plugged ear feeling due to sudden hearing loss

[DanielaHobbs_]

hello Group! I hope you are having a nice bank holiday and that tinnitus is “behaving” for you today!

Here is my dilemma:

I have had a recent / sudden hearing loss at low to mid frequencies for no apparent reason. Steroids etc all done but I have not seen any improvement. Only change is that tinnitus has gone crazy.

To add to the shopping bag of issues , I also have a pretty horrid feeling of plugged /blocked/ full ear. It is similar to when the ear doesn’t “pop” during a flight. I understand that this sensation is created by the brain: the brain perceives that there is a change in auditory input from one side, hence it interprets this as a blockage (even if there is no blockage in the ear - ENT confirmed). It is really a consequence of sudden hearing loss.

I am wondering how to overcome , manage or get rid of this sensation, given that it has nothing to do the Eustachian tube, or pressure in the middle ear?

Thanks in advance to you all. This is truly a lovely forum.

[Enort]

You sure your ear canals aren't blocked by earwax?

[DanielaHobbs_ in reply to Enort]

unfortunately not

[Dazza2024]

In some ways I have the same what feels like pressure or blocked ear feeling that will not pop as well with a high pitch tinnitus fuzz at 12-14,000hz. I am hoping to try Steroids as well, but, often it is hit & miss to the steroids working or not. I again think this is something in the brain and pressure from the auditory nerve causing some kind of stimulation which isn't needed. Watching some of the YouTube videos recently, it seems it often is brain related, but, often these ENT Doctors & Surgeons, still have no clue on why it is happening or how to fix it & for me as well is to keep trying different meds to calm the brain anxiety and see if this makes any difference. It seems a lot of us also have this issue, but, there is still the No Cure for it. I will update if mine improves as well, as I am hoping to try new meds soon and with the focus on the brain activity etc...- I am also wondering if my recent dentist visit caused the increase in problems for me, as the drilling can do some bone vibrations and damage and quite a few people have issues, even thou it is quite rare from dentist visits. My problems could also be due to natural aging, even thou it is incredibly annoying.

[DanielaHobbs_ in reply to Dazza2024]

Hi Dazza2024 - I have taken an appointment with Regain for Friday. the assessment seems very in-depth, 2 hours. I am impressed as I don't think I have ever ever had any healthcare professional giving me 2 hours of their time, including my very own sister, who in true doctor's style, completely abandoned me. thanks for recommending them. I look forward to my appointment.

[Fridays_Child_62]

You sound quite cheery considering the discomfort you must be experiencing. I assume the hearing loss and plugged feeling are in just one ear.

I experienced something similar on about three occasions a few years ago - that is, low-frequency hearing loss and a feeling of pressure or blockage in my ear. On each occasion, it lasted several hours, maybe up to a day. My tinnitus was erratic over a more extended period and I also got weird sensations in and around my ears (both) for a long time after. The doctors initially diagnosed labyrinthitis but I'm not sure that it was, as I didn't have all the symptoms. They then suggested eustachian tube dysfunction, but I'm not sure about that either. I am inclined to believe that it was an ear-muscle stretching the ear-drum, resulting in the hearing loss and a pressured feeling. Yours could be similar.

In any case, you may well find that it subsides on its own. I have found that tension in the ears can sometimes be alleviated by applying heat to the area around the ear (I use a wheat bag heated in the microwave). It might be worth a try.

[DanielaHobbs_ in reply to Fridays_Child_62]

Hi Fridays_Child_62 I have also pulsatile tinnitus, a vibration that gets worse with noise and a distortion of all external white noise which also "pulsates". trust me, I am not that cheery. it is very difficult to manage.

[Seabob in reply to DanielaHobbs_]

Hi, am sorry you are experiencing this i too can empathise!!! T is a stress response and we can experience fullness as our muscles in our face, neck, shoulders can be tense..,our ETs also can tense up meaning they dont open and close properly causing plugged feeling...i encourage you to have a look at Julian Cowan Hill on YT or he has a website, or app 'Quieten' month free trial ..he explains what T is and what we can do, he had T a long time and is recovered and now helps others, T is the worst thing i have ever faced and that includes having my thyroid removed due to cancer..i empathise and i know how challenging it is daily, there is no medical cure but we can recover from it!!!!!

[sonnshein]

Hi Daniela I know how you feel, I have the horrible blocked sensation regularly, I used to go to the doctors (well, nurse) who kept telling me they were fine. On another visit I said I have all the symptoms of tinnitus and they just said that there's nothing you can do about that.

Both yes and no to that. As much as possible don't be afraid of it or try to clear it, you only give it more attention than it deserves. I can only tell you what I do and hope it helps as it is how I cope.

Be in places were there is sound. Football/sports events, church, parties and social gatherings all theses places will do several things;

Help mask the tinnitus and whatever sensations you have. Get into a conversation at these sort of events so you have to concentrate on what is being said (this will help you develop a practice of ignoring your complaint).

Take time to relax, sit or lie down whatever suits you best and listen to relaxing classical music or sounds, less tense means less tinnitus sound and sensations. Do gardening and sit in it enjoy the sounds.

Concentration on other things will help you ignore and suppress the T and it's sensations, they will not go away but there are times when it will feel like it has.

Hope this helps and I've not waffled on too much.