Pulsatile tinnitus, headaches and Eustachian tube dysfunction??

[hollyrain]

HelloStarted with constant T early in New Year, with intermittent PT, mainly when I went to bed.

Had audiology test and waiting for ENT appt which he said is likely to be next summer.

I've been getting increasing headaches....I've seen GP re headaches in the past quite alot, including after the T became constant. But these feel different in that they feel like my head wants to pop, a pressure rather than a pain but not exclusively. Don't respond to painkillers. Not every day.

About 5 weeks ago I developed a really severe earache Left ear, could feel my voice echoing whenever I spoke, started just on left side, then both sides like it was travelling through my jaws. My ear felt totally clogged like I had a glass bowl over my head. The head feels like it just wants to explode. My PT is now virtually constant. But it's changed in sound like a fridge motor, or the tardis or an old washing machine when it used to pulse mid cycle. When I'm sitting, walking, all the time. The loud hiss is still there, louder than ever. I'm getting short tempered because I'm so stressed and won out.

I'm on holiday....go home this week and intend to see the GP in the first few days. But I did see a health professional who said it looked like otitis media but the voice and clogged feeling made her think it could be something like ETD. She gave me Otomize Ear Spray to use for 7 days but then said not to use for longer. It wasn't comfortable but my whole head felt much clearer when using it and my echo more or less disappeared.

Can anybody advise please? Is this a regular occurrence with T? Will it improve? Is there anything else I can take for it? Will my GP be able to help? I'm 60 and been through some rubbish in my life, but I've never felt so desperate as I do now. Even my eyes hurt!

Thank you for your time

[Philip6]

Hello, with regards to the headaches, you can get tension headaches that feel as though someone has their hand on top of your head, or someone is pulling your hair. They don’t respond to normal painkillers, I get them sometimes and went through a period of having the odd headache every day for a year. It could be sinus pain, in which case antibiotics would hopefully sort it out, otherwise a few days of Naproxen should get rid of it. Maybe antibiotics would help with your ear problems too? Having to wait so long for an ENT appointment is a disgrace but the NHS is wrecked unfortunately. You wait ages to see someone and when you finally do you may as well have not bothered. I hope you feel better soon.

[hollyrain in reply to Philip6]

Thank you, I've been on antibiotics twice since March plus the ear spray contained abs. I've been taking Naproxen for my headaches instead of Brufen as GP said they were better at reducing inflammation.

These are very much associated with the ear, all left sided, teme, ear and slightly further back. They aren't like tension headaches, generally sharp like I could draw a line between the 3 areas and it would be on that line.

My head feels very pressured like a thick heavy head and that's different.

Thank you for your reply

[Philip6 in reply to hollyrain]

I hope you find some relief soon. Somebody should be able to work out what it is.

[hollyrain in reply to Philip6]

Thank you I hope so too, sometimes just knowing what you are dealing with helps. I had a dreadful night last night but today feel a bit brighter although my headache has been severe the head pressure hasn't.

Now uf I could just find the volume dial for the Tinnitus 😊

Thank you again

[Hornsey123]

I also have a lot of symptoms like you. The head pressure is just relentless. It hurts across the back of my head mostly but all over really. When I bend down to pick something up off the floor I feel my head might explode. I have an app with ENT on 31st august. Did you audiologist test pressure in your ears?

[hollyrain in reply to Hornsey123]

No, they didn't. In fact he held the auroscope , didn't pull my lobe down, didn't bend to look, literally passed it over the ear and repeated on the other side, all done in 20 seconds or so, then said "squeaky clean" and that was done, straight into the buzzer hearing test.

He was making the referral and he printed the papers off 3 times, but I've heard nothing, not even to say we know uouve been referred for an appt but it will be sent out at later date.

My ears and T are so much worse I gave thought about paying for a test just to be sure, but wouldn't know where to try.

Yes, that feeling is dreadful. I got so angry with my hubs yday....could just see by his face he has no clue how it feels. Today it is much better, the ear is more painful and the hissing louder but the constant washing machine has gone. It tends to behave like that, but I'm going to see my GP and have blood pressure checked, it's so scary when it feels so intense.

I hope your appointment helps, I'll keep my eyes open gor an update 😊

[Fronkus]

Hi Hollyrain,

Reading your email was like reading my experience. Absolutely awful.

I’ll try and keep this as brief as possible,

I started with tinnitus around 12 years ago, I had read there was no cure for it so didn’t seek any help til around 2 or 3 years ago.

Firstly I was given hearing aids as they said I had hearing loss which caused my tinnitus, but I knew there was something other going on.

Not only was I suffering bad with my tinnitus I gad glue ear and like you’ve explained my head felt full of pressure, I could hear my own footsteps , chewing, internal sounds, amd my voice do so loud in my head! ( called autophony)

I couldn’t run (not even up the stairs)as it would make it sound like my heart was beating in my head. The beating would go on for more than an hour sometimes.Bending down for anything made my head feel like it may burst. The headaches were dreadful, the ear infections were horrendous.

I couldn’t breathe through my nose properly, one nostril I could breathe through at all. I was eating and trying to breathe through my mouth at the same time. And the loud chewing of food made it so I couldn’t hear anything else over it, apart from the tinnitus.

I went back to ent and and a camera put up my nose, they could see it was full of fluid fo told me do to some nasal rinsing, which did not help, it actually made it worse. I was told I’d be booked into get grommets and be put down to see a therapist to deal with my tinnitus and autophony as it would never go away.

I was due to go away with my mum and see family, I couldn’t hear anything! Nothing at all, just my own voice internally really loud, it put me off talking or even trying to engage in any sort of conversation. I felt terrible and completely isolated.

My cousin who is an ex nurse now a holistic therapist took one look at me and said she could definitely help with some treatments she offers.

I was given lymphatic drainage massage around my head face and neck, had ear candles and acupuncture. The next day I was coughing up loads of mucus and using the toilet a lot, all the fluid I was front up was the mucus that had been building up around my neck and face, I could feel , hear and see the difference!! My autophony( hearing your own voice really loud in your head)had completely disappeared!!

I can breather through my nose properly which feel amazing ! Amd I don’t get any of them hideous headaches anymore.

My tinnitus will never go but relieving the pressure has definitely helped.

I went back to ent amd told them I didn’t want the grommets and the autophony had gone, he couldn’t believe it, he took a look in my ears and says that’s the best he’d ever seen them! My pressure test came back better than ever too. He said he would recommend these treatments to other people who have the same symptoms.

After the treatments my cousin told me some drainage techniques To do with a gui sha stone, face cups and a small soft face brush, I use a congestion balm to do these techniques.

If you know if any holistic therapists who offers these treatments then I strongly suggest it, it’s changed my life and I’m forever grateful to my cousin .

I really hope this helps or you get something that helps for you. I really feel for you, you’re not on your own. It really affected my mental state and I did get very snappy as I was always in just about coping state anyway. Sending hugs xx