Diving induced Tinnitus ?

[Saturation]

I am interested in any ideas regarding diagnosis or tests to isolate the source of damage. seems a good place to start.

Then I would like to hear more about what to do or not to do to help improvement or reduce teh risk of further deterioration.

Hi C:

Typically the test sequence is as follows:

physical exam: is there a need for a test?

audiogram: is there really a problem, this says yes or no

If audiogram is normal, and balance is normal, stop here.

typanometry: where is the problem, sensory or nervous?

Evoked Potential; test the nerve for response

MRI or CT of the ears: visualize the injury

Alas, if the injury is subtle and a cause cannot be localized, but the tests suggests a problem somewhere, a final option is exploratory surgery. The ideal person to do such a procedure is a neurotologist ... a cross subspecialty between a neurosurgeon and an ENT.

 

[Corrado]

What is tinnitus and are there any other tests I should get done to find the root cause of the problem more definitively or specifically ? Also are there any tests to benchmark the Tinnitus severity or condition ? To me it is extremely loud and as Larry mentioned even load music does not necessarily blank it out.

Thx
Declan

I fully concur with Larry Stein's analysis. It does sound like a middle ear injury, typically a peri-lymph fistula or a round or oval window rupture. Audiograms are very sensitive to injury, such as your high frequency hearing loss, but the extent of what could have happened can be reinforced by having typanometry. It may be treatable the sooner your seek care, so its prudent to see an ENT soon or the tinnitus can be permanent. Luckily, in very many cases, it recovers slowly on its own after several months. Alas, if it persists, it can be as you now experience, quite disturbing.

 

[Saturation]

What is tinnitus and are there any other tests I should get done to find the root cause of the problem more definitively or specifically ? Also are there any tests to benchmark the Tinnitus severity or condition ? To me it is extremely loud and as Larry mentioned even load music does not necessarily blank it out.

Thx
Declan

Tinnitus is a phantom sound suggesting damage to the ear. The rest, see msg #11 of this thread.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=719611&postcount=11


http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003043.htm

Just as for eyes you can squeeze your eyeballs and see light, or for taste lick both 9v battery terminals and taste salt .. tinnitus is the nerve sending impluses of sound that it really isn't picking up. Thus, its malfunctioning.

 

[MO Diver]

Of course you are right about the cones and thanks for not flaming me on not getting my terminology right before posting.

I believed you answered my concern which was the flattening or bending of the cochlear hair cells in the ear causing damage similar to the damage caused by large pressure waves like those from listening to loud music. I was wondering if the increased pressure at depth could have emulated this and I'm glad to "hear" that it's not indicated!

thx - Mo Diver