I know we all have our own weird, quirky symptom that you just cannot explain away.
Mine was known as the "wind tunnel effect".........coined by yours truly circa 2011.
When I was in a car, and the windows rolled up, I would open and close my mouth ever so slightly. When it was open, it sounded like a wind tunnel in my left ear. As soon as I closed my mouth the "wind" and sound were gone.
Today.......while my wife was driving, I did the same experiment and, for once, did not hear the "wind tunnel effect" anymore.ll
I am not going to read too much into it..........as frankly, I do not know what the hell it even means???
Just an observation from a patient that had (as Dr. Samji put it..........an "enormous") styloid removed on this past Monday.
I will see him in about an hour for my post op visit........then fly back to Spokane.
I will keep you all posted. Thanks for the continued prayers and well wishes..........it really means a lot to my wife and me :o)
YAY!!! That is awesome to find some relief so soon after surgery. Especially, the Long time you have been dealing with ES. Thank you for the updates and keep us posted!
That is good! That has got to be your eustachian tube. Opening the jaw will open the eustachian tube. Why in the car, though...I think the cabin pressure in the car drops with increased speed (airfoil effect due to curvature of car body and resulting lower pressure). Opening your jaw would allow the trapped higher pressure in your eustachian tube to equalize with the now lower cabin pressure. If it still happens while stopped and while moving, then I can't even make something up to explain that one :)
It may not happen now because your eustachian tube may be much less 'squashed'. The air may actually slowly be able to equalize on its own through your not-so-tightly-smashed eustachian tube. Then when you open your jaw, there is no pressure differential, thus no airflow rushing out of the eustachian, and no noise?
That is a great explanation Tee........it is like you were a Pilot or something prior to all of this shit :o)
I posted on another blog, but my flight home from San Jose to Spokane last night (getting in at midnight) has set me back......ugh.
The same damn left ear was just raging after I landed and I felt the disequilibrium. Very, very bumpy flights, only 4 days out from going under the knife and a ton of swelling inside is what I am attributing it to. May be just me trying to hope against hope, but I am holding onto that now!
We shall see what the weekend brings as I will begin icing again, I am back in my home environment and will chill for a while.
The plan is to (in no uncertain order)........(1) stoke a fire (2) watch the snow fall and watch my daughters use the snowblower (3) watch football (4) ice my neck (5) rest (6) go back to number 1 and repeat :o)
I hope that is all swelling...sounds like it, since that isn't what you experienced on the way over. Have a good chill out session at home- sounds like you have a great setup and the family support to get well!
Just tried it again, driving my truck and going about 50 mph for about 2 miles. I kept opening and closing my mouth to create the "wind tunnel effect" in my left ear.
Still not there!
Granted, this is a very minor "atta boy" , but at this point (6 days out) ........ I think I find it more interesting than anything.
Again, I am just chilling and icing, watching football with a fire stoked.
Not a major accomplishment, nor a sign that things will be better for me.......just an interesting anecdotal piece of information.