When I swallow, both my ETs clunk, sometimes loudly, sometimes a small bit: CLUNK, or click. Ongoing since treatment started with ear lavage in 2017, that pretty much fried my tubes.

Diagnosis was by magic: no testing done at all. And this guy is an otologist at a major teaching hospital. No scope; no MRI; no x-ray; no nothing. He used the huge microscope with the camera attached to look into the ear as he does every time I see him. This will change. He will order an MRI and he will do whatever test required even the nose camera which I had done once a very long time ago and it totally freaked me out. I don't know how I'm going to handle that emotionally.

Hearing has not fully returned and I doubt it will. Audiologist report was not good. My left ear used to be better than my right, now it's much worse but I can't read that graph and the audiologist was the worst, I mean it's hard to imagine that girl is actually licensed in NY State to do this. Zero discussion about results: ZERO explanation of anything. Horrible. I'm probably going to have to do it again soon but aside from people who sell hearing aids, there doesn't seem to be another audiologist around here. There's one at the hospital of course but getting there and back is expensive if I hire a car and right now I can't drive myself, my anxiety levels are too high.

Upper register: highest pitch sounds. I have a smart TV, Sony Bravia, and when I move the icon from app to app it makes a high pitched "bink". I hear that much better in my right ear which was the "bad" ear. Dr. says hearing will improve over time but so far it has only a bit.

I think the valsalva caused it. BUT: I had been taking 10mg of Prozac for one week and that is an ototoxic drug, unknown to me of course. I've read that medication caused ear problems clear up when you stop the med. The hearing has improved but it's not gone back to normal.

I'm not using the nasal spray. First: I read that patulous (sic) ETD is worsened by it, and since I don't have a real diagnosis I'm not taking a chance. Additionally, I have dry eye and it's very disruptive of my life because it interferes with clear sight especially during this godawful summer. That nasal spray is known to worsen dry eye. I stopped using it after two days.

I'm seeing him again in two weeks. Meanwhile, I'm going to look for another ENT, there's a good hospital across the river, I'm going to look at their ENT dept. If this guy doesn't order tests, I'll find one that will.

Thanks.