I Started Having A Cold About 6 Weeks Ago With

Posted on Thu, 16 Jan 2020

Question: I started having a cold about 6 weeks ago with sneezing and then it turned into a cough with a blocked ear and ringing from it. The blocked ear improved about 3 week ago but I still get ringing and a sense of fullness from it which I have now had for about 6 weeks. I saw the ear, nose and throat doctor a week ago who checked it and confirmed that there was no longer any fluid in the ear but the Eustachian tube was still blocked. He has prescribed a nasal spray, nose drops and courtesone tablets for 3 days to clear it. How long does it normally take in these circumstances for the ringing in the ear to subside?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (54 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Hii. It seems that you had an upper respiratory tract infection previously.

Detailed Answer:
Hii. It seems that you had an upper respiratory tract infection previously. In the upper respiratory tract infection sometimes the eustachian tube will get blocked as a result of allergic inflammation. Eustachian tube helps to maintain pressure between middle ear and nose. So when eustachian tube fails to function properly it can result in accumulation of fluid in the middle part and can cause ringing sensation of ear. You should take an antibiotic to prevent the middle ear fluid get infected. Start fluticasone nasal spray to reduce the allergic inflammation. It will help to resolve the allergic inflammation of the eustachian tube. Take steam inhalation. Even if the fluid gets resolved the eustachian tube takes some time to regain its own action. So ringing sensation of ear continues. So continue spray, antiallergic tablet levocetrizine, steam inhalation. You can do a hearing test pure tone audiogram and impedance audiogram to know the hearing status. It will take another 6-8 week to get the ringing sensation resolved. Till then ignore the sound. You can chew chewing gum to get the eustachian tube function regain. Please review if you have any queries.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (50 minutes later)

Thank you for your advice. I have already had the ringing sensation for about 6 weeks and you say that it could take another 6-8 weeks to get the ringing sensation resolved which seems a long time after the ear was unblocked a few weeks ago. I notice it particularly when I move my jaw up and down while eating. Is that normal? It is like a slight squeaky sound.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (32 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Hii. It is the eustachian tube opening up and closing on opening with jaw.

Detailed Answer:
Hii. It is the eustachian tube opening up and closing on opening with jaw. It's normal. No need to worry. You follow the advice. It will settle over time. You can do a hearing test and know your hearing status.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Hii. Doctor has given you decongestant tablet which will help you in decong

Detailed Answer:
Hii. Doctor has given you decongestant tablet which will help you in decongestion of the nose and clear up the mucus. Along with that take saline nasal drop or spray whichever available. Hearing test is needed to clarify if ringing sensation is due to reduced hearing or due to opening and closing of eustachian tube. If it is due to eustachian tube dysfunction then no nned to worry. It will slowly fade over time. Sometimes it can take longer time to disappear but it's not a serious problem or irreversible one.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (18 minutes later)

I forgot to mention that the ear, nose and doctor prescribed actifed - one tablet, three times a day for 15 days. Will that help? Does the ringing suddenly disappear or is it a gradual process? Can it take up to 3 months approximately for it to disappear then? Finally, how does a hearing test help?
Many thanks

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (2 days later)

If the ringing sensation is caused by reduced hearing, what can be done?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (20 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Hii. If the ringing sensation is caused by reduced hearing then the allergi

Detailed Answer:
Hii. If the ringing sensation is caused by reduced hearing then the allergic inflammation has made your hearing nerve weak. In that case you may need to start some steroids for a short duration after prescribed your doctor. It may help in hearing improvement. Else you have to wait for the nerve to get recovered and tinnitus to fade away.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T