Tinnitus

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hi guys,

Hoping someone can relate to this or give me some advice. About 4 months ago I dried my ear with a cotton wool bud, but somehow managed to bang my ear drum. Later on that day I had a high pitched constant ringing in my ear and it hasn't left. It is unbearable! ENT haven't been much help and told me to just live with it. Is there any way of healing this? Or has someone else done anything similar and it has gone? The thought of living with this forever is depressing me. I don't know why to do. It also feels like my ear is blocked (like how it goes on a plane) that come on the same day as the tinnitus. Any advice would be great.

2

Did ENT see a hole in the eardrum when they looked inside?

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

3

No, when I first had it checked a couple of days after it happend they said it was inflamed but that was it.

4

I am having difficulty connecting the development of tinnitus to the trauma event you describe.  Tinnitus usually develops over days to weeks, and not after a few hours.

I am wondering if it is possible that with the pushing onto the eardrum, that you may perhaps have pushed your middle ossicles into the inner ear, specifically pushing the stapes into the oval window.

All things being equal, I would ask ENT if they could image or look at your middle ear to see if the middle ear ossicles are intact.

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

5

I'm waiting on an MRI scan then I will be catching up with the ENT doctor. I will ask the question. If that is the problem, can anything be done about it?

6

Yes.  Microsurgery will be needed.

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

7

This has been going on six months now. I haven't seen ENT since I last wrote on here. Tonight is sheer hell the ringing is unbearable and I am so depressed with it. There are so many people out there a million times worse than me but all I can focus on is this horrendous ringing in my ear 😢

8

Hello

When I first discovered I had tinnitus I thought I was going to go

nuts.

I searched for natural remedies and cures on the internet so I would

suggest you do the same to find something that works for you.

Make sure you consult with your doctor first before taking anything.

This is what helped my symptoms.

I take melatonin (which also can make you sleepy) and advil gel cap.

I also take zyrtec for allergies (gel capsules work better and faster for me) which also triggers my tinnitus.

Also try white noise.

I hope you find this helpful.