My Introduction... And Please Help Me

Hi guys. My name is Champ and I'm from Thailand. I'm only 21 years old. I'm a dental student.

I have tinnitus since October last year. At that time, I'm depressed and I don't know what my cause tinnitus, maybe sleep less, stress but I didn't listen loud music before then.

Then I went to see many ENT and check my hearing, my hearing is good. ENT said I don't have hearing loss and he wrote prescription for me such as Betahistine,Vitamin B, Nicotic acid, Nicergoline. But my tinnitus doesn't get away but it's low volume.

I can hear it when I live in quiet place such as my bed room and I can turn on white-noise to mask it. It didn't bother me in daily life. I'm happy and I can live with it until last month.

Last month I went to Acukland, New Zealand to study English language school. When I studied in third weeks, I have new symptom in my hearing. I don't know what's my symptom. It' so strange. I got Tinnitus about 9 months but new symptom starts after I use headphone for listening music. Every environment sound that I hear is different from the past. I can hear new noise follow to external sound that I hear. I don't know what it calls - ractive tinnitus or hyperacusis or others?

So I had to change my flight to come back Thailand and went to see ENT. Now, I still hear new noise all time. It's louder when external sound is lounder and it's rhythm, it's very bother me because it get louder when I hear external noise. So whitenoise/pinknoise can't mask it because I can hear from external noise. For example I can hear it from air-coniditioner sound, computer sound and white noise too. Anybody have symptom like me? Please recommend how to I should do. now. Idon't know how to cope with it.

Another my concern is I'm dental student so I search information and I found dental drilling can make tinnitus worse and hearing loss. I'm afraid that My T will get worse and I will have hearing loss.
I search information in internet and it tell me earplugs can't protect high pitch.
So, I don't know how to I should do next. I am in difficult situation to decide my life.
If you are a dental student or dentist or you know some dentists who have T, please tell me how to protect inner ears?

I'm so sorry about my English and I don't know whom I will consult because Thai people don't have T a lot.
Thank you very much for reading my introduction.

 

I'm just thinking out loud here, but I suspect that being around dental drills for many years will most likely make your tinnitus worse, so you would need to use hearing protection, but I don't know how that is feasible, since dentists need to communicate with their patients.

 

From what I gather it sounds like you already had T, and after you listened to headphones it made it worse. Are you saying that now when you hear a sound, your T reacts to it i.e. changes volume/sound etc? If so that is reactive T. It doesn't sound like you have hyperacusis - that would be where sound causes you pain.

Hopefully this new level of T is just a spike and will go down, but since you believe headphones caused your T I think you should be careful around loud sounds. Best to be safe. As for protecting your hearing during your time working as a dentist, what about noise-cancelling headphones? They don't allow you to hear ANYTHING, so I think they would work. And you could always simply put them on when you are about to use a drill etc, so you could talk to your patient before-hand and then start. Don't worry, with any luck your T will resolve itself.

 

I agree with @citigirl13, use noise cancelling headphones, they really help with the noise. And, hopefully, the symptoms will resolve by themselves or get better, it happens! Most importantly, stay calm and try not to focus on it too much. I know it's easier said than done, but stress will make it worse. Sending healing thoughts your way!!

 

x3. I agree with above posters. If dentistry is your intended profession, then protect your ears when drilling, much like in the western world most people wear ear protection when they use loud machines such as drills and chain saws. You are currently having some elements of hyperacusis. So sounds seem much louder and piercing, kind of like the reactive T. But hyperacusis for some people will fade. Also when T is relatively new, it can morph to have different symptoms, tones or jumping ears and hopefully this will settle down. Give it some time. Stay positive. Don't panic and get anxious, as this can make T worst.