ears ringing. almost deaf in left ear

[Sexybare]

My ns says its not chiari related. I beg to differ. Its juat a coincidence that other chiarians have similar issues? Ive had 2 drs check my ears and they say they look great. Than why the frequent ringing and im dang near deaf in my left ear. I can only hear in it occasionally when it pops. Someone help me to understand this please

[selmaS]

  As I mentioned b4 u have to look at meds u r on as they can contribute to this problem...my ringing and buzzing went away post op, but slowly returned. I was also taking meds where the side effect of tinnitus is possible.

Even taking NSAIDS like Tylenol can cause it...so do look at meds as a possible link as well as chiari, EDS...a syrinx...

   "selma"

  

[actressmouse]

This is my most concerning symptom...besides the constant headaches.  Tinnitus and hearing loss ARE related to CM...my TCI NS referred me to an article by Sperling et.al. done back in 1998 or so that discussed the link between the two.  I've been to an ENT and a Neuro Otologist who both think it's not related; however, they cannot diagnose me with anything else.  I now have a hearing aide in my left ear (which helps a lot) but I am continuing to lose hearing. The popping in your ears may be your eustatian tube opening and closing...mine does all the time...in fact, I suffer from eustatian tube dysfunction so my eardrums are normally "sucked in" indicated negative pressure behind them.   I was also dx with Degenerative Disc Disease C spine through lumbar spine, with the most problematic area being in the Thoracic spine.  Do you have Ehler Danlos?  There is also a link between Ehler Danlos, CM, and hearing loss.  Tinnitus was actually my earliest symptom; I've had it since my early 20s.  Perhaps a hearing aide might help you too, it's helped me function better over all.  My TCI doc says that I will need surgery and that, possibly, this may slow the hearing loss as well.  However, no guarantees.  It may be a good idea to get a really good hearing eval to see if you have a sensorineural hearing loss or a conductive hearing loss.  Conductive loss can be reversed, whereas sensorineural loss cannot.  Good luck and hang in there...it is possible to learn to ignore the ringing, but it takes practice and patience with yourself.

[rod44]

Degenerative Disk Disease is common in CM but I don't know if this could be causing problems in the thoracic spine as this area is not very mobile because of the ribs attached to vertebra but a full spinal should be done. Sounds like you could do with a new NS

[Sexybare]

Also my ns never did a mri of my whole spine. Pt told me i have something wrong in t5 area and my pelvic area is off. I knew somethings wrong because i have slight scoliosis and my lower back hurts now since my surgery?

[rod44]

If your NS is dismissing it by saying it is not CM related then yes it would be best to get an ENT opinion to find out what is behind this. These are all symptoms and not diseases on their own so you will need to find out what is causing problems if it is not CM related.
Vertigo was the first symptom I had that caused me to see a doctor and was eventually lead to a DX of CM, I was seen by an ENT who first thought I had Meniere's Disease then he thought I had Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Eventually I had an MRI after having all kinds of other testing for ENT problems and they found I had CM along with another Malformation in my Cervical thoracic spine. It was like a process of elimination.

[Sexybare]

Yes i have dizziness and vertigo. Something ive been dealing with before and after surgery. Do i need to see a ent for this?

[rod44]

I have Tinnitus along with 25% hearing loss in my right ear, I don't think doctors know much about CM but they know FA about it's symptoms IMO lol..

What you describe (ears ringing) sounds like Tinnitus. You may need to have your hearing tested (not just a quick look) to rule out other problems.
Tinnitus is a common symptom in many diseases. It can also be a side effect of some medications like aspirin and some antidepressants and antianxiety drugs.
Tinnitus can be caused by a problem in the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear,or by abnormalities in the brain so yes it can be a Chiari symptom, Do you have dizziness/vertigo?.

Unfortunately treating Tinnitus is difficult. Background music at night when trying to sleep I find helps, white noise such as ocean waves, crickets chirping at night, and the soothing sound of rain fall can help as well.

Ray :)