Expert: Harriet B Jacobster, Au.D. - 4/29/2008

Question
QUESTION: hi Harriet,
i'd just like to know some possible causes of ear swelling .I have a shed and each time i visit the room my ears start to feel full and swollen,i've looked into allergies of all sorts and also visited my doc countless times but still have no results.Now i avoid the place but after time it has left my ears a little unsettled.When i hear loudish music the ears on the inside seem to go on the defensive and feel full and swollen again.I have been told that i have a little too much wax in them both but i don't think thats the route of the problem.Its like the temporary threshold shift has been medled with kind of.
I know its sounds a little weird but i just thought i'd ask an expert..
thanks a lot

regards Lloyd

ANSWER: Hi Lloyd.  Your questions do not sound weird.  The sensation you seem to be feeling is called "aural fullness" and there are several causes.  The main cause, as you have guessed, is allergies. There seems to be something in that shed that is an irritant.  Allergies may cause your nose to get stuffy  which in turn blocks the Eustachian Tube...a tube that connects the nose to the ear and is important in maintaining normal pressure in your ears.  If this tube gets swollen or closes, you get a clogged feeling in the ears.  Has your doctor given you any allergy medication?  Many times that will help.  Also some saline spray in your nose may help, if allergies are indeed the problem.  As for the loud music, this can also cause a full feeling, but for a different reason.  Listening to anything loud for a period of time will cause a temporary hearing loss, or nerve deafness, especially in the higher frequencies (pitches).  The more often you do this, the more damage you do to your ears.  Your ears are no longer as "sharp" as they were and everything will sound muffled.
I hope this helps.

Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified Doctor of Audiology

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thankyou for your reply Harriet,
yes ive had a spray for my airways but after a month of trying this it didn't really do anything to help.My doctor said that there is no sign of swelling or an allergic reaction in my ears.It seems that my ears react more to low frequencies as a result of the time spent in the shed so i'm a little baffled.My nose isn't really what i'd call stuffy but every now and then i guess its a lttle runny but nothing compared to the hay fever that comes later on in the year so i'm still at a loose end.thanks for your time

kind regards Lloyd

ANSWER: Hi Lloyd,

Tell me please...do you have any symptoms other than this full feeling?  Do you have any roaring sounds in your ears?  Any dizziness?  Also, I'm not quite sure what you mean by your ears react more to "low frequencies."  And, may I ask what you keep in that shed?  There may be an environmental issue, such as a smell or a chemical, that is causing a reaction in your ears and may not be apparent when the doctor examines you.

Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified Doctor of Audiology

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: At present my ears have a ringing/high pitch whistle in my right ear which has always been week due to a work related issue where an extremely loud noise caught me off guard,but the ringing has only started as a result of the time in the shed and the effect it has.At present there is nothing in the shed as i've stripped it all back to the structure and have looked into whether there is something actively off gassing in the wooden frame but have come up blank.Have even looked into electro magnetic fields,the damp in the air in the shed and you're right what you say about a chemical or smell but i can't seem to find out what it is and there is nothing that is apparent or immediate.Low frequencies like bass from the speakers for example,at my sons singing night for his school my ears picked up on the speakers which only had a mild output but annoyed both of them anyway.I know it's an unusual complaint Harriet but all of this is due to the effects of how the atmosphere in the shed has effected my ears over the last two years and i'm still looking for an awnswer.Sorry to drop this one on you,i hope this helps..

kind regards Lloyd

Answer
Lloyd,
I think this one may be a little out of my expertise, but I do have some suggestions.  First, since you do have ringing, you should have your hearing evaluated by an audiologist.  Based on the test results, the audiologist can guide you in the right direction; maybe another ear doctor, or an immunologist. You can go to www.audiology.org and find a qualified one near you.  Next, even tho you cleaned the shed, there may still be some mold or even termites which give off chemical residues.  You may want to have the shed inspected, if it's worth it. Other than this, I am, unfortunately, stumped.
Hope this helps...even a little.
Good Luck.

Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified Doctor of Audiology