Hearing Problems???

[Rena705]

I have a strange question for you all...does anyone one have pain in their ears intermittently?  Is the pain worse at different pitches?

I was chatting with my friend whom has been diagnosed with MS and I mentioned that my gp is going to send me for a hearing test after I complained about this ear pain.  She responded that she has intermittent pain in both her ears and it is incredibly painful.  We both likened it to having a sharp needle poking deep in our ears!

On my behalf I find it happens every few weeks usually lasting  for a few days to 2 weeks and sometimes it is debilitating the pain is so intense.  She asked her dr. about it and he told her that there can't be any connection to her MS but she disagreed because it seems to happen most when she is having a relapse.

Any comment?

Lots of Hugs,

Rena

[paindoc38]

go read about glossopharyngeal neuralgia  and a subset of this called eagle's syndrome. paroxysms of pain deep in the ear and back of the throat  often precipitated by swallowing.  can also give a vague sensation of pain extending down along the external neck (typically anterior and lateral neck descending form the ear region) and shoulder of the same side that is hard to localize.

let me know if this sounds like what you have got.

[jensequitur]

Hey, this explains a lot!  If components of CN7 can go wrong, it looks very much as if I've got something wrong with the 'branchial motor' component of that nerve.  

It controls the stapedius (the tiny muscle that controls how loudly you hear sounds) and when the stapedius is paralyzed, it causes hyperacusis.  Also controls the 'posterior belly of digastric muscle' which is exactly the muscle under my chin that keeps feeling achy and crampy.  I can stick my hand in there and massage the muscle gently, which makes it feel better for a little while.

Normally I wouldn't try to track symptoms backward to the cause (rather like trying to unscramble an egg!) but this is too perfect to be a coincidence.

[syndismilez]

Wow. This is such an interesting topic. I am not diagnosed, but have had intermitent ear pain with sounds. Mine is the toilet flushing. Gees!  Not good when you have to every 3 hours, Dr's orders!!!  I also have had a sharp pain in the back of my throat. It only lasts a few minutes. It makes me want to stick my finger back there and give it a good massage.
I just love learning about all this nerve stuff!!!  
Very Interesting!  Thank you!
Cyndi

[Quixotic1]

Ohhhh!  the ripping of packing tape off the roll use to drive me insane.  I moved three times in three years and only now is the hyperacusis not active!  There was a time when my sis putting alway the flatware from the dishwasher was enough to make me leave the room.

MS can affect the nerves as they are gathering in the brainstem or more peripherally after the nerve leaves the brainstem.  The crain nerves are the only ones which have their cellular origin in the brain and then go out to innervate stuff.  So the cranial nerves are actually part of the central nervous system, even though they look like they should be peripheral nerves.  An MS plaque can form even out on the nerve.

Quix

[jensequitur]

Hyperacusis - yep, I've got that.  Was pulling on a roll of packing tape today to pack a leather mask, and the RIIIIIP of the tape was actually painful to my left ear.  I'm still getting that weird muffled sensation and now a bit of ringing... yeah, I know, I still haven't had the doctor look at it.  I'm too young for it to be anything but neurological, but that's no excuse.

I also have a stabbing pain in my left eardrum, especially when I'm symptomatic.  Last time I had a fever, my left ear hurt so badly I almost cried.

One of my first symptoms was a vibrating in my left eardrum, almost like somebody stuck a vibrator in there, wrapped in cotton.  Very peculiar!  It seemed to fill my whole head, and made my eyes water.

It looks like CN7 goes back to the pons.  I wonder - could a lesion in the pons cause left-side symptoms only?  Or is this a nerve problem affecting the left cranial nerve?

[Quixotic1]

Wow!  This is going on a HealthPage!  I'm going to try it.

When I do cranial nerves.  Do you have more tidbits for cranial nerves, facial pain, throat pain?

Thanks, Quix

[paindoc38]

take a piece of ice and put it in a plastic bag and touch the back of both ears. If the right feels less cold there is a good chance you have a cranial neuralgia not some pathology of the ear. if so try putting a little sugar on the very side of your tongue on one side in the front--see how strong the taste is then rinse your mouth and try it on the other side. repeat this several times. if you consistent have les taste on one side of your tongue there is a good chance you have a geniculate neuralgia.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

Hmmm interesting.  

I also get pain in my ear.  Sharp pain. Doesn't last long. On and off, but ongoing.  Also get burning sensation in my ears, particularly the right one.  Had it checked, no infection.

My hearing is not so good.  I really must go see about a hearing aid.  I had a request from the ear doctor for hearing aid fitting, but havent' done anything about it yet.

Thanks for the reminder...

S

[ohwild]

I have had ear pain in bothe ears for about two months now, I wish I could get some relief from it, it goes with the vertigo in my case, and as my hearing is bad anyway I have problems with background noise, so i can hear one person talking to me if they are looking at me,but put me in a supermarket and I cant hear much at all,and the phone ive had to put down so many times because i cant make out what people are saying. I think its called localised hearing . not sure on that one tho its just something ive lived with for a very long time
hugs
CJ

[Quixotic1]

Wow!  Thanks for the input.  I didn't go back to my basic science to review all the small special innervations from the CN's when I answered.  We need you around to help when I fall short.  Are you itinerate or do you lurk here?

As I understand it, in the general population one usually presupposes a vascular compression to explain the CN neuralgias.  But, in MS, which Rena has, can't any of them cause a pain syndrome from a demyelination involving the CN or one of the involved nuclei?  Granted some neuralgic syndromes are far more common than others, but is there anything to prevent "any" Cranial Nerve" from being affected?

Also, I really am hoping that you ARE a "Pain Doc."  One of the most frustrating things for me here are the people with neuropathic pain who get inadequate trials of meds and whose doctors never vary from gabapentin or Lyrica alone .  They are never tried on combinations and I don't know enough except to say anything except there is more that can be tried.  Typically their docs are not comfortable with treating nerve pain and there may not be a pain management clinic available.

Though I have tried to get some education in adult neurology, I am still very lacking, and would love some help.

Quix

[paindoc38]

also look up "prosoplagia" in the old geniculate neuralgia literature and you will see it has unusuall presentations too

[paindoc38]

ms can cause geniculate neuralgia, you may have it also

[paindoc38]

FYI cn 7 provides nerve to stapedius(to modulate hearing), so hyperacusis can be a sign of cn 7 dysfunction also and doesnt rule out gneiculate neuralgia per se if the patients has a large
aica loop compressing the 7/8 complex
keep up the good work

[wonko]

Hi,
I have no dx.  I've had mild-to-moderate right ear pain for about a month now.  Actually, looking back at my journal, my 2nd episode of symptoms starting late march (and hopefully ending now-ish) began with a few days of pain in that ear.

I've had adult ear infections, so I had my doc look at it.  It's not infected, so just another example of "stuff without explanation" for me.  If it gets really bad or if I notice any change in hearing, I'll get to an ENT but don't think there's much to do about it for now.

I'm so lucky to have such mild symptoms, but it sure is mysterious!

Hope everyone has a nice Saturday :-)

[santana8]

I didn't have pain in my ears, but did have vibrating for about 4 months shortly after my attack. I also had Virtigo at the same time. The vibrating happened when any noise was too loud, TV, radio, my own voice and would also occur when I bent my head down!

I had my hearing checked and a VNG both of which were normal. They also checked the main nerve that sends information to the brain to see if the problem was there, It was normal too! The vibrating would also happen when I moved my eyes to the extreme right or left. This has since mostly cleared, but I still don't know what was causing it.

~Santana~

[Quixotic1]

No, no.  The geniculate neuralgia is severe lancinating pain originating deep in the ear.  It's like TN only in the ear.

The problem with sounds being painful is a condition called "hyperacusis."  If it is related to a cranial nerve it would be the 8th nerve which is the auditory nerve.  I also have hyperacusis with certain sounds.  Mine tends to be the tinkling of the flatware (siverware) being put away or of dishes being clinked together.

So, it sounds to me like you are describing exquisite sensitivity to sound - hyperacusis.

Q

[Rena705]

Hey ladies...thanks for the info!  I wondered if it might also be somehow related (i.e. caused by or the cause) of my Paratrigeminal Neuralgia.  It will be interesting to see what the hearing test tells us I guess.  I don't know how these problems are usually diagnosed but I am going to pass on that "Geniculate Neuralgia" and its symptoms and causes and treatment to my gp...can't hurt to try right?  Sometimes when I am in a room with a few people and I start to talk about something and people are laughing or talking around me I can't stand the pain my own voice causes me when my voice rises!  People tell me to speak up because I lower my volume because the pain kills me!
I will let you know what happens and will pass this on to my friend as well!

Lots of Thanks and Hugs,

Rena

[young at heart]

RENA,

I GET EAR PAIN WITH CERTAIN PITCHES, BUT I HAVE MODERATE TO SEVERE HEARING LOSS IN THE LEFT EAR AND MILD IN RIHT,

I SENSORI-NEURAL HEARING LOOS.

ITS BEST FOR THE AUDIOLOGIST OR THE ENT TO TEST YOU AND EXPLAIN IT ALL

T-LYNN

[Quixotic1]

The ear has at least three crainial nerves supplying it with sensation so it makes sense that all different kinds of ear pain can be a part of MS.  Your friend's doctor is wrong.  There are a couple of syndromes that are seen with MS, just not as commonly as TN.  The one I remember off the top of my head is "Geniculate Neuralgia."  This is from the somatic sensory branch of the Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII).  The majority of the facial nerve is involved in controlling the muscles of the face and problems with it cause Bell's Palsy.  But, there are others, too.

Quix

Quix