Hello,

I've had tinnitus many years and every now and again I will experience
severe episodes. It starts out like a feeling of slight pressure in
the ear, like changing altitude and having to yawn.  It increases with
intensity to a point that I've temporally lost about 60% of my hearing
in the ear (in the upper frequency range).  Sounds become distorted
and muffled.  Then the ringing gets very loud and then eventually
subsides and normal hearing comes back.  It usually takes 2 to 3 hours
for the episode to take its course and then return to normal.

Does anybody else experience this?  And if so, is it tinnitus or
something else?