First Costco hearing test

Well it’s funny you should reply at this time, because yesterday after a 6 week wait, I got to see an ENT specialist, who said before looking it was going to be one of two things, either I had a hole, or more likely a very thin and translucent ear drum similar in look and thickness to GladWrap, something that can happen after grommets have been removed, which I’d had about 10 years ago.

It was the latter, and that it is not uncommon, and I had nothing to worry about. Even better, because it took him all of sixty seconds to determine this, I didn’t get billed!!! I expected about $200, so I was a happy chap for two reasons heading out their door. :grinning:

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Wow,I didn’t know this could happen after having the tubes removed! I had mine removed 2 months ago,the holes I had in both ear drums were patched at the time the tubes were removed,the ENT said that the holes had heal,but the gel that covered them is still there,not happy about that. The left ear does pop at times the right one never does. I will have a hearing test done next month to see where my hearing is now. I do wear hearing aids, I feel that the grommets should not be put in adults ears and feel that adults do not do well with them and would not do it again,thanks for responding back,

I had them a couple times as a kid. In recent time, I visited an ENT about the difference between air and bone conduction found in a hearing test and the tester said it should get looked at.
I left the ENT with what I interpreted as “we could do procedures, but the risks would far outweigh any gain with the standard, not-terrible hearing loss that you have”.

What I had 1 year ago was fluid behind the ear drums from a bad cold,the cold cleared up,but the fluid that was left travel down to the ear drums,behind them,so that put me in a state of pressure and no hearing at all! the pressure started to be release on the left ear took about a month,but the right ear did not release,so ENT said let’s put in tubes. Something though was telling me this might not be a good idea,did not do enough research on this matter for adults and anyway not much information about adults with ear tubes, I already had a hearing problem,but after tubes were put in had worsen,plus always hearing head noise,my voice sounded like I was under water when I would talk and so did others,so now I have to say low sounds are better and my voice sounds more normal and can also put my hearing aids do help,sorry this message was so long ha

The discussion may be relevant to your situation. Check it out and chime in if you’re interested. At some point in the thread there was a mention of the ENT going in with a tube and I was wondering the same myself on how that’d be possible without rupturing the eardrum.

Volusiano: I’m thinking it’s a different tube. I’d be curious about something like an endoscope to go up the eustachian. But the tubes mentioned here are tiny tubes that are placed into a cut in the ear drum to let things drain. I think the concern of doing this in adulthood is the healing of the ear drum. I think as a kid the ear drum figures this out. But not so much as an adult.
That’s how I understand it anyway

My ENT said to me that the ear drum cells are remarkably adept at repairing tears, hence my ‘gladwrap’ thin drum, and that it’s similar at whatever age, not just kids.
I had tubes/plugs put in for the same reason as you, head felt like it was clogged up after a cold, echoing under water feel to it.
I wear CIC style aids now, Costco supplied Rextons, and they are excellent.