pain and hearing loss

[sashadog]

I have been diagnosed with otosclerosis, about 5 yrs ago.  I decided to hold off on surgery.  I now am having such pressure that I almost cannot stand it anymore!  The tinitus is bad also.  It is a combination of ringing and static all of the time.  Last night I was watching TV and felt a huge pop in my ear and neck on the left.  I really thought an artery blew or something!  Today my ear feels painful deep inside, warm, and almost wet (not to the touch though).  It doesn't feel plugged and it isn't draining, it just feels wet deep inside.  I feel like I blew out a membrane or my eustation tube from all of the pressure that has been building up.  What do I do?  ENT wont see me for 2 weeks.  How can they diagnose anything anyway?

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

anatomically none of it makes since regarding otosclerosis. Pressure is not genearally one of the symptoms of ostoschlerosis. Hearing loss is. Otoschlerosis does not cause pressure in the middle ear to build, so there should be no relationship regarding the eustachean tube.

Only theory of pressure that I can think of is a cochlear invasion of otoschlerosis. What happens is otoschlerosis begins at the stapedes (within the middle ear) and eventually works its way into the cochlea. The cochlea contians fluid if the otoschlerosis displaces the fluid, that would cause pressure.

But I do believe you need to see an ENT, and I would consider this an emergency.

How can they diagnose anything, several tests need to be done, audiological, etc. possibly even a CT/MRI.  But the final diagnosis of otoschlerosis is explorative surgery.

Find an ENT that will take your concerns seriously.

[sashadog]

Just an update.  I went to see an ENT yesterday and he reconfirmed my diagnosis of otosclerosis.  I described the large pop I felt in my ear and neck, the pain and pressure, and the dizziness, and the tinnitus.  He said that I am not a surgical canidate yet and he didn't know why I was feeling the pressure and pain.  He said there was to fluid in my ear but just to use a nasal spray and follow up in one to two years!  I cant take the pain and pressure any more.  The test I had yesterday almost made me cry and throw up.  They applied pressure to my eardrum and used loud noise to check the reflexes in my ear.  Of course the reflexes are not present.  The sounds made my stomach turn and made my ear hurt so bad!  The worst part of my visit was when I checked in.  I thought the girl said to go to door 8 and wait to be seen.  I walked down the hall and noticed that the doors were alphabetical, so I waited at door A.  I waited 45 minutes (into the lunch hour) and finally someone came and told me that I was supposed to go to door H.  I was there becasue I CANT HEAR!  The staff couldnt stop laughing!  So where do I go from here??

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Lets talk this through.  A loud sound made you dizzy? Or pressure made you dizzy?  Did you report this to anyone?

Dizzy under pressure indicates a fistula (leak) in the cochlea or semi circular canals.

Dizzy due to a loud sound indicates a dehesence (SP) of the Semi Circular Canal.

Either of which is an important diagnostic finding and should be further investigated.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5672531617628959663

The link is a video of a stapendectomy which is the surgery done for otoschlerosis. It was posted by some doctor using mundane tools that look they haven't been washed in a decade....  all done to the tune of "Smoothe Operator."  Imagine the aragonce it takes to do that.

[sashadog]

Yes!  Loud low tones make me dizzy and my stomach turn.  The air pressure they put against my ear drum did about the same but also really hurt.  I have taken it upon myselft to find a specialist in chronic ear disease, hearing loss, and vertigo.  Lets hope she has some answers!!  I will keep this link saved to catch the video later.  The way I feel now I don't think I can watch it and imagine it being done to me!  Thank you!

[weeliz1]

Hi Sasha, how did you get on with this problem if you don't mind me asking. I too have been diagnosed with otosclerosis in my left ear & although I have never heard a pop the other symptoms you describe are quite similar. I can't pick up voices well at all & I get a kind of dull pain around my neck, behind my ear/side of head & down to my jaw at times. I can hear a radio playing very quietly in my bad ear if I go into a room with an extractor fan........even if there's not a radio there! It's totally nuts.....I have also suffered from cluster migraines for a long time which previously I have never connected to my ears however I am starting to think it's all kind of link in some way, shape or form. I am having extreme difficulty to actually be listened to & I am terrified to try to start a family as I have discovered that this may cause the condition to worsen & leave me deaf in both ears........any comments or ideas would be graetly appreciated!!! Thank You, Liz x