Grommets, now ringing and hearing loss. Cause?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had grommets as a baby, and my old ENT believed that I still had one in my left ear. I have had ringing in my ears, and it is getting to the point where I cannot hear myself think sometimes. Should I see someone new about it?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Grommet or ventilation tube insertion is done when there is a fluid accumulation behind the eardrum. The reason you would have had this as a child is probably due to adenoid hypertrophy causing eustachian tube dysfunction. Grommets depending on the type usually fall off, and it goes unnoticed unless a long term grommet has been inserted and you are getting yourself checked regularly from an ENT specialist. Your problem is ringing sensation in the ear associated with deafness can be a result of the same issue for which grommet was primarily inserted. Other causes have to be certainly ruled out. A genuine suggestion would be to get your self examined by an ENT specialist and thereby get to know. What exactly is the issue currently?