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What Causes Ear Pain Along With Fullness In Ears?
Question: Please help me. I have been suffering from this symptoms from 14months.
FOR FIRST 3DAYS (October/2013)
1) Earpain(retracted eardrums, doctor said).
2) Earfullness and plugged ears.
3) Throat irritation and swelling.
4) Hypersensitivity to medium-loud noise (Which is now 95% recovered).
and THEN(after 3days) TILL PRESENT
1) Fullness and Heaviness in both ears. Sensation of fluid behind eardrums.
And I feel its friction (when it becomes hard) against my eardrums and itching in ears when I
eat or when I move my jaw left/right.
Tinnitus is loudest when ears are full and becomes less louder when I blow/clean my nose.
2) Tinnitus(24x7, variable in loudness and sounds)
* Sound changes, sometimes its like crickets, sometimes its like
washing machine, .....
* Sometimes a very loud tone similar to tinnitus appears in any of my ear and
then I pull my ear and/or put finger inside my earcanal and at the same time
open-close jaw and IT DISSAPPERS COMPLETELY.
* Sometimes when I put fingers in my ears I feel some physical noise or
vibrations.
* Teeth clenching increases the sound 2 times for some seconds.
* When I move my lower, tinnitus noise becomes 20 times louder but
ONLY IN LEFT EAR and it becomes normal when I move my jaw back to normal position.
I don't have pain in Jaw or in face.
3) Crackling sound(24x7) in both ears and sometimes behind the nose.
* Each time I swallow.
* Each time I yawn.
* When I drink something.
* When I move my neck or head.
4) Deviated nasal septum: left side is narrow. (explain)
TEST DONE:
1) HEARING TEST: done 4times, no loss.
2) MRI: nothing.
FOR FIRST 3DAYS (October/2013)
1) Earpain(retracted eardrums, doctor said).
2) Earfullness and plugged ears.
3) Throat irritation and swelling.
4) Hypersensitivity to medium-loud noise (Which is now 95% recovered).
and THEN(after 3days) TILL PRESENT
1) Fullness and Heaviness in both ears. Sensation of fluid behind eardrums.
And I feel its friction (when it becomes hard) against my eardrums and itching in ears when I
eat or when I move my jaw left/right.
Tinnitus is loudest when ears are full and becomes less louder when I blow/clean my nose.
2) Tinnitus(24x7, variable in loudness and sounds)
* Sound changes, sometimes its like crickets, sometimes its like
washing machine, .....
* Sometimes a very loud tone similar to tinnitus appears in any of my ear and
then I pull my ear and/or put finger inside my earcanal and at the same time
open-close jaw and IT DISSAPPERS COMPLETELY.
* Sometimes when I put fingers in my ears I feel some physical noise or
vibrations.
* Teeth clenching increases the sound 2 times for some seconds.
* When I move my lower, tinnitus noise becomes 20 times louder but
ONLY IN LEFT EAR and it becomes normal when I move my jaw back to normal position.
I don't have pain in Jaw or in face.
3) Crackling sound(24x7) in both ears and sometimes behind the nose.
* Each time I swallow.
* Each time I yawn.
* When I drink something.
* When I move my neck or head.
4) Deviated nasal septum: left side is narrow. (explain)
TEST DONE:
1) HEARING TEST: done 4times, no loss.
2) MRI: nothing.
Brief Answer:
Somatic Tinnitus,TMJ Disorder.CheckETD,crackles are normal, DNS is common.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. If you have an ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction), then it must be confirmed by a Tympanogram (Impedance Audiogram).
2. If the Tympanogram is normal, and since you have normal hearing, this will be a somatic tinnitus related with a TMj (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) Disorder. A soft diet, jaw exercises, local heat fomentation, anti-inflammatory medication and a correction of a misaligned bite with a silicone dental tray to relax the TMJ is advised.
3. The cracking sounds that you hear are normal due to movement of joints muscles, tendons and cartilage. Your attention has been drawn to them due to this tinnitus problem.
4. A DNS (Deviated Nasal Septum) is very common. The central partition of the nose is often not straight or in the midline because of the normal different rates of growth of bone verses cartilage (facial growth) during the childhood and adolescent years. A DNS to the left will therefore narrow the left side nasal cavity.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Somatic Tinnitus,TMJ Disorder.CheckETD,crackles are normal, DNS is common.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. If you have an ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction), then it must be confirmed by a Tympanogram (Impedance Audiogram).
2. If the Tympanogram is normal, and since you have normal hearing, this will be a somatic tinnitus related with a TMj (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) Disorder. A soft diet, jaw exercises, local heat fomentation, anti-inflammatory medication and a correction of a misaligned bite with a silicone dental tray to relax the TMJ is advised.
3. The cracking sounds that you hear are normal due to movement of joints muscles, tendons and cartilage. Your attention has been drawn to them due to this tinnitus problem.
4. A DNS (Deviated Nasal Septum) is very common. The central partition of the nose is often not straight or in the midline because of the normal different rates of growth of bone verses cartilage (facial growth) during the childhood and adolescent years. A DNS to the left will therefore narrow the left side nasal cavity.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Sir,
Thanks for quick reply. Here are my follow-up questions which are still not clear to me.
Can you please tell my why I feel fullness in both ears (not all the time).
Sensation of fluids/liquid behind eardrums.
* I am 100% sure that "SOMETHING STICKY is CLINGING BEHIND MY EARDRUMS" (dry/hard fluid?). And when I eat or open-close my jaw it makes physical noise and I feel its friction against my eardrums.
For example, If I insert piece of paper(folded) deep into my ears then when I will eat or open-close my jaw it will make noise(the friction of paper against my eardrums).
* Why when I blow/clean my nose, it also decreases fullness in my ears and also reduces my tinnitus upto 50% in its loudness.
* If earwax builup on outer side of eardrums can cause tinnitus. Then isn't it
possible that something(dry fluid?) clinging on the otherside of eardrums can cause tinnitus.
* I think/believe if this fuild and fullness is removed then tinnitus will also subside. Can you prescribe any treatment for this?
Thanks for quick reply. Here are my follow-up questions which are still not clear to me.
Can you please tell my why I feel fullness in both ears (not all the time).
Sensation of fluids/liquid behind eardrums.
* I am 100% sure that "SOMETHING STICKY is CLINGING BEHIND MY EARDRUMS" (dry/hard fluid?). And when I eat or open-close my jaw it makes physical noise and I feel its friction against my eardrums.
For example, If I insert piece of paper(folded) deep into my ears then when I will eat or open-close my jaw it will make noise(the friction of paper against my eardrums).
* Why when I blow/clean my nose, it also decreases fullness in my ears and also reduces my tinnitus upto 50% in its loudness.
* If earwax builup on outer side of eardrums can cause tinnitus. Then isn't it
possible that something(dry fluid?) clinging on the otherside of eardrums can cause tinnitus.
* I think/believe if this fuild and fullness is removed then tinnitus will also subside. Can you prescribe any treatment for this?
Brief Answer:
ETD, air flow, TMJ sounds,
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for writing back.
1. The feeling in the ears is due to ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction). In ETD, the Eustachian tube functions erratically and hence there is air flow between the nose and ear which causes the sensation. A Tympanogram (Impedance Audiogram) will detect if there is fluid or glue (drying secretions) is present or not.
2. The TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) is the source of some of the friction noises when you move the jaw.
3. Whe you blow/clean your nose (Valsalva Maneuver), you force air into the Eustachian tube at higher than normal pressures into and out of the ear, thus affecting the tinnitus due to pressure changes and altered muscle tension in the ear.
4. Wet ear wax in the external ear canal can cause tinnitus, but it is easily checked by an otoscope or otoendoscopy.
5. Treatment depends upon the results of these investigations and dental/ TMJ treatment. Upload further details when available. Either here or directly at bit.ly/Dr-Sumit-Bhatti
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
ETD, air flow, TMJ sounds,
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for writing back.
1. The feeling in the ears is due to ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction). In ETD, the Eustachian tube functions erratically and hence there is air flow between the nose and ear which causes the sensation. A Tympanogram (Impedance Audiogram) will detect if there is fluid or glue (drying secretions) is present or not.
2. The TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) is the source of some of the friction noises when you move the jaw.
3. Whe you blow/clean your nose (Valsalva Maneuver), you force air into the Eustachian tube at higher than normal pressures into and out of the ear, thus affecting the tinnitus due to pressure changes and altered muscle tension in the ear.
4. Wet ear wax in the external ear canal can cause tinnitus, but it is easily checked by an otoscope or otoendoscopy.
5. Treatment depends upon the results of these investigations and dental/ TMJ treatment. Upload further details when available. Either here or directly at bit.ly/Dr-Sumit-Bhatti
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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