Hearing & Tinnitus Headlines

I recently got a question from the site that may be helpful to share.

Question

I had a week long cough last winter, and when the cough ended I noticed my left ear seemed closed. A friend of mine had a similar experience at the same time, his ear closed, but it soon opened. Mine has not. And, it seems my right ear is going in the same direction. I can hold a phone to either ear and hear OK, but the hearing is not normal. Right now I am sensing what seems like a lack of balance, something I am attributing to my ears. I should also mention that often, while swallowing, my ears make a sound like they want to break open, and they do slightly, but not completely. What is a going on?

Dr. Jenkins Answer

Have your doctor, ENT or audiologist check you for Eustachian tube dysfunction. It’s the part of the ear system that opens and closes when you go up to the mountains or on an airplane. Irritations such as allergies, colds and the like may be plugging it up more than usual.

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Dr.Jenkins is a featured tinnitus and hearing loss expert for the Better Hearing Institute.  She has been hand selected among few professionals across the country to author the Better Hearing Blog for the Better Hearing Institute.

The Better Hearing Institute (BHI), founded in 1973, is the largest independent, not-for-profit corporation that educates the public about hearing loss, tinnitus and methods of treatment.

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Getting to sleep when you have tinnitus can be trying to say the least.  If your having difficulty I’ve posted some hints at the blog www.betterhearing.org/blog.  If you have specific questions or can help others with things that have helped you, post them here.  Sleep deprivation can cause stress, and stress causes tinnitus.  Lets break the cycle if we can!

Can medication cause tinnitus?

Just this week I had two patients who’s tinnitus was greatly improved or completely gone after they discontinued the use of medications or drugs they were on.  If you have questions about medicine and tinnitus or have a story to share about this, please let us know to help others.

Dr. Jenkins was recently appointed to serve on the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Colorado. This was an extensive process, and is limited to one audiologist every four years. If you have any questions that you would like addressed regarding state-wide issues, please contact Dr. Jenkins by commenting to this post or through the tab at the top of the page.

Here, you can ask Dr. Jenkins a question or any thoughts you have on hearing issues and her work.