Problems with hearing....broken speaker sound

I'm really surprised that a solution hasn't been offered for this. I'm just here to say I've got the broken speaker issue also. For years. I play music and it is not only annoying, but it is painful. As I sit here in quiet, I can feel pain in my left ear. It's not noticeable if I'm going about my business, but if I pay attention, I notice it.

I went for a "free" ear exam and the doctor said my ear was blocked and he couldn't complete the exam. I thought all I needed to do was get the wax out. Then I found a retired doctor who had the water bulb to shoot the wax out and when he did that to my ear it was THE MOST painful thing I have ever experienced! Do not try that! That was clearly NOT the problem.

Something is pierced in the drum. Or the bones in the ear are broken and have grown together. I haven't seen anyone mention trauma. I got whacked aside the head on that ear when I was a teenager. And I listened to loud music at concerts. It's just the left ear that gives me problems. Still looking for a solution. If I get one, I will post it.

 

Today most of the people are facing the hearing loss problem. Hard of hearing people has to struggle not only in their society but also in their official life. I am also having a slight hearing loss so I can understand your emotions. Recently I have take the hearing loss treatment and found a big change in my hearing. It has really helped me out.

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I guess it's vaguely encouraging that it's a common problem, but that's about it. Ive been a musician for years and i tka eearplugs everywhere i go in case my left ear starts rattling up. There seems to be so little known about this problem, and some of the doctors ive seen have probably done more harm than good poking around, so i just take my ear plugs wherever there might be loud noises and it helps big time.  One thing i read about a a while ago that hasn't been mentioned on these posts is something to do with a tiny tiny piece of something getting stuck on the thing that vibrates in the ear drum, sorry i dont have any more info, if i do i will post. 

Hi there I have also experienced this in my ears. I am 20 now and it started when I was around the age of 17. when it first happened it was both of my ears and as it comes and goes it can affect either my right or left ear. I found that blocking my nose and breathing in would stop the muffled noise but as soon as I yawned or swallowed they would un-pop again. I have always described this as my voice sounding as if I am speaking on a microphone. I've been told as a baby I suffered endless ear infections and have a few times over the years as well. I have allergies to most animals and dust and pollen also. the main time I experience this is aafter I've been to gym. not sure if it's changes in pressure or the loud music from the classes I attend. I having seen any specialists for this, I told my Dr and she kinda just brushed it off. I don't think people believe me when I tell them how much it's bothering me. I feel really silly too because I feel like I can't talk normally when I am experiencing this. I'm going to try to go dairy free and see if it helps. wis there was a specialist out there who is willing to figure this out for us.

I have a similar issue. Mine isn't with loud noises. I just had an episode start about 2 hours ago. It usually last about half a day at the most, sometimes only a couple of hours.

Someone mentioned holding a cell phone to their left ear. Tonight, that's what happened to me. After about 15 minutes on my cell I noticed the problem. I've had other episodes that weren't after a cell call so I can't say that's the trigger.

The issue I have though I've had a hard time describing to people. I play in a band and listen to music in the truck fairly loud, or I did before I started getting this.

When an episode happens it's as if everything has an effect on it - a guitar effect. It's most obvious with higher pitched (not volume) noises. Nothing is freakier to me than when my 3 year old daughter is talking to me during an episode ... just weird.

But tonight I think I've discovered a good way of describing it. I listened to music playing, which is super annoying when this happens, and when I blocked my left ear the music was fine, although sounded a little flat (like batteries are running a little low on the tape player ... for those that know what I mean). When I blocked my right ear it sounded as if I was listening to a music source that was being sampled too slowly. Like not all of the information was getting through. The "broken speaker" term might be another way to describe it. The effect with both ears sounds like I'm hearing a modulated signal. Think "Star Wars: A New Hope", just before the strike on the Deathstar, when we're hearing the pilots speaking through their radio, like the signal's a little messed up. That is exactly what I hear. The lower the frequencies the less obvious, the higher the frequencies the more obvious.

Sounds neat but I can't play guitar while this is happening and I can't even listen to music or watch TV because it's too messed up.

Someone mentioned dairy, and I'll give that a try, although it's not as though I eat/drink a lot of it, and it's not the trigger for sure.

Still, I know, like the rest of you, I'll end up at the ENT/audiologist's office and they won't find anything. The odd's of an episode happening when I'm at the doctor's office is pretty slim. When I described it to my family doctor she had never heard of symptoms like that. Reading this thread, it's nice to know I'm not totally alone, I guess.

Good luck to everyone.

 

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I can't say for sure this is what I have, but: "Diplacusis is defined as a perceived difference from one ear to the other of a single pitch. For example, in a patient with increasing endolymphatic fluid pressure, the same note on a piano will be heard as different notes between the two ears."

And that's me.

Check this out: "In most patients who have Meniere's disease, the cause is never identified. The best evidence at present is that this is an inflammatory process affecting the endolymphatic sac so that it does not drain the endolymph appropriately."

Again, just armchair medical opinion here, but my cell phone gets hot when using it for a long time, and I tend to put pressure on my ear. Possibly what caused the episode. Not that I really want to do this, but I might be able to force an "acute attack" prior to a visit to the ENT by having a long chat on my cell ... worth a shot.

"Meniere's can also present with just the hearing symptoms, such as fullness, low-frequency hearing loss, tinnitus, loud sound discomfort and sound distortion, or episodic vertigo lasting hours. Ultimately individuals with these variations of Meniere's go on to form the full-blown symptom complex, whereby hearing and balance are both affected."

Go see an ENT and mention Meniere's!

@ moderator

I read the Terms of Use. The only mention of "Web addresses not allowed" is "4. You are not allowed to post an affiliate URL that leads to you earning cash, banner impressions, credits, points, etc."

I only mean to say that I didn't think I was doing anything wrong, since it was very relevant to the subject matter and I have no affiliation with the site or anyone that does. I found the link via Google.

Can I post just the link without the http:// ? There is at least one other post in this thread that did that. I'm just looking to provide information. If providing the link is still not allowed, can you suggest another method?

I'd provide a link to the Wikipedia page regarding Meniere's disease, but they neglect to include the frequency issue I personally have.

Anyhow, for anyone reading this, check out Meniere's disease and/or syndrome.

I am a 43-year-old male who has been experiencing the same "broken speaker" ear problem others have described here. Mine is just in my left ear and has persisted for only two months.  While I take some comfort in the fact that others have similar symptoms, it is disheartening to read that some of you have experienced your symptoms for YEARS.

I experience the problem (1) with relatively loud external noise, whether it be from music, sports events or a crowded bar/restaurant, and (2) when I sing, shout or talk louder than usual.  In fact, even when I hum, I can sense vibration in my left ear, but none in my right.

My family doctor sounded a tuning fork, held it close to each of my ears and it sounded the same in each of my ears. Then she sounded the tuning fork a second time, placed it against my forehead and the vast majority, if not all of, the vibration went to my left ear. She referred me to an ENT.

Auditory tests at the ENT confirmed that my hearing was normal.  The ENT said my ear canal was clear (no excessive ear wax, which I flushed out when I first noticed symptoms) and he could see no problems.  When I told him that at higher volumes it was like someone was "jiggling loose speaker wires," he just gave me a blank look. The most he could offer in the way of diagnosis was that my condition might be an early sign of hearing loss. He asked me to come back for another visit in a year. That was it.

I'll be sure to report back here if I learn more or eventually get any relief.

I have trouble focusing on relevant conversation... i too was tested in silent conditions. i can hear all pitches i should but stiil have a hard time "hearing" people... ???

Doug (cbus) you describe my problem to the tee however I've had it for around 20 years - garbled distortion when I hear loud noises, movies, concerts, loud tv, my kids laughing too loud.  Sometimes in the shower.  Otherwise my hearing is fine.  If the volume isn't up my left ear seems normal.  I remember seeing Doctors when it first starting occurring but I couldn't find an answer, finally just gave up and I've been living with it since then.

Seems like two different problems are being described on this thread.  One, what Doug, I, and several others have.  And another problem that seems to cause pause and dizziness.  I've never had my ear hurt, swell up, or cause any balancing issues.  Simply loud noise = sound filtered through crumbling paper on left ear only.

I take ear plugs with me everywhere.  Action movies = use ear plugs.  Sometimes they have the volume down enough so the distortion doesn't trigger.  I can't count how many times I've screwed up plans, out with friends or on dates when I've forgotten my earplugs.  Movie starts and it's insanely loud, distortion starts and I have to excuse myself, leave the theater.  I find wax ear plugs work the best.

Anyways I would love to get to the bottom of this problem.  Every now and then I find myself googling it, hoping someone has the answer.

We need to form a group of us who have this issue and systemically search/explore a solution.  Wonder how we can do this, exchange info without this forum deleting the post for violating of terms?

If you have this exact problem feel free to email me and lets stay in contact and actively seek a cure.  Together I think we have a much better chance at finally solving this mystery and living a normal life not having to avoid loud noises.  My gmail address is the same as my username I'm using to post this.

I wish I did see a username for emailing but I don't. You have described my symptoms to a tee BUT low or normal speech can't be heard with my left ear. If a voice is loud enough to be heard it comes through as the broken speaker sound. I've tried and tried to express to ENTs, etc. that what I hear doesn't fall under the umbrella definition as 'distortion', but exactly as busted,cracked, old speaker but so help me, they still group it as common distortion. I have a plug in my left ear right now to make sure I don't hear any loud speech to be garbled. Garbled speech from my left ear combined with fairly decent hearing in my right ear makes for very poor voice/speech recognition. I've found left ears seem to be the weaker side for many hearing ailments during my research to try to find an answer to my problem. I'm close to being convinced that my doctors are right, there is nothing that can be done to restore my left hearing. Lost it at a shooting range in 2012. I don't like this hearing situation but I look on the bright side.....? I'm 70 years old and won't have to live with this aggravating problem for another 30 years. Also, it could be our eyes.....now that would be much worse. I wish everyone the best of luck .......Johnny

most of what a lot of you guys have all described, sounds a lot like what im going through, im 16, and started getting symptoms like these about a year or so ago. but now its getting worse. the broken speaker thing is probably the only way i think of to explain it, its almost like all the stuff inside my head for hearing or whatever is like loosening, and when the broken speaker part kicks in, i cant even talk to people because its so hard to understand what they are saying, i hear my own breathing really loud in my right ear, almost like somebody else is breathing in my ear as loud as they can. i can move my mouth and throat around, like a yawning type deal, and if I'm lucky it'll go back normal, but usually just for a second. the best thing i can do is plug my nose and try to breath in through it and it makes my ears pop back to normal. but when this happens while I'm working out, or just after a long run, or anything that's making me breath heavily, it just keeps on going back to this broken speaker thing. I also get the cutting out/ fuzzing up kinda thing happening from high pitches, and loud noises, like dishes clanking together, and stuff like that. nobody seems to be finding anything that actually fixes this problem, or at least they are not posting it here, but i feel like this is destroying my life, its hard to hold conversations and do anything really with my ear doing this. can anybody who has tried the laying off dairy products mention if it has done any good for you, or if anyone has found a cure for their problem, could you please post about it, it would be very reassuring to at feel like i at least have options.

We're not allowed to post links to sites that may be commercial in nature. Most information I've found seems to have been written by professionals (i.e. Doctors) that have it posted on their own sites, or sites that have at least some type of commercial aspect to it - even this site has banners - so I can't post any links I've found.

Look up Meniere's Disease or Syndrome. Wikipedia's article is a decent description, although it fails to mention Diplacusis, which is the phenomenon I described about the frequency difference "heard" between each ear. Diplacusis by itself is just the result of some other damage, temporary or otherwise.

I think what most people are describing are issues associated with Meniere's Disease/Syndrome. For some it comes and goes (like me) and others it's had a lasting impact. I'm headed to see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist in April. Because this doesn't happen all the time for me I may not be able to demonstrate the symptoms when I go and see him/her.

It's taken almost a year to get an appointment with the ENT. Go to your doctor and describe what you experience and ask about seeing an ENT, if they don't suggest it.

I'm having the same exact symptoms! Cracking/broken speaker sound in right ear only, for about 1.5 years--it's horrible! I've been to 2 different ENT doctors and they say my ear looks perfectly "normal". I'm curious, have you found anything g that helps? For me Nasonex does help a bit with the frequency of "flare ups" but don't want to use any medication long term:(