In August I followed bad advice and did a sinus rinse and then blew the water back into my middle ears using the valsalva maneuver. I managed to overfill the middle ear and felt a twinge of pain lasting 3 seconds. The next day I noticed my left ear screaming, so I stupidly did the same thing again, again overfilling and feeling the same pain, this time I noticed the screaming increase immediately.
I didn't know what I had done to myself until I realized at the end of September I had basically given myself a Perilymphatic fistula. Talking, nodding, turning my head, eating, all exacerbated it. Same with driving long distances on the highway (but I'm thinking it may just be long term loud noise exposure from the road/wind noise).
I did an MRI (which of course showed nothing, you could have a hole in your eardrum and it wouldn't show with that) and saw a neurotologist in October who basically said he thought doing surgery could make it worse and it would die down.
I took 2 weeks off of work to try to let it heal. During that time I felt dripping of "water" inside my ear (which actually would make it temporarily quieter), and pain in my ear. It didn't heal. Doing the littlest thing would hurt it again (literally I looked down slightly and hurt it again). It only got louder and worse.
So in November I saw another neurotologist. He seemed to be out of touch with reality. He told me the "water" dripping I had felt was in my ear canal not middle ear (I put a pinky up there when I felt the water...it was dry) and that I couldn't possibly be feeling any pain from what I had done (I have the sensation of pain I can feel right now inside my ear). I realize the middle to inner ear doesn't have nerves...but I've got some sensation in my middle ear.
Also he told me taking prednisone for it (the only thing that has helped relieve it at all) was a mistake! The guy was backwards.
Again his diagnosis was "just live with it." I CAN'T LIVE WITH THIS! YOU TRY LIVING WITH WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A STEAMING TEA KETTLE GOING OFF IN YOUR LEFT EAR CONSTANTLY!!
My guess is because I didn't report dizziness and I didn't get it from scuba diving that he didn't believe me.
I've given myself HALF A FISTULA. Maybe that "water" I've been feeling is CNS fluid or maybe just serum but in 4 months it hasn't improved any.
I've torn the round window in my middle ear. From reports I've read of people with similar damage it doesn't get better even a year later. They say to get a PLF surgery within 47 days well, I'm at day 120 something.
I know surgery can fix this, I just need someone to go in there and see the damage I did and repair it.
I've also been experiencing my right ear sing along with my left from time to time. From what I understand this is called "Hydrops" and is caused by a CNS fluid imbalance in the ears.
Why damn me to live this way? I need someone to take me seriously and AT LEAST JUST LOOK INSIDE MY MIDDLE EAR WITH EXPLORATORY SURGERY! They will see the redness while it is still there.
Also, how expensive is a PLF repair surgery? I have to pay out of pocket.
I didn't know what I had done to myself until I realized at the end of September I had basically given myself a Perilymphatic fistula. Talking, nodding, turning my head, eating, all exacerbated it. Same with driving long distances on the highway (but I'm thinking it may just be long term loud noise exposure from the road/wind noise).
I did an MRI (which of course showed nothing, you could have a hole in your eardrum and it wouldn't show with that) and saw a neurotologist in October who basically said he thought doing surgery could make it worse and it would die down.
I took 2 weeks off of work to try to let it heal. During that time I felt dripping of "water" inside my ear (which actually would make it temporarily quieter), and pain in my ear. It didn't heal. Doing the littlest thing would hurt it again (literally I looked down slightly and hurt it again). It only got louder and worse.
So in November I saw another neurotologist. He seemed to be out of touch with reality. He told me the "water" dripping I had felt was in my ear canal not middle ear (I put a pinky up there when I felt the water...it was dry) and that I couldn't possibly be feeling any pain from what I had done (I have the sensation of pain I can feel right now inside my ear). I realize the middle to inner ear doesn't have nerves...but I've got some sensation in my middle ear.
Also he told me taking prednisone for it (the only thing that has helped relieve it at all) was a mistake! The guy was backwards.
Again his diagnosis was "just live with it." I CAN'T LIVE WITH THIS! YOU TRY LIVING WITH WHAT SOUNDS LIKE A STEAMING TEA KETTLE GOING OFF IN YOUR LEFT EAR CONSTANTLY!!
My guess is because I didn't report dizziness and I didn't get it from scuba diving that he didn't believe me.
I've given myself HALF A FISTULA. Maybe that "water" I've been feeling is CNS fluid or maybe just serum but in 4 months it hasn't improved any.
I've torn the round window in my middle ear. From reports I've read of people with similar damage it doesn't get better even a year later. They say to get a PLF surgery within 47 days well, I'm at day 120 something.
I know surgery can fix this, I just need someone to go in there and see the damage I did and repair it.
I've also been experiencing my right ear sing along with my left from time to time. From what I understand this is called "Hydrops" and is caused by a CNS fluid imbalance in the ears.
Why damn me to live this way? I need someone to take me seriously and AT LEAST JUST LOOK INSIDE MY MIDDLE EAR WITH EXPLORATORY SURGERY! They will see the redness while it is still there.
Also, how expensive is a PLF repair surgery? I have to pay out of pocket.
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