Hi, All:
To the extent that this is at all usefu to my initial post, the post-MRI follow-up with my ENT was, well, helpful and then again not-so-much (at least for a definitive answer).
His diagnosis is (at least for now) eustachian tube dysfunction, noting that this is a rather elusive area to treat. My early audiogram noted a eustachian tube problem (they mechanically pressurized my ear to see what happens), which is consistent with the "full" feeling and my inability to equalize the pressure in my right ear. This leads to muffled hearing and could be related to the ringing. It does not account, fully, for the hearing loss in the upper frequencies and does not necessarily account for the ringing, either. They all can, however, be related. I have been given prescriptions for both oral and nasal steroids and will wait it out for another four weeks to see if anything gets better. Who knew that the eustachian tube is still a mystery? And, indeed, is not really a "tube" at all but "a potential space" (according to the doc). I still have all the same symptoms (ringing in the high frequency area, fullness, and hearing loss) so we'll see what happens. Again, as the doc noted, treating this basket of problems is less than straightforward but the MRI was clear.
So, now, that's what I can offer. I hope that this is helpful to someone out there....
My best to all of you -- and I, too, will continue to stick around and share whatever I can find out.
Rob
