Ringing in the ear and postnasal drip

[Myrtooo]

Hello.  I have been experiencing moderate to severe postnasal drip and ringing in the ears.  Moved to Chicago several years ago from Phoenix so the doctor suggested that I may be suffering from allergies as a result. Blood test confirmed grass allergy. Have been using Flonase (SP?) for about 1 month coupled with nasal rinsing system but still have the ringing and drainage.   Should I be worried about another culprit besides allergies causing these awful symptoms??  In addition, is there any other over-the-counter meds that may be of use.    Thank you.  Myrt

[Victoireh]

Tough question. There are many reasons for post nasal drip and tinnitus. If your nose is still running, could it be sinusitis? Do notice any weird smells from your nose? Headaches? A chronic sinus infection will cause post nasal drip. But it could be that one month with Flonase isn't long enough to get your symptoms under control. I would say 2 months would be more reasonable to decide if there is something else. this type of therapy takes a while for things to set in. It takes some time for me to get rid of the extra mucous production after I've had a sinus infection. As for the ringing in the ears, that depends entirely on the cause. I have permanent ear ringing since many years ago I had a good case of Labyrinthitis. If the ringing goes eventually away with treatment then great, but I think it is one of those things that can stick around too. Oh, I think certain medications cause ringing, but certainly not the Flonase, that's just a low dose steroid spray aimed at reducing inflammation. Sorry I couldn't help further.

[Myrtooo]

Thanks so much for your reply.  I wondered whether the Flonase might take a little longer to work a little magic. To answer your question, I don't think it's sinusitis only because the mucus is mostly clear.  I do have the headache bit from time to time - but it honestly seems like my symptoms intensify around my monthly cycle.  I also have a low grade temp 99-100 off and on. I am just assuming that PMS coupled with allergies can be REALLY bothersome!!

BTW, what is Labyrinthitis?  Thanks for your help!!  Heather (Myrt)

[Victoireh]

Yes, I have to agree with your comments. It's also good that your mucous runs clear. A sinus infection can be nasty and difficult to get rid of. For starters you would wake up in the mornings with horrific headaches, till some form of drainage relieves the pressure.

Labyrinthitis is something I would not wish on anyone. It's a viral infection of the inner ear. What happens is that the inflamed inner ear sends confusing signals to the brain, and your balance will be so thrown off that you will think you are very drunk. The world spins around you and then you begin to vomit. The worst is the first day, then as your inner ear heals up, your brain will actually adapt to the new signals and eventually over many days you will return to normal. Ear ringing pretty much precedes the actual vertigo (spinning sensation). In my case I took 3 months to heal up and have never been quite the same since. One comes to appreciate the little organs in your body that you never pay attention to, when having gone through something like this.