Help! My Mom Recently Got Tinnitus

Hi! I really need help from someone who knows about tinnitus! My mom recently got tinnitus this year in February and she has become really depressed. We were skiing and she was sick. She blew her nose for the umpteenth time that day and she said something popped in her ear. Her ear was blocked for a few weeks and then a small hissing sound began to appear. It's got louder and louder and she's so depressed. I'm scared for her. She's had it for four months and she read somewhere online that after six months it becomes chronic tinnitus. If she's depressed now, then if it really does become chronic tinnitus I can't bear to think of what she'll do. She's always miserable. I've become so upset. I made this acc for my mom but she doesn't know! Is there any hope it'll get better?! She's saying she might aswell die now so when I leave home..... Please help someone! I'm crying right now!

 

Has she seen a doctor?

There's not much anyone can do for her... she has to see a doctor, preferably someone specialized in tinnitus... ENT is better than nothing.

There is no cure available. No good treatments. She most likely has to learn to live with it. Unfortunately.

She could benefit from therapy (cognitive behavior therapy).

 

First take some deep breaths..in through your nose, exhale slowly through your mouth. Do that a few times.. Calm down, I realize you're scared.

Then I would suggest an ENT visit (which will most likely yield nothing)some anti anxiety pills if she is severely depressed!!! to get her through this initial onset and she needs to learn some basic knowledge regarding Tinnitus. First of all it could go away! Second, MOST people habituate in time which means she won't even notice it or it won't affect her life. So odds are in her favor. Also, there are tools to help peolple habituate. Millions of people have tinnitus and only a small fraction post on these boards..there is a good reason why

She is grieving right now..scared most likely but it will OK.

 

Hi Harleigh, first off your mom is very lucky to have a daughter like you. Street Spirit gave you some good straight forward advise. I do not know what country you are in, but when you look for an ENT try and find one that has an audiologist staff, it makes it a lot easier, this way there is no extra traveling and he has instant results. Mine also sold a device that is a Masker with in hearing aid combined. I got for less that any device advertised on the internet. He told me he breaks even on them.

They do help to mask the tinnitus noise with a more pleasant noise. To give you an idea I just googled hearing aid masker and found this link, just so you can get an idea of what a masker is. You can get a masker only. I have no affiliation whatsoever with the company associated with the link. Best to get one through an ENT Audiologist will set it up specifically for each individual.

Then there is something called TRT, you can do a search in the search box here on this site or google it to get a idea for what that is. I personally have not tried it yet.

Post back, or better yet hope you're mom posts back here

http://www.starkey.com/hearing-aids/technologies/xino-tinnitus