I'm Scared of My Tinnitus. Looking for Support.

Hi. I'm fairly new at this but I'll do my best. I'm 24 years old and scared to death. Iv had quiet but high pitched ringing in my ears seance at least January and I'm not sure whats causing it. Iv got an appointment with an ENT on the 18th of this mouth but with what Iv been experiencing that's too long to wait! Iv got fullness in the ears that comes and goes, they hurt on occasion, theirs presser in my face from time to time, and sometimes it seems like the weather makes the ringing get better or worse. My Dr thinks its the Eustachian tube but even if it is, what are the odds of it getting worse before it gets treated? Dose anyone out there know anything about this?

 

Hi Shadgirl. sorry to hear the 'ringing has you running' this is normal, it's a new problem to your mind and as yet you have no answers to show you the way out, first off... step back, yes you are frightened but i doubt whether you are in danger, you may have discomfort, but i'm sure this can be solved once the cause is properly identified, it is i think normal for new sufferers to 'stress' and this amplifies the distress which makes the problem seem bigger. Your own wheels will drive you crazy... if you let them.

the more you focus on the problem - the more you will worry yourself with it and this creates a vicious thinking cycle which feeds upon itself and you, the 18th isn't that far, couple of weeks more, less than a quarter of the time you've already suffered, so you are three-quarters of the way to getting some help, just hang in there for this last stretch and you'll soon be getting some answers

if the condition changes with the weather, (mine also does) this is probably a good sign, barometric pressure altering the pitch & tone usually tells me it's time to get my 'ears done' simple inner ear washing to clear wax & debris from the system, it's a small device, some warm water and the nice Nurse does the rest. this helps a lot, i have mine done every year and it's my t. that tells when, hopefully it will help you too, it doesn't hurt so don't fear it.

other folks more knowledgeable than i will be along shortly to give you more help i'm sure, there are good people here and all trying to lend an ear and some advice, we're all on the same bus and all looking for answers.

the main thing is to realize that you will get thru this, it is beatable and if not, it is bearable, i've had t. 10 years & i'm as crazy as ever, just don't go to as many gigs.

i hope you get some resolution when you get to the ENT clinic and your problem gets solved shortly thereafter, but if it doesn't... don't give up, there are always other avenues to try, plenty on this site and there are plenty of other sites, be kind to yourself, it's not your fault, you are not in peril and help is on the way.

try to find good things to take up the time, don't let the noise fill your head, remember 'worry is wasted energy'

i wish you the best and will be thinking of you,

warmest regards,
grae

 

Thanks for the encouragement. It helps some. I just wish I knew what was going on. My Head was scanned awhile ago and there wasn't anything there. But my Dr DID tell me Eustachian tube problems may not show. I do think I'd be OK if I wasn't worried about it getting really worse really fast though.

 

Grae gives some great advice there and there is not much I can add except to express caution about ear irrigation. It can cause or worsen tinnitus, so I'd avoid it if possible.

Stay as positive as you can and think of/fear it as little as you can as these can reinforce it in the brain according to some theories. Distract yourself all you can with normal living (while avoiding loud noise).

 

Thanks I'll try. But what exactly counts as loud noise? My family loves calling through the house to each other and Iv got dogs that bark on occasion too. Like if there playing or if someone knocks on the doer. Is that loud enough to cause trouble?

 

Welcome to the board, Shadgirl. I applaud the great advice given by Grae and dboy. You can't go wrong by following their advice and you will feel much better. Remember when T is new, it usually traumatizes its victims to the point that the normal parasympathetic nervous system is taken over by the limbic system which functions in 'fight or flight' mode, and things will appear a lot worse than they are. You will be easily scared and the brain will zoom in on any bad or threatening sensation and magnify its significance. You will be flooded with distorted thoughts at this stage, especially 'catastrophic thinking' about the future (like my future is doomed or there is no future), as well as 'all or nothing thinking' (like my life is not worth it with T ringing). Beware of these thinkings. They are cognitive distortions (a termed use in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which can create havoc in people mental suffering if not challenged. Our reaction to T can determine the degree of suffering or its intrusiveness. You can read this up from Dr. Nagler's writing 'Letter to A Tinnitus Sufferer' and hopefully you will learn to counter/challenge your distorted thought:

http://www.ata.org/nagler-letter-to-tinnitus-sufferer

As for the types of noise which can cause damage to our hearing, here is a list provided by America Tinnitus Association or ATA:

http://www.ata.org/for-patients/how-loud-too-loud

 

I'm afraid I cannot give a definitive answer about what is too loud except to trust your intuition. Avoid concerts & nightclubs for a while longer. I would not stress about the dogs unless they are barking all the time. Don't lose your trust in life.

P.S. Wow, yeah, what billie48 said.

 

Thanks guys. Iv actually read that stuff before and I understand what there saying. I just thought it was only about noise caused tinnitus and I'm positive mine is from ear infections I couldn't get rid of. See I had a sinus infection that turned into an ear infection right around new years. The ringing started soon after that. It was occasionally at first but some time soon after it changed to a constant ring. The infections finally gone but the presser fullness and ringing hasn't gone. So dose that mean that stuff on that web page can apply to me as well?

 

I'm not an expert on this stuff, but if it was me I'd go on the assumption that it was worth not taking chances. I think that for a few months after initially sustaining damage ears might be more sensitive to further insults. But again, don't let excessive worry or paranoia about sound overshadow your life too much. On top of what billie48, said our bodies heal better generally in the absence of stress. Live as healthy and as happy as you can.

 

Thank you everyone. You've all been so helpful. I'll keep the faith and try to ignore it as much as possible until my appointment. I just hope it doesn't get worse before I see the ENT.

 

Well I think this counts as an update though I'm not sure. My left ear got really hot starting last night and my whole body's been burning up ever since. I called my doctor again but they cant see me until tomorrow. That would be fine if I didn't think I had a fever. Dose anyone know what I should take for it? Because Iv heard that stuff like Aleve and Advil make tinnitus worse. If this is in the wrong place on this webpage please let me know. Thank you for your patience. I'm sure I'm being annoying right now.

 

I take aleve and/or Advil quite often and have never noticed a change in T. You should be fine. I have had T for 6 years. It was rough at first but my life is back to normal now. Take the advice above and you'll do well.

 

@Shadgirl Were you able to determine and treat the cause(s) of your Tinnitus? Because I have pretty much the same symptoms.