if anyone has any advice of what be causing it and what they can do at ent clinic i would be so grateful the thought of having this for the rest of my life makes me want to not have a very long life as dramatic as that sounds id rather go threw both my labours again than suffer this 24 7. 

thanks x

2

Sorry to hear about your unsympathetic doctor. They are the worse. I've been there done that all too many times unfortunately. 

As for your question about what a dull ear drum means, it generally means that there is there is fluid (usually a very small amount of fluid) in the middle ear. It can mean an infection, but it does not always mean that you have an infection. The ear drum should look like see through Saran Wrap under normal conditions, when your ear drum is dull, it looks more like wax paper or parchment paper and it is difficult to see through. Some doctors describe the ear drum as dull, others choose the word cloudy. It depends on the doctor. You can definitely hear different things when you have a dull ear drum. Buzzing like a bumble bee, some humming like a low melody song but no real rhythm, or even a low beeping/zapping type sound. You can also experience some loss of hearing.

The good news is, it's usually temporary. The bad news is, you usually need to follow up with a doctor if the symptoms do not go away. In your case, it sounds like the doctor isn't interested in following up, which means that she probably noticed no signs of an infection. Since your doctor is not being your biggest ally right now, and should be, you should keep an eye on your system, and see if you notice any signs or symptoms of an ear infection. If you do, you should go back to the doctor, whether it's the same one, or a different one. 

Common signs of ear infections related to dull ear drums: 

Bloody drainage from the ear

Difficulty sleeping

Fever of 101F or higher

Grumpiness

Irritability

Loss of appetite

Mild ear pain

Severe ear pain

Yellow drainage from the ear

Vomiting

The best thing you can do is "wait it out" unless you see signs of an infection. If you see signs of infection, get back to the doctor. If you experience thick yellow drainage or bloody drainage, go to the emergency room because it can mean that your ear drum has ruptured. 

In the mean time, for relief of your symptoms, try Hyland's Ear Ache Drops, they are fantastic. It's all natural, but they truly work. Put 2-3 drops in each ear, along with a half of a cotton ball in each ear. Leave the cotton balls in for at least 20-30 minutes. It takes away the pain almost immediately. 

If you are still uncomfortable, you need to get back to the doctor!

3

One last thing, occassionally, dull ear drum can mean they just cannot see clearly in the ear due to wax build up or some kind of blockage. The term dull ear drum is usually used often, and is not usually anything to worry about. 

4

hello!

thankyou so much for you reply all that my doctor should of told me maybe she is not to clued up on ear problems or dont see it as important ! thats really helped me understand abit better thanks i am being referred to the ent after i asked to the doctor did not suggest it tho! that will prob take about 6 weeks im praying that hopefully it may just go itself s soon as i cnt see there just neing no reason for the tinnitus as ive got so much et pain as well

thanks again for your reply x

5

I agree, they should have told you that! I HATE IT when doctor's don't take the time to explain things. One of my best friends is a doctor in another state, and he's my go to expert when I get explanations I don't understand. Now if only I could get prescriptions, I wouldn't have to argue with doctor's ever again, laughing.

IF for some reason you try the Hyland's ear drops and it doesn't work, Simalsin also makes an Ear Ache Relief formula that is really good, and you use it the same way. Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon!

6

i have been to the chemist today and the only drops they sell are to get rid of ear wax anything else you have to get on prescription

are these drops more a herbal kind from say holland and barret?

im in the uk btw so they may not sell them here am going to have another look tomorrow am will to try anything my ear is painful right now how the doctor cant see an infection is beyond me there must be something there arghhh

thanks again x

 

7

I'm not sure where they are sold in the UK, I know Walmart, CVS, Target, Amazon, and Walgreens here sells them in the United States. A friend of mine who lives in the UK buys Otosan Natural Ear Drops at the store you mentioned, I do not have personal experience with that brand however (I'm in the United States). It appears that Hyland's are only sold in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. I know Amazon UK does sell the Simalsin ones. Hope this helps!

8

thanks thats briliiant i had a look on the website sounds like they are natarul products so i will look in holland and barrat tomorrow for something similar thanks again for all your advice x

9

I have had the same tinnitus as you. I know there can be many causes for it, mine started suddenly after an ear nose throat prob, had bad earache.

doctor is rubbish- Eventually went to ENT. They confirmed the ear with tinnitus has no hearing impairment and the pressure in that ear was ok. Then had a Mir scan, that was all clear. The only thing ENT offer now is hearing therapy, still waiting for that.

I have recently been looking at hormonal changes ( as I am in menopause) people have made some connection to tinnitus and hormone imbalance. But for all my research I have not found an answer yet. All I know is how distressing it is how alone you feel and hope for better times.

i don't know if you have variation to the tinnitus ie: does it get louder in certain circumstances/ times of day. Can you ever block it out by putting a finger in your ear to stop air getting in?

Hope it eases soon - mine did for a month or two but is back at the moment.

10

hi irene

thanks for your message

you may be right about the hormone change as i did read that there is some connection between the 2 as i had started taking the pill around the same time i have been googleing so much lol i have stopped taking the pill tho and the tinnitus is still there so thinking maybe for me it may not be the case is defo worth keep reading up about it tho.

im back to the doctors today for  second opinion while im waiting for my appointment with the ent as im in so much pain with the ear ache seems crazy to me that there no infection yet so much pain sighhhhhhh

mine defintly seems worse at night when its quiet i dont think i got any sleep last night or it seemed like that even with having music on low i could still hear these noises constantly checking the time then it was morning ;-< during the day my house is pretty noisy anyway with 2 children so its not as noticable when it is quiet for 5 mins both ear have that high constant ring at night i have this really loud deep humming sound kinda of like a car engine its crazy never had this before my whole life.

hope you find the answer to your s untill i have every tests going i wont accept this is for life! 

x

11

Hi

just to give you a little update. I have recently been to see a hearIng therapist at the hospital. Meeting was very helpful. I was give(on loan) a nighttime sound generated. This has proved a god send for helping me block out the humming at night, really works for me.

I find the White noise to be the best, it has become my blanket to give security of escape from other, uninvited noises. They can also provide other variations of noise. Once you find a noise that tunes out your tinnitus it becomes so much easier to tolerate it when you hear it.

I am learning to accept my tinnitus, I know there are worse things that can happen.

Keep in touch and let me know how you get on, you are not alone. Xx

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