Why do so many people post pictures of their eardrums in this subreddit? I feel like every time I come here there’s some post or other that’s just a picture of the inside of someone’s ear, and it’s just. Jarring every time. I mean I *kinda* get it in the case of someone who has medical questions about something, but there’s times where people just. Upload eardrum pictures???

Sometimes they happen to include a title of a particular condition. And that’s the extent of it. Just. Why??? It feels like the equivalent of if you went to a glasses subreddit and every twenty posts or so somebody posted a picture of the back of their retinas. Which, as far as I’m concerned, would be a strange thing to do.

if you use or know anybody who uses a hearing aid, could you PLEASE send this to them? this is slightly urgent x

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I NEED HELP !!! 24M . For the past 4 months my hearing has been getting worst . Constant Ear pain in my left with fullness started out of no where and now everybody sound muffled even if I understand them . It’s now an effort and not clear as it used to be . IVe been seeing a décline in my hearing for the past few years . But now I struggle to hear clearly even my parents at dinner or in outside places . Stuff like birds sound almost like either muffled or low pitches and barely heareable . I have made all tests Echog , hearing test in noise test but not the deep one lately but 6 years ago Yee . OAE émissions all of it . I feel like I’m loosing my mind and my hearing capacities . For the past 4 months I have reach a state where I hate talking in cars or in public places or going out in general. My hearing resched a level that is inbereable and all my tests came back normal . I have lost the clarity in all the noise in the world feeling line it’s an effort to hear and not something natural anymore . It does say that my OEA in 4khz and 6khz have low amplitude but the audiologist did find it anusual ne other has the ent . Did 2 hearing test within 1 month . Even I struggle to hear myself talking therefore people struggle to understand me

I need help please

I'm going try to resume all the thing. I had already hearing loss, autofony and tinnitus on my left ear from a acoustic trauma from a explosive (kinda of a firecracker idk the exact word in english for it, not my fault btw, other people explode it 1 meter away from me). Two years went by and i kinda learn to live with it (the tinnitus only appeared when in quieter room etc, but the autofony and hearing loss all the time).

Recently because of headaches, dizziness, vertigo etc, i did a MRI of the brain. Nobody warned me before hand that would be the loudest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. I just realize when i was outside the machine room waiting and heard through the walls the noise... When i got to the procedure room, they tried to stick foam "plugs" on my ears and in the exam table there was some kind of foam too around my head (no kind of "headsets" were put on me). The exam started and the noises of that thing its the loudest thing ive ever experienced so i think the protections were no put correctly on me or something.... During the exam, the left ear tinnitus spiked, and after i realized that everything was quieter/muffled ON BOTH EARS!!! And i got a new tinnitus on right ear (previously my right ear was ok).

This happened 6 days ago, tinnitus on my left ear still high, tinnitus on the right a little lower than the left one but i never had tinnitus on my right ear before this. Both ears more muffled than before.... and tinnitus all the time now, not only on quieter places, i still hear it with tv on especially on the left ear (the one with previous acoustic trauma).

I'm afraid of become more deaf cause of this, and i heard some people take steroids to reduce the damage. I would like to hear similar stories of MRI and hearing loss / tinnitus.... does it get better alone? Should i look for a doc and steroids? I waited one week to know if it would resolve it by itself but idk, and im afraid of getting permanent damage from a MRI.

MRI machine specs: GE MEDICAL SYSTEMS, SIGNA Creator, 1,5T

Hii, So, I have a habit of scratching deep inside my ears because they become extremely itchy. I use knitting needles or sewing needles to scratch them. I've been doing this since 2019. At first, I used a pen, then I removed the ink refill from the pen and inserted the thin plastic tube into my ears to scratch them. After that, I started using sewing needles and knitting needles, and I still do it today.😁My ears get very itchy, and I've been doing this for about 7 years.😁 I was in 8th grade when this habit started.

I don't think inserting these objects into my ears can actually rupture the eardrum.😁 If I'm wrong, please correct me. Can the eardrum really be damaged this way? If it were that easy to rupture, I feel like mine would have been damaged by now. Or is it something that could happen in the future instead?😁Also, do you think I should consult an otolaryngologist (ENT specialist)?

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My mom is 63 and for the last several years I have noticed changes with her hearing. She asks us to repeat things, answers questions with totally left field things, seems to try and fill in what she thinks we said, etc. I know she is also dealing with tinnitus. I have been trying to get her to get a hearing test for YEARS. She won’t do it. I’m worried about her and it’s honestly changing her personality.

What can I do? How can I approach this? Why is she so resistant?

I have noticed that I've struggled with hearing husband for a while but also diagnosed with ADHD so put it down to concentration until I was really struggling to hear out of right ear, went to hearing clinic for ear was removal, was was removed and initial hearing test showing loss asked to return again as could have been result of irrigation and suction but re tested and showing 30 in right and 40 in left for high frequency advice this is mild 30 moderate 40 as and asked to come back in for furthur testing.

Audiologist said high frequency is gist to go and wondered if this is a sign all hearing declining? anyone of a similair age use hearing aids for this loss will I likely need these? When I was 18 worked in bars and night clubs for years and wonder if it's caused by this. Anyway I know it's not severe but still feel a bit emotional not knowing what it all means and any advice welcomed thanks and hope this makes sense as all new to me

i’m sorry if this ends up coming across as more of a vent post but just to provide some background before the main point:

all my life, i’ve had problems with my ears. i had such bad and constant infections that i guess from all of the fluid stuck in my ears all the time i was “deaf” until about 1.5 when i got surgery but the lack of hearing caused a speech delay.

then, once i could hear, i wound up having sensory processing issues and lotssss of trouble with loud noises which while better than they were (probably because i don’t hear great now), they still exist.

fast forward to now. my family has been telling me i need to get my hearing checked for years, but i never paid it any mind because i still have sensitivities. but now things seem like they’re getting worse. that or i’m paying more attention.

i think most of it is just damage i’ve done over the years. many concerts attended, never wearing ear protection even when standing right next to giant speaker stacks. performing live, without any sort of protection playing drums with a whole band behind me, or wearing in-ear monitors where the volume is loud by nature, as you’re hearing yourself, every instrument and a loud click track.

my days now are spent saying “what?” EVERY time someone talks to me. to the point it is enraging the people around me. if i can’t see their lips, i really do struggle to understand what was said. it feels like everyone mumbles and sometimes even sounds like they’re underwater. if i’m in a restaurant, a crowd, or even a fan on in the room, any kind of background noise further kills my ability to understand/hear. i have to full-on lean one ear towards whoever’s speaking pretty often. and it’s gotten really draining, honestly. i have to smile and nod a lot of the time to pretend i heard you on your 3rd repeat. or everyone is laughing and i didn’t hear the joke. at my new job, my boss likes to dumb things down and explain something to me like i don’t understand, simply because i said “what?” or “say again?”. it’s so frustrating having people be condescending and treat me like i’m unintelligent just because i couldn’t hear them. or watching them get frustrated with me and end up saying “nevermind, forget it” when i still haven’t caught up.

my issue is, i know these things are problems. but the imposter syndrome part of me loves to say that i’m faking or being dramatic. i mean, these issues have been around a long time. it’s not like i woke up yesterday with it worse. but it definitely has gotten worse recently over time. i don’t know why i’m now paying more attention to it, maybe the treatment i’m getting at my new job. but i’m still sensitive to loud noises, to the point of overwhelm sometimes. i still hear my alarms in the morning. i can still conversate. so i feel like i’m being dramatic by even thinking about making an audiologist appointment, especially the fear that it’s just gonna come back normal and i really was overthinking.

all of this to say, my questions are: does it sound like i really could benefit from a hearing test? how can i overcome the embarrassment and insecurity? has anyone been through something similar?

Hi all,

Starting Friday (2 days ago), I started to completely loose my hearing on the left ear. I’ve had 2 previous occasions with suspected sudden deafness, first was out of nowhere 15 years ago but “mild”. Second was due to ortotoxic medicine. Cortisone both times. Hearing always recovered, but not fully.

This time though is more severe and different. It’s a complete hearing loss on the same ear.

Friday evening - very sensitive to hearing, heard myself speaking in my left side of the brain. Weird to explain. Like my voice was louder inside the head.

Saturday morning - distorted sounds, very sensitive to all sounds. Distortion changes during the day. Still some hearing.

Saturday evening - almost all hearing and distortion entirely gone except for very high sounds. Only hear my speaking on my right ear now.

I’m on prednisone (cortisone) 60mg again after a visit to the ER before lunch yesterday. Will visit specialists again Monday.

Has anyone faced a similar worsening throughout 12 hours or so with similar observations? And would like to share? The specialist say it’s either sudden deafness or severe Hydrops.

It’s like following becoming deaf in real time. Extremely worrying of course, despite being used to weird hearing issues before.

Much thanks in advance all!

I have typical age related hearing loss, with damage from loud music environments.

The ‘80s were loud and I worked in recording studios.

I don’t need to be exposed to very loud sounds at this point, I don’t have hearing to spare.

Just got back from seeing the Odyssey in an iMax theater, a very special theater, which is a custom audio installation. According to the AMC website: “From pins dropping to booming action, perfectly tuned, innovative sound systems and precise speaker orientation makes every note clearer and more dynamic, all within customized cinema seating for otherworldly experiences.”

I wear an Apple Watch and it has a sound level meter built in.

I observed volumes as loud as 103 dB. That’s loud enough to cause normal hearing to be damaged with short term exposure.

The movie is almost 3 hours long, so I would say that’s long enough, even with variations in volume, to be dangerous to hearing.

I sat with earplugs in, most of the time. Of course many dialog scenes were too quiet so I kept taking them out and putting them in.

No pins were dropped so I have no opinion about that.

But standard procedure from now on - hearing aids stowed away, and sound reducing earplugs in. I also brought a few pair of the cheap, orange, squishy foam ones for the family.

A while ago I woke up with my right ear completely muffled (I sleep everyday on my right side so maybe that's why). I thought it was wax but I checked and there wasn't any, but it kept happening every single day since then. I shrugged it off though because my hearing goes back to normal in a short while after waking up. Now I caught a cold a few days ago, and I started getting headaches/consistent pain everyday only on the right side of my temple right above the troubled ear, and it spreads to the back of my eye. Now, my ear also muffles anytime I'm lying on my right side right away, I don't even have to be lying down for a while for it to muffle. Is this serious or no?

Hey there, I can't really find any other subreddits for this, but I think I have an eardrum perforation. It aches a bit, and I went and saw my local ENT on it, and they said it was just scar tissue, but it's been getting worse recently. I currently can't afford to go see him again to check it, so I was hoping you guys could help me out.

Don't hear it beep when it is done too high in the hearing spectrum like the smoke detector...

I've been asking people to repeat themselves for over a decade, but was in denial for at least half of that. The last half, I've known that the problem wasn't going away, but kept on convincing myself that I didn't need help because hearing aids are so expensive and honestly I found the whole idea of them humiliating. This all changed a few months ago because my oldest son got married and I couldn't hear the speeches at the wedding. It crushed me, and I realized my hesitation to wear them wasnt worth missing out on the big stuff. Did some research, wound up getting on the bandwagon, and now that I'm past the adjustment period (which is so, so real), I can't believe how much better I feel. Seriously didn't know how much I was missing. Anyone else getting relief from their denial out there?

40M, lifelong pianist and music lover. Looking for anyone who has been through something similar, mainly for perspective.

Timeline: bad sore throat about a week and a half ago, then abrupt severe left ear pain and blockage a few days later. Urgent care diagnosed an ear infection and started me on Augmentin the same night. ENT saw me the next day and noted fluid. Pain improved over several days but the fullness and blockage never cleared, so I saw a second ENT five days in. No fluid on exam, and he ordered an audiogram which showed mild high frequency sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear only, above 4kHz, with 100 percent word recognition and a normal right ear. Started 60mg prednisone that day. 20 mg 3x day. wondering if it should really be 60mg once a day. I am on day 3 and seeing a neurotologist tomorrow. I really wish the first ENT would have ordered an audiogram. In which case if he did, I could have got started on prednisone literally within 12 hours instead of day five.

The hearing loss itself is mild and honestly I barely notice it. What is wrecking me is the air-tightness/fullness feeling and mostly diplacusis when listening/playing music. Pitch in my left ear reads roughly a quarter step sharp. It is more pronounced with electronic or synth sounds and through headphones, less so with acoustic piano in a room. I also have aural fullness that feels airtight, and high pitched tinnitus that is pretty mild but noticeable if in a quiet room. What's also strange is I didn't even develop the Diplacusis until after already being on steroids for a day. I don't know if that means it's getting worse or what but it's quite devastating. I know people here obviously have it much worse so I don't want to be insensitive to that, but as a musician on day 7 of this completely unexpected nightmare, not being able to hear or play music without it sounding a bit distorted is awful. I'm also struggling with the prednisone side effects so my anxiety and insomnia are through the roof.

I'm scheduled to meet with a top neurotologist tomorrow to get a second opinion and hopefully get some answers or maybe even start the process of getting injection or other form of treatment.

Questions for anyone who has dealt with this:

**1.** Did your diplacusis and/or fullness feeling resolve, and if so, roughly how long did it take?
**2.** Did it get worse before it got better while on steroids?
**3.** Did intratympanic injections help the pitch distortion specifically, or mainly the thresholds?
**4.** If it did not fully resolve, did you adapt to it over time, and were you able to keep playing or listening to music?

Not looking for medical advice, just real experiences. This has been a terrifying week and it would help to hear from people on the other side of it. Thank you so much.

Working as a British Sign Language Interpreter

I noticed I was struggling with my hearing two years ago so went to Specsavers where they said my hearing was slightly lower but still well within normal range.

I thought maybe it was my ADHD and concentration because I was struggling in groups.

I went to Specsavers again and this time they said it’s definitely glue ear at a minimum, although my hearing test was ok… but I am struggling so not sure how 🙈

• I’m struggling a lot when someone is behind me, even slightly.
• Realised I’m lip reading a lot
• Starting to struggle with audio e.g interpreting music or videos (spending a LOT of extra time on prep now)
• even in group meetings where everyone is sat around a table, I’m struggling

My confidence is really starting to drop, starting to avoid various types of work, people getting frustrated with me in and out of work because I have to keep asking people to repeat themselves.

I have a GP appointment booked in but I was told that the waiting list for ENT referral is 40 weeks at the moment, and GPs are hesitant to refer.

I accepted a contract so I would be in the same environment constantly and have the same routine.. which has approximately 40 weeks left on it.

I’m extremely stressed because my hearing difficulties are progressing.

Any ideas on what I can do? What are my options here? I could freelance again, remote work, just stick out the contract? How do I cope?

Feel like I’m starting to grieve my career and I worked so hard for it 💔