Concussion and Ear Plugging
 

Hi! I suffered a concussion about four years ago and ever since then my ears have become completely plugged as if I was under water. Its worse than it sounds because there's head tension pain accompanying it. I sometimes get dizzy. I want to say its tinnitus, but I haven't read much about pain being a symptom of it. There is a 'crunching' or 'crackling' noise in my ears.

Its constant too, my ears haven't unplugged in four years. I've had to drop out of college and claim disability. I'm so fatigued and in pain that I'm am debating shock therapy. I hoping someone may experienced this and has knowledge on a medication to treat it. I've already been to ear specialists. Any help would be appreciated. :)

Ear plugging
 

blackcompe,

Have you been seen by an Ear Nose and Throat doctor? An audiologist may also be a good start. There can be calcium crystal build up in the inner ear that can mess things up.

I have problems with ear wax build-up because I cannot sleep on my side. Side sleeping is the normal way the ear self cleanses.

There are therapies for dealing with the calcium crystals. They are called Epley or Semont Maneuvers.

I actually had many visits with world renowned otolaryngoligists, and they were totally puzzled. One of one was a friend of a friend. So, you can tell this isn't easy. On a better note, I found some articles online this week talking about several types of Tinnitus (even painful ones) and some partially effective treatments. And, I found out Tinnitus is common after a head injury and the symptoms match up. Too bad ENT's can't see that after 8 years of hitting the books.

I don't know if I mentioned this earlier, but I am only 23, on disability, and in major debt from college. I had to leave college because this condition is so debilitating. I've been dealing with a 4 year long headache from plugged ears. Its been hell trying to diagnose myself and order/ask for different medications to try. Everyone gives me ****, but I'm still dealing with the problem, so how can you blame me. We pay Doctors to fix our health issues.

I have appointment with The Neurology Department of The University of Pennsylvania Monday. I am not that hopeful, anxious if anything, but hopefully I can get a script for Baclofen. Its a anti-spasmylotic agent that shows efficacy in treating tinnitus. It un-contracts contracted muscles through the modulation of GABA nuerons. Its also used to treat multiple sclerosis. Its likely that my head injury caused a slight disruption in my CNS, and my ears muscles are highly spastic.

I'll post if it works. I would never want anyone to live through this, if I can help it.

good luck,

That was the first thing that I noticed after my injury. My left hear became clogged. It is now much better, but it comes and goes. Like everything else the stress makes it worse. I hope you feel better soon.

Pcs
 

You say you've had this for 4 years now? How long were you unconcious for?I sustained a gash to my head from a fall on 01/01, and days later I'd been having that blocked feeling in my ears which I hadn't experienced in many years and also the mild tinnitus, first in the right ear then the left ear, then it goes and then returns, but it has lessen since then. But I sill feel there is a long black cloud over my life and I haven't felt the same since, I keep being told it's a temporary thing in that the brain is rebooting itself and I keep being told to be patient. What I would recommend is trying Reflexology, and gingko with vitamin b and zinc. Forget ear candles.

I run up to 3 miles a day sometimes. This isn't a homeopathic curable condition. My mom tried saying that. I was like 'I had a head injury, are you serious?' Ha. I'm extremely athletic and healthy otherwise.

Yeah I tried the ear candles. Those are for clearing wax. This is nothing of the sort. I've had my ears suctioned at an ENT and had ear grommets inserted into my ear drums. They've been mistaking it for Eustachian tube dysfunction (a condition commonly related to sinusitis, viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections).

This my theory, which supports how incredible insane I been driven over this condition. My inner ear muscles or the local muscles are overly tense to the point where there causing a vacuum in my inner ear cavity (disabling air pressure equalization) or they are agitating my cranial nerves.

I think you'd be a little more concerned if the exact same thing was occurring. I could write a best seller on how bad things have been for me between doctors visits, hospitalizations, disability, shear pain and depression. Psychiatrists can't even make my mental health any better.

Its funny, one random day my ear unplugged partially and it was like heaven. I was so many drugs (not the cause) at the time, I did not know what to attribute the relief from, but surely enough it plugged two hours later and the headache came right back. When I say a headache I mean chronic tension every second of every minute of every day and that's not imaginable for most. You can only keep surviving though. One more day.

I too have that blocked feeling in my left ear after I hit my head end of Dec 08. The doctor said it was infected, so I used anti-botics. I then went to the hospital to have it syringed out - it was blocked with wax. I thought that would make it better, but I still have that feeling.

Good luck.

Before you gotten to the point I am at you may want to look into teeth clenching due to stress, migraines, and labyrinthitis. These are all causes of ear muscle contractions. Vitamins (magnesium), anti-migraine medications, and benzodiazapines are common treatments. I've already tried these and they didn't work, so its onto Baclofen.

I forgot to say, my condition is called palatomyoclonus. I was actually diagnosed with it, but I got side tracked with depression treatment that failed. I gave it up on trying to find a cure because I couldn't find any information. Now I can't stop finding information. Its basically, the clonus that MS sufferers have but in the ear. Its caused by disruptions in the central nervous system.

plugged ears
 

Yes, I have this after 9 years from Tramatic Brain Injury. But it has subsided a bit through the years. It hurts to even type on this keyboard at times, can't chew food without it drivin me crazy, forget talking:mad:

Silence hurts, noise hurts, sometimes pain killers make it worse. BUT, I am fortunate that mine has declined over the years. Could be that I changed my diet completely........ALL Organic, all raw foods that I process myself.:D

Was it the time, or the diet change? who knows...but I will take the improvement! I can say that last week I was TOTALLY STUPID & ate 6 Krispy Creme doughnuts:eek: & ALL problems came back for 2 days straight???

I do hope & pray for you that you will get the relief that you need!

Gabapentin has worked for me
 

I am on Gabapentin (Neurontin) to relieve me of the jaw clenching and other muscle tension problems I am having. It is a very easy drug to take. No real side effects.
It is an adjunct anti-epileptic. It effects GABA in a positive way.

Has anybody done a "good" look at your neck? The vertebral artery is known to cause problems with the eighth cranial nerve that connects to the ear. One of the articles refers to 0.3 millimeter slices needed for the MRI to image the problem.

Do a google for "cranial nerves, vertebra" You will find some good information.

I have a problem with inflammation in the brain stem causing problems. For me, it effects the autonomic nervous system and causes me to stop breathing.

Maybe you have a problem in the neck too.

Good luck with this problem.

Ah, that's good to know. I seen my neurologist and I definitely don't have Myoclonus. Although my Eustachian tubes are abnormal I don't have constant twitching. They questioned PCS but didn't come to a conclusion. They offered me Ambien?!?!!? I haven't had any luck with immetrex either. I had some CT scan slices taken today. They said a CT scan can pick on tissue abnormalities as well as bone fractures and such.

It gets better.... I suffered a massive allergy attack a few days after my head injury and that is when the ear problems started. I had severe conjunctivitis which I had treated immediately. I tried and tried to get help from ENT's and they've done a lot of help, but still no results. Its really hard to believe an allergy attack could causes ones ear to plug for four years straight plus cause constant headaches, fatigue, etc.

I'll keep you updated.

My neck is actually bright red. Very bright. Its very noticeable. I really don't know who to ask about that. The neurologist may have noticed it, but she didn't say anything. That might be the key.

CT Scan showed nothing. Back to the ENT .....

ENT found nothing...........ECT is my last hope.

Infection?
 

Have you tried consulting an infectious disease specialist? Sometimes, an infection can fester for ages without an ear infection sensation. There are bacteria that are common in the mouth and throat that do not belong up in the Eustachian tubes. Maybe the sneeze pushed something up that does not belong there.

Just a wild thought. ECT sounds scary and permanent.

Still looking for the cause
 

Blackcombe

I had a fall on new years day because I had a hypoglycaemic attack being diabetic, I hit the upper left side of my head which left a laceration. 2 days later coupled with the anxiety, depression a pulsating hiss started in my right ear which one night turned into a loud ringing for a short time, with the blocked plugged feeling in the ears. Since then I've been to ENT specialists, they found not fault even though they only done a hearing test, the doctors but they wont refer me for an MRI, Accupuncture not much use, cranial osteopathy only once but I felt it helped a bit, reflexology good but too many adverse reactions. Like yourself for the first few months you may have had sleep disturbances and noise sensitivity. At the moment I'm having Cosmodic Therapy/Scenar treatment. Which has reduced the tinnitus to being very faint, but there is still that horrible blocked feeling in the ears. At the start of the week my right ear got inflamed which magnified the tinnitus so the doctor gave me some drops which so far have helped in the noise reduction but the tender blocked pain is still there. Throughout February - April I went through periods where I felt suicidal believe me. And doctors still wont refer me for an MRI, so in the middle of the week I went to another surgery asked fro some forms to register as a new patient, after being a patient at my current surgery for nearly 30 years. I felt different after my head injury for a few months only recently is my old self starting to reimurge. I understand what you're going through. I'm just assuming it's PCS Post Concussion Syndrome or is it TMJ disorder?? I haven't had any help at all, I haven't been diagnosed. No good treating the symptom until you find the cause or fault. My cosmodic therapist says the problem is coming from the ears?? and it's gradually healing. I do not want to experience another head injury, didn't realise the symptoms can be so debilitating and make you miserable, my energy levels have been affected too.
I'm going to see a top well known 'spiritual healer' soon. I've had spiritual healing before and it has helped on a number of occassions.
Hope my new doctor will be more supportive and refer me.

Billy

Have you ever done any research on Hyperacusis? I have a very similar problem with sound sensitivity brain injury. There is some treatment for it that apparently has an 80-90% success rate. I'm actually about to begin treatment myself.

Check out **

Not sure if it will help you, but tinnitus and 'fullness' in the ears are both symptoms of hyperacusis.

Link got edited out. *edit*

Hey, thanks for the response jayhybrid. Yeah, I don't think its hyperacusis. That's an over-sensitivity to sounds. I mistook fullness for tightness. And, the perceived sounds (snapping) is muscle/tendon movements rather than tinnitus (ringing). It's probable that I'm suffering from chronic tension headaches along with Major Depression and Anxiety. It's really tough trying to articulate symptoms that are so vague. But, I think I'm finally on the right track. Thanks again! Take care.

So I'm not the only one...
 

I'm so happy I found this thread.

I was involved in a high speed car accident a couple years back. Since I came to, I've had ringing in my ears, a full feeling that leads to intermittent deafness that can last from a few seconds to a few days (luckily, so far, it's only hit one ear at a time) and worst of all I get these stabbing pains several times an hour. It's like being stabbed in the ear by an ice pick. When I told my neurologist, he shrugged and dismissed my complaint with "that's unusual." Clearly he thought I was making it up.

From reading these posts, I can see that my problem could have a number of causes. First off, there's my diffuse axonal brain injury. Secondly, there's my severe whiplash. Finally, the accident damaged my jaw (TMJ) and causes me to clench in pain.

While I'm not pleased that any of you are suffering, I'm somewhat comforted that I'm not alone - or crazy.

Cheers

Criminy! I've been wondering what that crackling in my left ear was all about! I'm finally having my thorough neurological checkup starting this Thursday, about 42 years late.... I'll ask about that, too. You can read my history in other posts....

I really hope that this health care reform passes, because there are an awful lot of us out there who really need it. BTW, Prozac really helped my deep depression when I first went on it in 1986 when it came out, but over time it stopped doing anything. Now I take Cymbalta, which does okay with the arthritis/nerve pain, but isn't spectacular. The original descriptions of "typical depressions" was that they last from a few weeks to about 6-8 months, and "usually resolve on their own." Our drug arsenal as well as our culture are not equipped to deal with depression that goes on and on and on. I've found that it helps to communicate that you are scientifically literate in some way--that way the doctor will "respect" you--at least as much as they can in these days when medical "heroes" are portrayed like the damaged, egocentric doctors in "House."

Is the palatomyoclonus the ear plugging?

gershonb

Update:


The cracking noise in my ear to due to muscular problems (leaden paralysis). It's the muscles rather than the auditory nerve (tinnitus). I've got atypical depression (fatigue, constant drowsiness, overeating, irritability) and I am responding to an MAOI called moclobemide, but only partially. I am trying to get parnate or nardil or selegiline next week.

Hey. Myoclonus is spasms. You check youtube for videos of it. I'm not having spasms. When I yawn or swallow food I'd hear the cracking noise of my facial muscles/cartilage, since they're right next to my inner ear. Depression is causing widespread muscular problems for me. It's called leaden paralysis.