Barotrauma - Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

[SmithTC]

Hello,

I'm a British expat living in Qatar, and until recently did some diving out here.

On a diving trip about 6 months ago, I experienced discomfort in one of my ears, together with some vertigo, tinnitus and a sense of fluid in my middle ear.

The vertigo subsided after about a week or so, but 6 months have now passed, and I still have a loud tinnitus and also a high frequency hearing loss.

I have been seeing a doctor at the local ENT clinic in Doha regularly since the symptoms began. Initially, the doctor prescribed a course of steroids, which didn't seem to help. I also had an MRI scan which didn't show anything. Since then the doctor has only been monitoring my hearing. The high frequency hearing loss has improved very slightly, but has now stabilised and doesn't seem to be improving further.

The doctor suspects that I had a fistula of one of the inner ear membranes, which has since healed, but has left some permanent damage.

I will be returning home to the UK in June for 2 weeks and would like to see a specialist for a second opinion on:

1. Cause of hearing loss and tinnitus
2. Treatment
3. Advice on returning to diving

Does anyone have any recommendations on a clinic which I can visit, or a specialist to consult?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[vladimir]

Perhaps you should post in the Diving Medicine forum, where it will attract the attention of a number of well-qualified physicians. Also consider sending a PM to doctormike, our resident ENT, and Duke Dive Medicine, for the referrals you are seeking.

 

[Hockeynut]

I've had tinnitus for a long time. Bad news is, the majority of people never get rid of it and learn to live with it.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Tom,

At what point on the dive did you notice the discomfort? Had you performed a forceful valsalva, or had difficulty equalizing on descent?

Best regards,
DDM