I'll try not to make this very long, but I am looking for some help. I'm a 24 year old audio engineer, I work with music and audio in the entertainment industry for a living. About a year ago, I noticed I started getting a slight sensitivity and echo in my right ear. After a few weeks of it not going away, I went to the doctor and he recommended to see an ENT in that it might be ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction).
We tried anti-biotics, steroids, diuretics... None of that worked. He thought it would be fluid in my ear or a build up pressure. I told him I was also getting a feeling of "fullness" or "pressure." Basically, I'd be able to hear fine for the most part, but if I was driving up a hill my ears would rapidly adjust to the pressure. If I open my jaw, I can "hear" myself and hear air passing through. I was always swallowing and opening my jaw to adjust and regulate the pressure.
The worst part is the earaches, the ear aches come and go, but I can never tell when it is going to hurt or when it is going to be a "bad" day. It just hurts all the time. After awhile, the symptoms went not only from my left ear, but to my right ear. So now a year later, both ears are doing the same thing. I got a CT scan but everything looked normal. For some reason, we never did an audio test, but just recently, I got one done.
The audiologist was confused. Her device and tests showed no fluid, and that I had a mild low frequency hearing loss starting around 500hz. Everything else looks pretty normal.
My doctor realized he misdiagnosed me for ETD, and now says it is more likely Otosclerosis. But my question is, wouldn't that have come up in the CT Scan? Should I get a second opinion? Do an MRI maybe? He told me to start taking Fluorical to see if that helps, he said there is no side affect but I can imagine fluoride to be good for you. I don't really know what to do now since he told me there's not a lot we can do now, especially since I don't have health insurance. He says it's "otosclerosis" but I'm still not confident with that. I feel like he's constantly guessing and I'd like some advice from perhaps from people who have gone through the same thing. It worries me that this is my profession and I could face permanent hearing loss.
Any suggestions or past experience would be very helpful. Thank you.