Well, allergy problems must be a major part of the health epidemic in this country, but by Providence that afforded me a visit to Clear Creek as I’ll explain. For the ruptured ear drum and now chronic sinus allergies and recurring ear. infections, one that led to Bell’s palsy that thankfully resolved, the earliest appointment to get in urgently to see an ENT in the greater Tulsa area is August, after an exhaustive search.
Another exhaustive search for an ENT in towns within an hour drive yielded one positive result in Tahlequah. So I thought Providence must be suggesting after the appointment to stop by Clear Creek in the vicinity on my way home, which I did on Wednesday.
The ENT visit was somewhat a revelation. First, thanks be to God the perforation healed on its own not needing surgery. The doctor explained how a lot of my ear issues including elevated tinnitus is from my TMJ disorder which has progressively flared up bad over the last year of the health crisis I’m recovering from. It turns out a lot of the ear pain, fullness, and ringing is from inflammation from the TMJ joint. And as my own later research would indicate, the mechanism is spasming muscles around the TMJ joint cause closing of the Eustachian tube causing clogging upward into the middle ear. I’ve dealt with TMJ for 7 years including tinnitus, but the silver lining is TMJ-induced tinnitus can be alleviated, but now I understand the strong connection between the two.
I still think part of my symptoms are from ear allergies from blocked Eustachian tubes, the doctor offering no intervention to address that, I’m guessing maybe because in the waiting room was a long line of patients waiting to be seen also driving from all over.
So I did secure an ENT appointment in Bartlesville to get a second opinion and hopefully an intervention to address the ear allergies besides allergy medicines. The doctor was able to remove a lot of ear wax which relieved some of the tinnitus, and I’m re-educated and re-focused on addressing TMJ with stretches, self-massage, targeted muscle strengthening, ice pack, and anti-inflammatories, in addition to my protocol for dealing with bad allergies, with the hope all the facial and ear pain will subside, especially the tinnitus, which I’m not going to lie, has been the hardest mental challenge to cope with.
Please pray the tinnitus resolves to lower previous levels as TMJ improves.
Anyway, I stopped by the monastery. It was nice to see lush green woods again after winter and that area is pristine. I first prayed some thanksgiving prayers in the church, then took a hike from the old monastery site to a cabin around the bend, then went to the Office of None, then visited with one of the founding monks I know in the gift shop, buying a loaf of their homemade bread. The hour and a half I was their felt like a mini retreat. It was rejuvenating and put me back in touch with the monks who were a part of my young adulthood frequenting there.
At any rate, objectively I am mostly medically recovered, but not yet completely coping with the increased tinnitus and ear/face symptoms. I did not know this, but it turns out 15% of adults, or 1 out of every 6 or 7, have tinnitus. I would never have thought that many people around me have what sounds like an insect buzzing in your ear. It is what it is. About 20% get symptoms of TMJ, and 33% of those get tinnitus. So 6-7-% of people have TMJ-induced tinnitus.
Onward and upward.