5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash-possibly PET?
I have had cookie-bite hearing loss my whole life, and and off and on battles with tinnitus, hyperacusis and fullness over the last 12 years--but this is all-new.
About 5 weeks ago I had a routine-ear cleaning and something went terribly wrong. Either the whole process was too loud and I experienced and ear truma (very likely) or something else occured. In any case I can no longer hear my own voice properly in my right ear--it sounds distorted and/or kazoo-like. I also have had much worse tinnitus in the ear since this began. They didn't find anything interesting by looking in the ear and my hearing pattern hasn't changed since this new traumatic event.
Have seen 2 ENTs and neither had any suggestions. I found some information online about Patulous Eustachian tube distorders and "Autophony" which I guess can be a term for what I describe (but I do not have pulsatile tinnitus, hear my own heartbeat or breathing--but my voice in the ear does seem a bit too loud now when I speak at an elevated volume).
As I'm distressed and at a dead-end, I thought I'd see if anyone had any suggestions...
Last edited by tomjonesrocks; 06-01-2010 at 11:02 AM.
Re: 5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash
Just got a notification someone replied to this old thread...
My issues eventually went away--though my right ear is slightly worse in all usual respects (tinnitus, sound sensitivity, etc) since the event. That said the kazoo thing and blockage or whatever did eventually go away after a few months--though no thanks to any doctor or treatment.
I wish I had made ear-related medicine my career. It's the easiest job in the world. For any ailment, you do a hearing test and then send the patient home with no treatment at all. I have had 4 or 5 different ailments related to my ear and not once has any doctor ever been of any help. They simply have no tools at all to help you--ever. Either it goes away after a long period of time, or it doesn't and you have the issue for life. Very discouraging.
Anyway--still no idea what exactly happened to me with this but it did resolve for the most part.
The Following User Says Thank You to tomjonesrocks For This Useful Post: KathleenAP73 (11-28-2011)
Re: 5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash
Quote:
Originally Posted by tomjonesrocks
I wish I had made ear-related medicine my career. It's the easiest job in the world. For any ailment, you do a hearing test and then send the patient home with no treatment at all. I have had 4 or 5 different ailments related to my ear and not once has any doctor ever been of any help. They simply have no tools at all to help you--ever. Either it goes away after a long period of time, or it doesn't and you have the issue for life. Very discouraging.
Glad to hear it got better for the most part. I would agree that after all these years doctors still seem "baffled" by ear issues. One of the worst is tinnutis. They all seem to just tell you to "learn to live with it" which is not really a good answer.
It kinda reminds me of a car mechanic who can't find the reason for a noise your car makes and just tells you "that must just be the way your car sounds" even when it is a new sound.
Re: 5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash
I have the Kazoo like sound after one gunshot without hearing protection. It's been almost 3 weeks and I still have the issue but it seems to be getting better. It only happens to me now with slightly louder sounds. Did your symptoms slowly reduce or did they all of a sudden disappear? I am hope in for a full recovery because this is absolutely driving me crazy.
Re: 5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrance11
I have the Kazoo like sound after one gunshot without hearing protection. It's been almost 3 weeks and I still have the issue but it seems to be getting better. It only happens to me now with slightly louder sounds. Did your symptoms slowly reduce or did they all of a sudden disappear? I am hope in for a full recovery because this is absolutely driving me crazy.
It was awful, so I feel for you. It was definitely a very slow gradual process. It was quite a long time before I had any noticeable improvement at all, and then at a snails pace months later I realized I didn't have the issue anymore. It wasn't a "bam" and fixed thing--which has been the case with any of the ear traumas/issues I have experienced. Good luck--hope you feel better soon.
Re: 5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash
Thank you for your reply. It makes me feel that there is still hope for a full recovery. Couple of questions, by chance did you lose any weight before your condition started and the distortion. I recently lost 16 lbs. in 4 weeks with diet and heavy exercise which may or may not have contributed to my problem. Would you describe the distortion as sounding like a kazoo with certain pitches and volumes. I just can't find anyone who has had an accurate diagnosis as to what the actual cause of the vibration is. With so many people experiencing this issue you would think by now there would be a name for the condition and an explanation of the actual cause of the vibration/kazoo symptom.
5 weeks plus with my speech distorted/kazoo-like after ear wash-possibly PET? 
