Question: Hello. I am a 27 y/o female having ear troubles for approximately 7 weeks. The trouble started after I got a cold at the beginning of January, when I woke up one morning feeling as though I had an ear infection in my left ear. I have had an ear infection in the past, so I was not alarmed. I went to my dr who told me that I didn't have an ear infection because my eardrum wasn't bulging. He told me that I had fluid in my ear and to take sudafed to remove the fluid. Over the next 48 hrs the sudafed seemed to work. Then the ear fullness came back. I saw my dr again who dx'd sinusitis and was put on several courses of antibiotics because the sinusitis wasn't responding. I saw an ENT who confirmed sinusitis and wanted to try a course of avelox and prednisone before giving up on antibiotic treatment. I did this treatment but got no real relief. I still had the fullness in my left ear which was starting to spread to my right. The ENT looked into my ears and said I was fine and there was no fluid. He administered a basic audiogram to calm my fears. The audiogram came back saying my hearing was normal. I was told there is nothing he can do except Rx flonase and astepro. I have taken both these sprays for over a month with no improvement in the ears. My current symptoms are:
-constant feeling of fullness in both ears ( feeling in a tunnel or underwater)
-occasional pain in the left ear
- intermittent pressure in both ears and in my head
- intermittent pressure on both ear drums
-feeling like I am not hearing as well as the audiogram suggested, sound I'd muffled in large open and loud spaces like malls
-popping/crackling of ear drums/ eustachian tubes upon swallowing, yawning, etc.
-occasional lightheadedness
-no fever
I have had a blood test to rule out infection. WBC count was normal.
Had 3 ct scans of my head, sinuses, and ears. The only significant finding in the report states: partial opacification of left mastoid air cells, correlates clinically with mild left mastoiditis. My ENT saw the actual images of these scans and did not find these findings significant I am assuming. He told me that my symptoms are all just anxiety, though i didn't have anxiety up until the point of this situation not being resolved. I was basically told not to come back. Where do I go from here? Another ENT for a second opinion?
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Dr. Bhatti,
I do have occasional tinnitus. It is very mild and goes away right away. I almost don't notice it.
I also have dizziness at times, though it isnt a spinning type dizziness, it is more of a severe lightheadedness that makes me want to sit down. I usually feel quite tired after the dizzy spells, which did not happen at first but are happening more often now.
I don't have any family history of ear problems that I am aware of. I am not sure if my hearing fluctuates or is distorted at times because my hearing seems for the most part ok, it's just when I go to large open and loud places that I feel like I am straining to hear, or the hearing is muffled. I haven't had any adenoids problems as a child.
In response to you questions about testing that may have been done on me, I have had only a basic audiogram to tell me that my hearing is normal. No tympanogram. The ENT I saw wanted to diagnose everything as anxiety related. I did have a nasal endoscopy done, but I am not sure if he looked at my eustachian tubes, he did mention a lot of swelling though, more than he had expected. Unfortunately all reports were kept in my file by my ENT so I cannot get them today. So should I be consulting with another ENT for a second opinion? I am at my wits end. Thanks.
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