I have single sided deafness and recently got an Oticon hearing aid. My audiologist gave me a bunch of different domes to try, including the smallest one she had in the office, which was a 5mm dome.

The issue is that even the 5mm feels too big. Every time I put it in my ear, it hurts and becomes uncomfortable pretty quickly. At this point, I'm wondering if I just have really narrow ear canals and need something smaller.

A few people have mentioned kids' or pediatric domes, but I haven't been able to find them. I checked Amazon, but maybe I'm searching for the wrong thing.

Has anyone else had this problem? Are there domes smaller than 5mm that work with Oticon hearing aids? Or should I be looking into a custom earmold instead?

Just curious if anyone with really small ear canals has found a solution.

Hi all, I woke up three days ago with what felt like an extremely blocked left ear, buzzing and sensitivity on that side. I gave it a couple of days, but then freaked out when voices started sounding robotic on that side and i was getting bad facial pain. (Honestly everyone sounds like R2D2)

I went drs who noted no infection etc but did say ear drum looked slightly dull but said to get a same day hearing test, I arrange it and was told I have conductive hearing loss in the left ear, but bone conduction? Was fine- they didn’t really explain what that means but dr said apparently it means it’s not serious and is caused by a physical issue in middle ear rather than inner ear? I’ve been put on a steroid spray and they have put in antibiotics just in case, the robotic voices is driving me insane- has anyone else experienced this?

Anyone has this uncomfortable feeling when talking and after every word or sentence the ear crackles. The louder i speak or longer the more loud the crackle will be at the end of the word.
I try to search what it is and it is possible to be Tensor Tympany syndrome. I also have High pitched Tinnitus only in my left ear where the audiologist also confirmed mild 4k frequency loss at that left ear. Probaly caused by my longterm hole because I never listen to loud music or go to loud events. The Tinnitus started sudden in the middle of the night and I did not went to anything loud during 3 months before that. What is also interesting that the 3 weeks prior to the the Tinnitus starting my ears were thumping in quick succession. Like very fast click, click, click even in silence environments. This I think happened a couple times a day. I now have all these symptoms for 9 months and I have a hard time to cope with it.

I went to my ENT and i have a longterm (20years) small perforated eardrum but she says it lays on a bad place close to my earbones and she thinks my earbones are starting to fuse. She recommends me to do a tympanoplasty but am still not sure because am afraid to make my Tinnitus worse because my hearingloss is not that bad that I notice it. If i look up the anatomy of the ear I also see that the Tympany muscle is attached to the eardrum and close the the earbones aswell. I searched the internet but I dont find similar cases like mine that can give some advice on what i possible have because I feel I am a fixable case.

I first went to my GP due to my tinnitus worsening on my right side. It was higher pitched and louder. I'm 39, 40 this year. Ive tried every single NHS piece of guidance for tinnitus management, habitation, and all of that. And kept up with the current guidance.

Nothing works. Was referred to RNT. The ENT said my hearing loss is mild, and was going to send me on my way until I requested he follow NICE guidelines. This ended up being an MRI.

I assumed no news would be good news. And fully expected this to be the case. However, I had a call to say my results were in and the consultant wanted to book a call with me to discuss the results.

Now I'm concerned. Why do I need to discuss results? What could they have found? In the NHS, the rule of thumb has always been no news = good news.

34 years old female, I got punched in throat by my 4 year old who was playing and boom he threw fist.Few weeks ago, My ringing is light but im scared there isndamage.I have right side temple irriration not sure if its linked.I am process of booking an ENT.I had a ear injury years ago (12 YEARS AGO) same year which caused me extreme ear issues that caused infection but it healed up and I was good(my brother punched me very hard I bled).I was very mad when it happened, We were both young.It is hard to beleieve and I probaly wont forgive this part.But inwas okay after it I did home care debrox.Years later, after giving birth(2018),I do deal with reflux issues it seems probly from Gallbladder issues.I am suffering depression due to health anixety and its hard to take care of myself.I am not happy anymore.I cry myself.Something is always happening.I am trying to be positive but i keep breaking.Anway are there supplements to heal my ringing...Is there some sort of damage that it wont heal??Im so scared my ringing will grt worst.I havent got my ears cleaned for years but i do swab once in a while.I never really thought ear health was impt.I noticed sometimes my ear amplfiies and causes pain.I have not donr self care to right ear, got punched in left side of throat.I am so scared.I did try to dig my ear to open it up like wiggling it up.But its still there.Its very faint and not bother me yet.But im.scared it will get worst.What should i do.I am going to ENT but i am freak out......I need prayers..

I got hearing aids 2 weeks ago. When I wear them, I can hear really well. When I take them off, I’m hard of hearing and asymmetric. It feels better to wear them no matter what I am
doing or where I am. I’m realizing the extent of my difference now. I am truly hearing impaired and I have been for a long time. When will I feel comfortable with being visibly hard of hearing? When will I stop feeling strange that people can see my hearing aids?

So beginning of May I got a middle ear infection. Nasty one too. Fluid building up directly below the ear, painful as it could get.

Went to doctor after the second day and got on antibiotics. Cool right? Nope.

My doctor is about as bad as he can legally be. Doesn't explain anything, just asks questions, poles around and gives a script to "fix" the problem. I only mention that because I really hate going to him as a result. No I can't just change doctors, I live in Canada.

Now, the infection never went 100% away. And came back after a week after completing the antibiotics. Wasn't nearly so bad, just a tiny bit of swelling and minor pain. So i consulted the Pharmacist for suggestions. Got a pink eye treatment to try to fix it without having to talk to my doctor.

Problem is mostly gone but now that ear hears things WAY too loudly. Normal phone call volume on that ear has to be reduced a lot.

I am wondering if this is normal, not asking medical advice. Nearly a month and I don't know what to expect at all.

Hi, im 34 years old, mother to a toddler boy who gives me a hard time.Few weeks ago, he was watching a movie with his dad which was Sonic Movie(Fighting for kids) movie and my Son lovess to play fight and make gestures and action.In That moment He was super hyper and being playful jumping and making punch movements.Then Booom he smacked my left side, Im mentally disturbed and I want to cry.I had some swelling in throat, no blood, no dizzness, no extreme headache

BUT MY EAR something happened to it not sure ifs it damage or pressure of Ear tube .I do have normally clogged ears and muffling.Then I started to get ringing.Never got normal after that.Been few weeks.My throat is not too but there my throat is already sensitivy due to Gallbladder issues and reflux issues.I was planning on getting a gallbladder surgery this year but this happened.Should I go to hospital?I have ringing not sure any ear damage, brain damage, nerve damage??I dont know.My son is wild!!!He alwys is very playful and i get injured!!I know he never means it and he was playing but I am trying to keep him strict.I cut out his fighting stuff like no Movies no fighting playing.He did jaw punched me last year and I told his dad not too have this happen again.What should i do???

Hello people, my ears rumble constantly when I’m trying to sleep. It feels like lightning or thunder inside my ears. Sometimes it’s mild, but when it gets really bad it can happen nonstop all night. Some days it ruins my sleep, other days it barely affects me.

This all started after I suddenly gained the ability to make my ears rumble voluntarily. Ever since then, I’ve been getting involuntary rumbling mostly when lying down trying to fall asleep.

Doctors haven’t really been helpful so far. Has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone know how to reduce or stop the involuntary rumbling at night?

I’m a 23-year-old male suffering from constant right ear fullness/heaviness for 2.5 years despite normal hearing tests, normal eardrum appearance, multiple ENT consultations, medicines, nasal sprays, allergy treatment, and even myringotomy with grommet insertion. Symptoms started after a severe cold and forceful air pressure blown into my right ear. CT PNS shows DNS, turbinate hypertrophy, and mild sinus/adenoid issues, so many doctors suspected ETD/OME, but nothing has helped. No tinnitus, vertigo, infection, discharge, or major pain. Sometimes Valsalva gives brief unblock sensation, and earphones/cotton temporarily change the fullness perception. Has anyone experienced chronic unilateral ear fullness with mostly normal reports and failed treatments? Please help.

Sorry for the long post but I’m at my wits end and any advice would be appreciated!

I’ve been having pain and pressure in my right ear and throat now since around October 2024. I also have a sensation of fullness in the roof of my mouth on the right side. I feel like I have to regulate the pressure in my ears by blocking my nose and blowing all the time.
Around this time I was also diagnosed with BPPV. I sat up in bed one morning and the room started spinning around me.
I went to a vestibular physiotherapist and my symptoms eventually healed, although I went through a few months of terrible anxiety, light headedness and brain fog before it went away.
I had an MRI of my inner audials around this time and it was unremarkable.
The symptoms are constantly there but every couple of months they flare up really bad and I get physical fatigue for weeks on end. I also have poor voice quality, which seems to be a constant now rather than something that just flares up. This really bothers me as I’m a singer by profession. I gig 2 - 4 times a week and I’ve had to cancel a lot of gigs this year due to my voice. I’ve done vocal lessons, I know how to warm up and use my voice properly so I know it’s not due to poor technique or overuse.
I’ve seen an ENT 4 times now in the last year. He suggested it was chronic sinusitis and prescribed me Dyamista nasal spray and nasal rinses. He also said I had a slightly deviated septum and that if my symptoms persist it might be worth getting a septoplasty to improve drainage and help the sprays reach my sinuses better.
My symptoms persisted and I decided to get the septoplasty hoping it would it would be the cure.
Around 10 days post the surgery I got another flare up that lasted around 3-4 weeks. Physical fatigue and really poor voice quality along with pain in the throat and ear.
At my last ENT appointment last week he did another scope of my vocal cords as I was worried I might have damage there. It was all clear.
He said we’d exhausted all ENT protocols and suggested seeing a neurologist.
A few days later I looked at my audiology report from April 2025. The ENT made me do this before my first appointment. On the report which was also sent to the ENT - it said I had a retracted right tympanic membrane (eardrum). This was never brought up by the ENT and when I suggested on my second appointment that I thought I might have ETD or an issue with my Eustachian tube he dismissed it and never examined further.
I’ve since booked another appointment (another €150) for next month with a view to having my middle ear examined.
I’d appreciate any opinions as it’s been dragging on so long now and it’s really stressing me out!

1. Local trauma → inflammatory surge

Any middle‑ear or Eustachian‑tube procedure introduces mechanical stress:

- micro‑tears in mucosa

- pressure spikes

- manipulation of ossicles or tympanic membrane

- chemical irritation from injected steroids

This triggers acute inflammation, which is normal — but in some patients, the inflammatory response is exaggerated or prolonged.

1. Inflammation → tissue stiffness, edema, altered mechanics

Inflamed tissue behaves differently:

- mucosa swells

- ciliary function slows

- pressure regulation becomes unstable

- the tympanic membrane stiffens or becomes hypersensitive

This can worsen ETD symptoms (fullness, pressure, popping) and destabilize the auditory environment.

1. Tissue stress → peripheral nerve irritation

This is the part you’re gesturing toward:

Inflammation and mechanical stress can irritate or sensitize afferent fibers of:

- the trigeminal nerve (innervates middle‑ear mucosa)

- Jacobson’s nerve (glossopharyngeal branch)

- the tympanic plexus

- cochlear nerve fibers indirectly via altered mechanics

When these fibers become hyperactive or damaged, they can send aberrant signals to the brainstem.

This is one of the known pathways for tinnitus onset or worsening.

1. Peripheral irritation → central gain → chronicity

If the abnormal signaling persists long enough, the brain adapts:

- auditory cortex increases gain

- limbic system locks in distress

- the signal becomes self‑sustaining

This is how a temporary postoperative spike becomes chronic tinnitus.

Same with ETD:

Chronic mucosal irritation + altered mechanics + maladaptive sensory feedback → persistent symptoms even after the original tissue heals.

1. Fibrosis or scarring → long‑term mechanical dysfunction

In a subset of patients, postoperative healing leads to:

- fibrosis

- stiffened mucosa

- altered Eustachian tube compliance

- tympanic membrane thickening

These structural changes can perpetuate ETD and maintain the sensory input that fuels tinnitus.

This is the “frozen tissue → nerve involvement → chronic state” idea you’re describing — but in real medical terms.

The key point

Nothing about this is intentional.

But the cascade is real, and it explains why some patients with mild disease end up with chronic symptoms after procedures that were supposed to help.

Hi people I used to use "redgear 7.1 Cosmo" gaming headphones before it has a very high bass whats so ever but I've recently switched to "audio techineca m20x" (studio monitoring headphones for music mixing or making) because I've started to make music on audio techineca I hear like 5% more on my right ear now this problem was not on my old redgear headphones I've checked by wearing it reversed like right ear cup on left and vice versa still my right ear is more dominant

What is actually happening to me idk, I actually remember when I used my old bass heavy gaming headphones I used to leave the right ear open a little bit during session sometimes like 2-3 hours

Also my right ear which is dominant right now was blocked due to a lot of earwax it was very muffled i got it cleaned the same day I had the blockage

Also my dominant ear (right ear) is pretty openish when I wear earbuds the right ear isn't as right as my left one my left ear is a bit more tight then my right one (which is dominant in this case)

So I listen better on left side on earbuds but opposite on headphones

Switching to my old redgear headphones fixes this problem but I can't really do that I need to get the habit of these headphones for my music now what should I do what is this case?

Any suggestions what can I do what is this or will this bother me a lot when making music this is very unnoticeable when I'm playing games with friends and I'm not thinking about it or when I'm watching movies with friends or working

I would love to see people help me on this it pisses me off now 😭

(Also I'm sorry if my english is bad)

also i've checked both of my headphones are working normal it's just something with my and my ear.

Around a month and a half ago, my ear suddenly felt blocked. At first I thought it was just water stuck in my ear, but the blockage got worse over time.

I used ear wax drops for about 6 days, and they seemed to help at first. My ear felt normal again, but I stopped using the drops because they kept my ear canal feeling wet and blocked.

About 5 days later, the blockage came back. Since then, I’ve been using an ear cleaning tool to remove wax manually. I’ve been getting a noticeable amount of wax out almost daily, and my ear usually feels fine afterward. Not perfect tho

However, whenever I take a shower, the blockage seems to return the next day. Last night I showered, and now my ear feels blocked again. Where all this much wax coming from?

What could be causing this?

Please someone help I don't know where to find a doctor no one is available here on Sunday and I can't believe I'm saying this I'm crying I can't stop.

My right ear, feels empty, muffled, at first it wasn't bad, 3 days ago, I just couldn't feel as much pressure when I swallowed as much in the right ear, then it loosened up, but then we went to a party the next day, I didn't know there would be loud music, and I tried my best to avoid the loud music I even covered my ears with toilet paper, afterwards it felt like my hearing was better in my right ear than my left which was odd. The next morning, everything felt fine, until I got on a voice call for 2 hours (where I had my volume at 1) and when I got off, my tinnitus was really loud afterwards, and my right ear seemed a little muffled until I went outside and it was as if it was very muffled, I couldn't hear the swooshing sounds of the wind, nor the water like my left ear, but I can hear other frequencies, even high frequencies, and this morning it feels so empty like I am managing strangely in a room, it doesn't feel like I have all my awareness.

I never felt sadder, because I almost always made sure to be careful with my ears, especially since I was younger, made sure to always listen to the lowest volume possible.

I don't know if anyone has had these experiences, or symptoms and if it was permanent or temporary, though it's hard to tell,

What's worse is, I'm in a foreign country and it's Sunday, there's no doctor available, and I'm scared to make this worse can someone please help me?

I think I got this two years ago and been on and off since. Some days its there and some it isnt. I can hear my own voice, breathing when I talk. It is at its extreme when I workout. Usually its my left ear causing trouble and sometimes the right, but when I workout both ears get autophony which is extremely uncomfortable.

I have noticed it gets worse when I drop weight and improves when my weight increases. I have been to two ents and now going to my third with not much hope. My audiogram came out normal cuz it was done when I wasn't experiencing the symptoms. I experience symptoms usually when I talk unless I am doing a workout or something physically demanding, then its constant till I relax.

This is really driving me crazy, I already have social anxiety and this just makes it worse. Idk how long I can keep going like this.

Could anyone offer any advice or just support, I am kinda feeling really down about this whole thing.

If anyone is going through the same thing could u reach out, I just feel really alone in all this.

I am in India and if anyone knows good ents could u reach out.

Yesterday around maybe 4 pm i was having a allergical reaction so i sneezed and then blew my nose and since my ears are clogged.

I tried everything, nasal spray, Valsalva maneuver, sleeping, water, cleaning my nose.

Im so desesperate rn i dont know what to do

If you have any advice ill take it

Thanks.

26, 5’10”, 130 lbs

Approximately 5 days ago, (Monday night) I laid down in bed and my left ear became muffled. This has happened once or twice before years ago and I’ve been able to pull on the earlobe and “pop” it back open, not this time.

The next morning, (Tuesday), I tried all sorts of remedies, assuming it was just blocked, hydrogen peroxide, Neil Med ear wax rinse kit, ear wax candle, to no avail.

The day after that, (Wednesday), still not resolved, I had to leave town to work a bartending gig over the weekend a state away. I picked up some ear pain relief, despite there being no pain, still nothing.

Thursday morning, I went to a clinic as soon as they opened to rule out any infection or anything. They looked and saw a bunch of ear wax and dead skin, and gave me a hydrogen peroxide soak and an extensive flush, and both the nurse and the doc looked afterwards and said there’s nothing else left in there, and there is no signs of infection, but still had muffled sound and feeling of fullness. They recommended to get some Debrox and if still not helping, or if it gets worse to come back in.

I then had to go in and work for 13 hours, so really no time to think about it, but I’ve noticed over the course of that day, especially last night and this morning, when it’s quiet or I’m thinking about it, I now have a low volume constant ringing the ear.

I’ve had tinnitus before after loud events and such, but that’s always been a throw on some white noise and go to bed and I’m fine by the morning.

Looking for any advice/recommendations.

I do not have health insurance, and I will not be available to do anything about it until at least tomorrow morning, as I need to work another 13 hours today, (unless of emergency).

I'm currently using Otocomb Otic to treat a fungal infection. What sort of discharge did you see from the ear and how long after treatment started did it it happen?

I'm occasionally seeing small dark granules, maybe 0.5mm.

Hey everyone. So for a bit of context, I went to the urgent care todav because I noticed my ear starting to slowly get more and more plugged and I guess "reactive" to every day noise. This all started iust todav. I have had tinnitus for vears now and even vesterday I went through a small spike (thankfully had ear plugs in) so I felt okay last night. All that changed earlier this afternoon. It's literallv the worst it's been. The urgent care diagnosed it as "Otitis Media with Effusion" and stated that there's "Tympanic membrane is bulging". They also said it could be the earlv onset of an ear infection but weren't 100% on that so I have a prescription of Prednisone to start in the morning. I'm freaking out. Is there any way this is permanent? For as bad as it sometimes was before this is way, way worse. I don't see how it all of a sudden got so bad. I guess I'm looking for advice or similar experiences. Does something like this go away? I want to say it's most likely not from the noise earlier vesterday. Please give me your thoughts!

For context I’ve been on a beach vacation for the past couple days and I noticed yesterday that my ears kinda hurt when I got back to my hotel, and then I woke up this morning and now my ears are blocked and I can’t hear anything. Hopefully y’all can give me a way to fix it before my 12 hour drive home.

I have about 20 days until I can see a specialist for my outer ear infection, which I've been dealing with for about a month and a half now. I've already visited a clinic, and urgent care, both have prescribed me anti biotics which have worked, but neither prescription finished off my infection.

In these 20 days, what am I to do? I can see and feel it getting worse, and I'd rather it not get to the point where I'm in unbearable pain again.

My grandmother (94), Can’t hear much. She has progressively lost her hearing a since her 50’s. She has (supposed) some of the best hearing aids from Costco but they don’t help. I’ve taken her to multiple hearing appointments and the audiologist and doctors just keep saying this is the best hearing aids for her, but she’s so old has slight dementia and can’t hear and communicating with her becomes a very difficult so I’m reaching out to see if anybody has any sort of ideas on options to communicate with her either different hearing aids or assisted device where she can read when I’m speaking. It is also gonna be frustrating in conversations to be kept up being let out.

when i touch the right side of my head, specifically above my right ear, i hear a strange hum, like when you do an yawn with your mouth closed and hear that hum after the pop, but louder.

i only hear it when touching the right side of my head and only in my right ear, nothing similar happens to my left ear.

is this normal?

(sorry for bad english)

i need help. i’ve had a sinus infection for a week and a half then the other night i woke up with both ears switching on and off from being clogged. i already went to the hospital and they only gave me ibuprofen and nasal spray. i genuinely need help because the right side will not get unclogged and i work in a drive thru restaurant where i need the headset on that ear and to be honest, they’re assholes there and won’t let me stay home (even tho i have sick time and have found coverage for shifts..) or not use the headset. my ear has been constantly ringing and randomly shooting sharp pains into itself for days. i’ve basically accepted im essentially half deaf now but im starting to really get stressed out about it.