Tinnitus First Night without Sleep

Dear member
First of all thank you all for your participation on this support your it provides encouragement and very important information for this condition.

I am a 39 year old microbiologist that started to note symptoms on my left ear since mid June. I have no significant previous exposure to heavy noises. The initial visit to ENT was related to what I believed was compacted wax and lost of earing on the left side and occasionalvery mild tinitus. The procedure was done, hearing problem solved, but tinnitus remainded. Subsequent visits to ENT, not very helpfull. Hearing test shows that I have in his words a "superb simetrical hearing on all frequencies tested"Which I think are just helping on this condition . I started to study my working environment and two issues became evident. In May? as consequence to expansions at the hospital that I am working for; A wifi range extender was installed at just 5-6 feet on top of my head an also the airflow was increased. In consequence the airvent just beside this device is a lot more noisy. I am continuouly exposed to strong wifi signal and moderate background noise for 7-10 hours a day.

Couple of days ago I got an MRI, no significant findings. Last night was the first one with significant insomnia. Also now I think it became a bilateral tinnitus. That is a trully a red flag for me.

My wife is also expecting our second child, and I am will help on everything for the new kid. But I MUST learn before April 2014 how to sleep with tinnitus. Sleep deprived, with a new born and working on a detail oriented position is a bad combination.

I am considering droping my cell and reducing as much as possible wifi exposure. I will be reviewing threads on this website .Any recommendations in reference to habituation therapies or sleep aid will greatly appreciated.

Best luck to each one of you in recovering your quality of life
PseudoGreen

 

Hello Pseudo, sorry to hear about your T, makes me wonder about my T as I'm on my iPad wifi a lot ! Please read all the other posts by members on this forum. For myself and a few others on this forum magnesium supplements taken an hour before bedtime helps with the sleep, I also take Camomile tea ( night blend ) 2 bags for one cup of tea, and I have a air purifier on for white noise. The magnesium keeps the T calm the next day too.

 

Hi PseudoGreen,

to be honest, i would ditch the idea of wifi exposure. Each day, the sun gives you much more electromagnetic exposure than what a wifi range extender could expose you.

 

Hi and welcome.
If you go to the Support forum you will a thread, not too far down, specifically about sleep. Sleep problems are common among those with T (I had it before the tinnitus arrived.) Some use prescription meds, some go the natural route. I would give natural a try first. There are some OTC products that you can find in wellness and drug stores that mix melatonin, valerian and triptophan, as does Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Xtra tea.

I also must sleep with some kind of noise. I start off the night with headphones (don't use ear buds) then usually switch over to pillow speakers made by Sound Oasis. You can get an iPhone app called White Noise that gives you multiple natural (ocean waves) and artificial (pink, brown, ect noise) sounds. Other use a sound generator by their bed but my husband hates it. And I honestly find the headphones more relaxing. If you use headphones, make sure the sound is not too loud...you should be able to still somewhat hear your T.

Good luck!

 

Hey Sherri... How much magnesium do you take? I know there has been a lot posted on this but can find no consensus. I just started with 400 mg chelated mag tabs, half in morning and half at night.

 

@ PseudoGreen

I don't think your tinnitus is caused by wifi exposure or noise from the device (which probably kicks out 60 db, at most).

Probably, you have already have the answer to your question: my take is that your tinnitus is related to your ear wax buildup. Often tinnitus goes away when the ear wax is removed, but the inner ear is sometimes surprisingly sensitive. Ear wax - like ear plugs - deprives the inner ear of oxygen and causes moisture to increase. This over time, can cause inflammation and damage. There may be one remaining option you could explore: if you did not have ear syringing done when the ear wax was removed, it could be worthwhile having that done (also); sometimes there are bits and pieces of ear wax which the ENT cannot see. However, I should warn you that in rare instances, ear syringing itself can cause tinnitus...! Therefore: do not attempt to syrringe your ears "at home"...

Melatonin is worthwhile exploring as a more longterm solution to sleep problems (as opposed to sleeping pills). You need to take 6 mg.

If your tinnitus is related to the inner ear, then - unfortunately - it may well be permanent (hence the reason why many ENTs are considered unhelpful for tinnitus related matters - they simply cannot help). I have recently undergone stem cell therapy - however, this is definitely not standard therapy for tinnitus (and there is no guarentee that it works). Some people benefit from (topical) laser therapy.

Lastly, it is possible that you do have hearing loss. Standard audiometric tests measure from 0 to 8 kHz. Hearing loss almost always starts in the frequencies above that range - except when suffering from Menieres disease.

 

Hello LadyDi, I have been taking 2 pills of magnesium chelate ,125 mg each, however Karen takes 2 pills 520 mg each.

 

* at bedtime only

 

is there evedence of wifi role in T?

 

Thanks! May up my dose. Label said 1600 mg daily but that seems very high. Will look again at the magnesium thread.

 

did anyone find that Magnesium supplement had side effects?

 

Thanks for this response Karen...I am only seeing it now!

Yea, the ladies in the Health Shop suggested Magnesium. I think I may have given poor hubbie the full dose and it certainly had adverse affects on his digestive system!!! Perhaps we can try again but with a more gently gently approach!!!

 

Thanks Karen...we may give it a try again!

 

Welcome, I am a new member have learned so much from
This group in such a short time. These wonderful people
Are living through this and so so knowledgable.
Glad I found this group.

 

http://www.emfanalysis.com/just-say-no-to-wi-fi.html

 

Not to mention the ammount of wife around us is phenomenal. Most shops, neighbours, kids phones, companies and businesses all have 24 hour wife around us.

 

@PseudoGreen do not underestimate your ability to eventually adjust to your condition and get back to good sleep without aids. It can be done, particularly if indeed you are experiencing occasional mild T. Follow the good advice offered in this thread and examine your response to T. In time you may well find the sound to be a minor annoyance. Good luck.

 

yeah too much "wife" is lethal though i guess... jk

 

Dan predictive text lol.