Return of the Whoosh

Sorry for abandoning my reports on ALDAcon; my whooshing tinnitus has returned with a vengeance, and I haven’t been able to concentrate—or sleep—very well for the past 5 days.

It got a lot worse in Colorado Springs, which I assumed was somehow from the altitude because the high-pitched squealing in my left ear also returned with a vengeance, and it hadn’t been bothering me for a long time.  The altitude affected my sleeping anyway, and the squealing left ear and windy, whooshing right ear made it nearly impossible.  The high-pitched tinnitus went away after I’d been home about 2 days (around the time I could take deep breaths again!), but the whooshing stayed.  It got better—less annoying, not as loud; but it never went away.  Then it quickly came back as bad as ever, and that’s how it has been for 5 days straight.  Even when I’m watching television and can’t hear it, I can still feel it, pulsing and whooshing in my ear.  It feels like a wind storm in there.

I’ve looked up all the horrible medical conditions that can cause whooshing, or “pulsatile,” tinnitus, but I don’t have any other symptoms.  No headaches, vision problems, dizziness, or high blood pressure (I just took it and it’s 108/67).  So, I think my only option is to get an appointment with an otologist or otolaryngologist (I’m not even sure which one I need!) and see what it could be.  I’m afraid I will need an MRI, which I can’t possible afford since I don’t have health insurance…