Do I have a hole in my ear drum? - Hearing Disorders Message Board

Bushmaster · 05-31-2003, 11:42 AM

Hello guys & gals,

My first post here... I am a pretty healthy guy who is about to join the US Army, though I have a lot of questions before meeting the MEPS medical board.

One of these questions is about my eardrums... I know that when I was a kid (around 3-4 years old) I had a middle ear infection (left) and pus had to drain forcing its way thru the eardrum. Thank God, it healed and it didn't leave any damage. Just a scar tissue. This I have to disclose to the military medical board. The question is about the right ear. When I "wide" open my mouth sometimes, I hear a quiet whoosh-like sound and sometimes a very slight sound like squeaking. This doesn't happen on the left. Interestingly, when I lay down and do this, it won't happen either Only when standing up. Here is my concern... One of my friends going thru the Air Force flight training told me that it can be a tiny perforation leaking air thru the ear drum making it squeak... I can't have a perforation in any ear before going in military, that is disqualifying. I can VALSALVA both ears just fine. During long trips, as you change altitude, going up or down a hill, my right ear can feel the pressure change. I am a former pilot and didn't have problems during my flight experience. No problems with the hearing. I thought if I blocked the air going in the ear, I shouldn't be able to hear the slight whoosh or squeak, so I used ear plugs, my finger, etc, nope even though I block the ear canal, it makes the sound. I do have a clicking right jaw joint though, could this be related to TMJ? I had this for a long time now, it is not disturbing me and thru the years I had many doctors check my ears. Recently, in March, a doctor for immigration service checked my ears and didn't tell me anything for my right ear. I can't go to a specialist right now, actually my wife won't let me... (reached insurance limit) So here is my dilemma. If this is a perforation, I will be temporarily disqualified and it will cost me 4 months before going in the Army. If it is not, I'd be spending my money on an ear specialist for nothing. Can you valsalva and have a perforation at the same time?

Thanks for the advice...

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John "Bushmaster" Yasar

"But those who hope in the LORD, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

"Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American History." Professor Oscar Handlin, Harvard Historian

zip2play · 05-31-2003, 12:18 PM

John,

I'm not sure what a VALSALVA is but I know that any GP can otoscope your ear and spot a perforation- no need for a specialist...AND his bill.

Why not just go to a GP and say your ear is making "funny noises."

Bushmaster · 05-31-2003, 12:40 PM

Hi, thanks for the reply zip2play,

When you hold your nose and blow forcibly to try to blow air up the eustachian tube into the middle ear, that is called VALSALVA, a common thing pilots do to adjust the inner ear air pressure...

Anyway, when you have hole in your ear drum, you can't adjust the pressure, because the air would escape right thru the perforation, they say...

I don't know what is a GP, is that a general physician, like a family doc?

I recently had a check in March with our family doctor since I had to get my immigration medical done. He checked the right ear, (the one making the sounds) "nothing" checked the other one, "nothing" I asked him, do you see a scar tissue on the left? He changed the head of that otoscope and checked again, "oh yea, you had a perforation, and I can see some build-up behind the eardrum, looks like all healed to me, I can't see a perforation" That was it... I think if he had seen a perforation on the right ear, he would have told me... I guess...

Thanks for the reply again...

------------------
John "Bushmaster" Yasar

"But those who hope in the LORD, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

"Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American History." Professor Oscar Handlin, Harvard Historian

zip2play · 06-01-2003, 08:21 AM

John,
I guess I knew what VALSALVA was without knowing the acronym: I've been doing it for 30 years [

]. I even have perfected the reverse "suck" so I can push and pull the eardrum like a kettledrum.

Yeah, a GP is a "general practitioner".

It would seem to me that with a hole in the eardrum there would be no need to do VALSALVA because the middle ear would ALWAYS be open to the atmospheric pressure and coundnt ever delvop a differential.\

That whooshing and squeaking is probably due to the extra pressure from the inflation forcing it's way back down the eustachian tube and thus quite normal.

[This message has been edited by zip2play (edited 06-01-2003).]

maggie jane · 06-05-2003, 03:38 PM

Just from my experience. The eardrum in my right ear is practically destroyed from many surgeries--another story...BUT...what you said about airplanes...When changing altitudes my left ear (before it had PET and was normal)--- did pop as the pressure changed---just as it should. My right ear with the totally messed up ear drum is not effected at all by the change in altitude. No popping--no nothing. I don't know if that means anything--but I would think that your ear should pop with the change in altitude.. Now, granted, the popping is eustachian tube--not ear drums--and my euastachian tube is also messed up in right ear...So, your problem could be either one..... Maggie Jane (a regular GP will be able to tell you if it is eardrum---you will need a specialist to check eustachian tube).... Try the GP first--for lots of reasons....