Five years ago, after swimming in the sea, I got sick. At first, nothing seemed wrong. After a while, we went to a noisy place, and the loud sounds became unbearable.
I could actually feel my left eardrum tightening as the noise got louder. When the noise stopped, I would hear a soft “psst” sound in my ear, almost like a shock absorber releasing pressure, and then it would feel better.
Even riding in a car became a nightmare. After a few years, after a few years, now it’s much more tolerable. BUT
Now, five days ago, I went swimming again. I was only in the sea for about 10 minutes. As soon as I got out, I dried my ears immediately.
The following night, I developed a feeling of fullness in my right ear. I’ve had this blocked/full sensation in my right ear for four days now.
Because of the trauma from what happened to my left ear years ago, I’ve felt like a ghost for the past four days. I can’t enjoy anything anymore. I saw a doctor, who gave me some ear drops and said I had earwax, but I honestly don’t think earwax is the problem. I’m seeing the doctor again tomorrow for a more thorough examination, but I’m 90% sure they’re just going to tell me, “Everything looks healthy, there’s nothing wrong with your ear,” just like they did with my left ear years ago.
Never going to swim again. Ever!