Ear Fluttering and Pressurization
I've had tinnitus for about six years now after shooting a gun outdoors without ear protection. Thankfully, it's fairly mild these days. I usually only notice the ringing when I'm lying in bed at night, so it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. However, over the past few years, I've noticed a couple of other symptoms that concern me.
The two most significant issues have been extreme ear pain while flying and a strange fluttering or drumming sensation in my ear.
Last summer, I flew into Anchorage. I had absolutely no issues during takeoff or while cruising at altitude, but as we began our descent, I experienced the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life. It felt like two knives were being driven directly into my ears, hitting the nerves with incredible force. The pain was so severe that I had to use every ounce of willpower not to vomit on the passenger sitting next to me.
I tried every pressure-relief technique I could think of, but nothing helped. Long story short, it was the worst pain I've ever experienced, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
After landing, I rushed to the nearest bathroom to try to collect myself. I sat down on the toilet and bent forward, hanging my head below my knees. Instantly, the pain disappeared. It felt as though there was a giant water balloon moving around inside my head. When I slowly sat back upright, the pain immediately returned. I ended up sitting in that bathroom stall with my head hanging down for as long as I could until the pain gradually subsided.
That was last year.
A few days ago, I was sitting on my couch eating dinner when I suddenly felt a deep, aggressive vibration or fluttering sensation in my right ear. It was so intense that I actually jumped and thought someone was pounding on the wall behind me. The sensation continued until I tilted my head, at which point it stopped. When I tilted my head back, it started again. I moved my head up and down a few times, and eventually it stopped completely.
The same thing happened again the following night, and then again the night after that. Given the history of severe pressure related pain while flying and these new fluttering episodes, I'm beginning to wonder if the two issues could be related. Wondering if anyone has had the same thing happened to them and what I could possibly do to help. I'm flying again this summer to Oahu and I'm of course so afraid of the pain happening again, I'm going to try the pressurization ear plugs and hopefully they will help.