Dear Doctor!
I am a 25 year old male, smoker, extremely busy in my job, living and working in China.
Three weeks ago I had a stiff neck that lasted for almost 14 days. last week as this problem was finally gone and I felt completely normal again, I suffered a hearing loss in my left ear. No pain, no dizziness, just this feeling of pressure like you are in an airplane shortly before landing.
On the following day I also had this ringing, probably a tinnitus.
So I went to the doctor who first of all diagnosed a cerumen impaction. The ear got cleaned, but the problem didn't go away.
I was always thinking that it's just a pressure on my left ear, so I tried to pop (like you do in the airplane) which didn't really work either. Interestingly I had to fly during the last week and it seemed to me that while going up after the start my ear got better, whereas shortly before landing it got worse again.
Today - still feel this pressure and ringing - I saw the doctor again and we did two tests. First of all a tympanogram which showed the following results:
Volume 3.04 mL
Compliance 0.92 mL
Pressure 36 daPa
Gradient 0.59 mL
Furthermore we did a threshold audiometry. The only (slight) abnormality was shown by my left ear in the high frequencies between 4000 and 6000 Hz. According to the sheet the hearing impairment is considered as "mild" (27-40dB).
My problem is that I am in China and it seems to me that neither the doctors take my concern serious nor that they have a real clue about what to do. The only international expert here in town is not available due to some personal matters for the next two weeks...
I know it's impossible to diagnose through the internet. But do these test results give you any clue what it might be or not be?
Thanks a lot for your help!!