Audiology Problems

I have had a fluttery feeling/sound in my ears. Off and on for at least eight years. 

I've had intermittent tinnitus for the last year, more often recently. The tinnitus typically begins suddenly, without a ramp up. It does "ramp down," slowly disappearing rather than suddenly stopping. Occasionally it begins with almost a pop. Like a blown fuse. But it's never loud. 

I've had a few brief hearing drops that return to normal, which happened for the first time six months ago. 

Now that I've been diagnosed (less than a month ago), I wonder whether some or all of this is related to MS. I can see how it could be. 

The fluttery sound reminds me of the sound made when you shake an acetate sheet. Remember acetate? I would almost describe it as a "warping" sound, although warping what, I don't know. 

I have assumed that the fluttery sound was caused by spasms of a teeny little muscle in the middle ear called the tensor tympani. Its job is to protect your hearing if a loud noise happens--it makes your eardrum tense up so that the sounds are muffled a little before they hit your delicate inner ear at full strength. Although I understood that and could make a good guess as to what was causing the sound, I could not guess why on earth mine would spasm. MS could explain it--muscle tone and spasticity issues abound. 


The possibilities for hearing loss and MS seem obvious: demyelination of the hair cells of the cochlea is possible. The auditory nerve could experience inflammation or demyelination, as well.
Hearing loss and tinnitus... Well, I emailed an audiologist friend about it last week, who said exactly what I thought he would say: Yup, could be the MS. I'll ask him about the fluttery sound when I see him on Wednesday. It hadn't occurred to me that that could be related to MS until that person posted on the MS forum about it. So I'll get my hearing checked, talk about the tinnitus, make sure he checks my acoustic reflex, and ask if that could be related. It's been happening for so long, I don't know.


Here's what my colleague said about the tinnitus: 


as you are probably more aware of then I, with MS there's the issue with the mylin sheath on  your nerve which acts as insulation around the nerve keeping the impulses contained.  (I'm sure I am WAY oversimplifying it, please forgive me).   

With tinnitus, any impulses received to the brain by the auditory nerve that are outside of a normal stimulation pattern could be perceived as a ringing.   

So, yes, I could see how the tinnitus you are experiencing is within the possibility of the MS.    You should get your hearing tested, if you haven't already done so, to rule that out as well.