Sounds in left ear

Hello all,
I'm new to posting to this forum but have been reading it for a while as I've had very bad health anxiety for a long time. For the past few months I've been hearing muffled popping sounds in my left ear in response to certain sounds that I originally thought was maybe just from ear wax or something, but recently my anxiety has gotten really bad and I've focused on it a lot more. If the room is very quiet and I rustle my keys or open a plastic bag, I can hear the fluttering noise. I went to the ENT today and they didn't see any wax or infection, they did a hearing test and exam where everything looked fine and normal except for mild-moderate hearing loss in that ear for higher frequencies.

The doctor said he didn't know what the cause could be of the fluttering/popping noises but wanted to do an MRI to rule anything out. I'm been getting myself into a panic thinking it might be an acoustic neuroma, and I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait for the test since I have to find out if my insurance will even cover it and if I can afford it.. I can't stop thinking about it and have been a teary mess thinking I'm going to lose my hearing. My family is sick of my health worries so I feel very alone in my anxiety. Just wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences. Thanks for reading :hugs:

I had a fluttering/vibrating noise in my eardrum a few years back. Certain noises would set it off and at one stage it was constant and sounded like a little engine buzzing in my ear when I was in a quiet environment. I too had and MRI ( I also had pulsatile tinnitus on and off and that's the main reason they did the MRI). All was ok and apparently tiny muscles in your ear can get into spasms and make noise in there. It went away after a while. So please don't stress, muscles in your ear can twitch just like muscles anywhere else in your body. Just sounds noisy because they are near your eardrum.

Fluttering and popping is normally wax. I've had both.
It feels like a little bird is flapping it's wings and the popping is similar to being on a flight with the altitude change.
The other thing is you become over-sensitised from anxiety it can obviously affect your senses. It's like having super human powers, lol.
I can here our shopping delivery van coming up the street. I can smell stuff other people can't smell. And hear conversations from afar (not always a good thing).
Welcome to the Site fender.

Thanks to you both for responding, it helps a lot to know other people have this strange system. I keep worrying about the hearing loss thing though and am so worried that it’s caused by a tumor. I honestly never noticed the hearing loss before. kind of wish I hadn’t ever gone to the ENT as my anxiety has gotten so much worse obsessing over the audiogram results and thinking I have an acoustic neuroma. And my MRI isn’t for another month and I can’t imagine being in this state for so long… sigh!

The other day I noticed I had a constant high pitched ringing in my left ear, and now it’s keeping me from sleeping. I’ve had tinnitus for years but sometimes it flares up even worse and can cause me all sorts of bother.

Recognise that tinnitus is an extremely common symptom for millions of people, including lots of people on this website. If you check out the other threads on here where people have been concerned about their tinnitus, you’ll realise just how common it is. I’m yet to come across a single thread where the cause was something serious.

Try not to focus on it (easier said than done, sure) and try to reassure yourself that you will be okay. :)

I'm been getting myself into a panic thinking it might be an acoustic neuroma, and I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait for the test since I have to find out if my insurance will even cover it and if I can afford it.. I can't stop thinking about it and have been a teary mess thinking I'm going to lose my hearing. My family is sick of my health worries so I feel very alone in my anxiety. Just wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences. Thanks for www.routerlogin.netpikashow

Family misunderstanding your situation is very common and something a lot of us share in.

You’re certainly not alone. This forum was created for people just like you and me who need some reassurance from others and an outlet for our scary thoughts. :)

My left ear has been bothering me for years! Had it checked out by my GP recently and he said there's nothing there.
I get a lot of eardrum flutters.
I also have a constant background sound of wind in my left ear. And sometimes it's clear as day pulsatile tinnitus. It has a lot do with tension you hold in your jaw, and jaw clenching.