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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Fluttering In Ear When Laying Down. Any Ideas?

I have a problem in my left ear. It started when i was 11 - 12 years old. i am now 26. At the time I explained it to the Dr as a moth in my ear so they looked for a moth , they did a hearing test , they looked inside. I was reffered to ENT but they never made me cause the fluttering. they tested me standing up. The fluttering like a moth happens when I ; lay on a pillow and there is noise in the background (i can ONLY sleep on my left side if there is absolute silence - even a far distant heatpump will set me off, someone breathing (let alone snoring!) or a cellphone charging in the same room) , also if i tilt to the left side and there is noise, LOUD and sudden noises (like my 3 year old nephew yelling) , it occurs if im straight and standing only if a cold is coming on. I changed my sleeping habits to suit (never lay on my left side) i would never watch tv on the couch with my left ear down etc , so i just dealt with it. 1 year ago - i had my first child, i now live with my nephew too. playing on the floor and having them jump on me in bed - i have started to notice it more and more and more! even driving out the driveway and as i turned my head to check the back the fluttering started. Also my own voice sometimes can do it , head tilted or not. i have had two wisdom teeth cut in the last two years (i heard this could increase the problem) and i dont sleep anymore then 3- 4 hours straight at any given time. I have heart palpitations - cause undiagnosed. i had chemotherapy for leukaemia when i was 9 months old until i was three. i have had a few cases of tonsilitis but never had them removed. havent had it for a few years now. the fluttering : is hard to explain. sometimes i would say its like the noise you hear when your on a cellphone but the other person is in a windy area. it increases in volume and strength the louder the noise is . it starts real quick then slows down until the noise is stopped. i can FEEL the noise. sometimes i used to say it was like a vein on my eardrum and i could hear my heartbeat - but after listening to it and concentrating on it - its not my heartbeat - its either faster or slower depending on the level of the noise. it happens if i touch my face, tilted head or not. or touch my ear. i clean my ear with a cotton bud every few months and the right one is fine - the left one, i need to pull my ear down, its like the area is smaller, and after i finish i have a coughing fit - hence i dont do it unless i really have to ! it hurts. the dr did a pressure test with the earmuff (the one for kids) and that pressure hurt to. i really feel it has increased, im noticing it more and more often during my daytime , ive been taking conscious notice of it since the birth of my wee girl . my vision changed within 3 days of getting pregnant and the same with giving birth - i had to get glasses upgrades both times it was a huge significant change. i dont know if thats related. my heart palpitations almost completely went away since getting pregnant and til this day (am still breastfeeding) i went from having several a day to only experiencing 4 in the last 18 months. i chsnged my diet and am a lot happier now . i went to the dr about 6 weeks ago, he sent me for a hearing test (my daughter has unilateral hearing loss of the high frequency ) i passed with normal results. i explained to her everything, but she said go back to dr for a referral to ENT again. so now im wwaiting, without going private i am probably going to have to wait another 12 - 18 months. they re only seeing urgent cases and children. is there anything i can try during this time? any ideas on what it is ? should i go private? as i sit here typing this up my nephew yelled at me from the kitchen - my ear got set off. i yawned and it got set off. my daughter dropped her toy onto another toy and it got set off ... i think im getting a cold and thats why its worse then normal ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY! i have seen some posts about taking some meds - if this is suggested, please advise something that is breastfeeding friendly - i dont plan on giving that up to help myself . Thanks for anything at all ... Billie, NZ
Thu, 2 Jan 2014
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General Surgeon 's  Response
Hi. All the symptoms are suggestive that you are suffering from tinnitus and hyperacusis. The cause can be due to the chemotherapy you received in childhood, it can be due to some abnormal tumor or increase blood supply due to abnormal vasculature around the hearing apparatus. Contrast CT and / or MRI with angiography will help the diagnosis. It is better to take and ENT opinion fast. and follow the investigations and treatment he recommends. It needs to be really systematic approach in your case, as the history is bit baffling.
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Fluttering In Ear When Laying Down. Any Ideas?

Hi. All the symptoms are suggestive that you are suffering from tinnitus and hyperacusis. The cause can be due to the chemotherapy you received in childhood, it can be due to some abnormal tumor or increase blood supply due to abnormal vasculature around the hearing apparatus. Contrast CT and / or MRI with angiography will help the diagnosis. It is better to take and ENT opinion fast. and follow the investigations and treatment he recommends. It needs to be really systematic approach in your case, as the history is bit baffling.