Question: Hi,
I am a 30yr old female. I currently have high frequency tinnitus and high frequency hearing loss in my left ear which is driving me mad. About a week ago I got a really painful ear infection. 2 days later I had to catch a 6 hour flight with my ear blocked - and then 1 day later catch another 13 hour flight back to Australia. The 6 hour flight was agony - was crying due to the pain on decent. Ever since then I have had hearing loss and tinnitus in that ear.
I was offloaded from the 13 hour flight and had to wait 24 hours to catch the next flight. This flight I wore ear plugs and it wasn't painful.

My ear still feels blocked and has the maddening high pitched sound but I went to an audiologist who said there was no fluid in the middle ear. She said my outer ear all looks ok but She did say my ear drum is slightly retracted and that I have hearing loss in the higher frequencies. Said my cochlear is good. But could not account for the high frequency hearing loss as usually a retracted ear drum affects the lower frequencies.
It has been 7 days since the painful 6 hour flight and my symptoms have not changed. Have I permanently damaged my ear? Will I have tinnitus and hearing loss permanently now?
Please not that sometimes I get little pains from that ear.
Thanks