Hi doctor, Recently, I had an event that impacted my hearing. I threw a heavy chain into the metal bucket of a backhoe. The clank was quite loud and gave me instant ringing in my ears. I then had to use the backhoe, which is also loud, but not deafeningly so, for about 20 minutes. Now my ears feel blocked up as if from a cold or elevation changes, reducing the volume of the sounds I hear. Even tiny clanks, like from a fork on a plate, give my ears a slight spasm. The tinnitus has continued, diminishingly for about five days or so. My question is about the permanence of damage done, and the relationship between my current symptoms and damage. I should mention that I am quite sensitive to sound and can get tinnitus from noises other people find tolerable. The ear blockage phenomenon occurred one other time for me, after a music show, and lasted several months before returning to normal.
Hello. It is very common that people feel certain blockage of the ears after getting exposed to loud sounds. It is called fatigue to ear. The hair cells get fatigued due to loud sounds. It also indicates sensitivity towards hearing loss. It is recommended to avoid a noisy situation as it can lead to hearing loss sooner in your case as you are taking days to recover. Generally, a few hours are enough to recover. Use ear protective devices or ear-plugs in the future whenever you know that you are going to a place with loud noises. Currently, wait for a few more days. If you are not feeling better consult an audiologist. Try to blow your cheeks with your nose pinched and see if it helps to relieve the blocked feeling.