All Hell Has Broken Loose

Hey all,

Just wanted to introduce myself and get some support. I'm really struggling to come to terms with tinnitus that started 5 weeks ago. My name's Hayley...I'm a Nurse living in the north of Scotland.

I just gave birth to my son Isaac 9 weeks ago and everything was AWESOME!!

5 weeks ago I had a bad virus/cold which left fluid in both my ears. which caused the tinnitus.

Ever since that day I feel all hell has broken loose. I'm no longer that person I was. I live every day with this gut wrenching knot in my stomach. That my life is over because of this consuming fear I have of a sound my own body is driving me insane with!!!

Even as I write it... It seems absurd that a sound could do this to someone!! Should I not be adjusting to this 5 weeks in??

 

Hi... Welcome ...
You have come to the right place for support.
We all have been through this T like you.
It is normal to be panicky.
But, eventually, you need to habituate with your T.
I am sure that there will be more info provided to you
by other T members.

 

My T also startet together with a bad cold 2 months ago. 5 weeks is really short from what i‘ve read on this site.

Have you seen an ENT? Do you take any nasal spray?

 

Hi Hayley,

Sorry to hear this has happened to you.
T comes charging into your life as a massive shock.
I found myself here a few years back also looking for support.
There are lots of great folk here who will hopefully soon pitch-in with their own advice @glynis @fishbone @Michael Leigh

Basically, as I see it (after Three years) you need to :-

1 Remain calm - hard I know - especially with a newborn baby
2 Be as busy and distracted as you can - should be easier with a baby
3 Use background sound / noise ( Not Guns and Roses !! ) like talk radio or nature sounds
4 Avoid headphones and noisy situations - as they may aggravate Mr T - I know...the baby !!!
5 I find simple foam earplugs ( properly inserted ) take the edge off if things get noisy and they give my ears a rest
6 Eat well - avoid sugary and salty foods - as they can aggravate for some.
7 Sleep as well as you can...ahh the baby ! Maybe dad can take some night shifts I found Nytol helped a little.

Just tell yourself that things will improve and you will get calmer, care about it less and then notice it less.

Oh by the way...I am married to a Nurse and she still doesn't understand Mr Tinitus and the havoc he wreaks. Let alone his evil friend Doctor Hyperacusis. Mind you she has little sympathy unless a limb is hanging off or you have lost half of your circulating blood...then she may get out a plaster

Nurses rock though...you are all Angels X

 

@McCormick29

HI Hayley,

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear that you are going through a difficult time with tinnitus at the moment.
Congratulations on having Isaac. With all that is required having a new born to keep you occupied, hopefully the tinnitus will soon subside. @Kelvin has given you some great advice so please follow it. I'm going to have to keep my eye on him as he's stealing my limelight. Just kidding Kelvin!

Please read my post below Hayley and hope that you start to feel better soon.
All the best
Michael.

New to tinnitus what to do?

The onset of tinnitus can be difficult for a lot of people to cope with. It comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. When it is mild, moderate or occasionally heard in quiet surroundings it is usually not too bothersome and a person can go about their daily affairs quite happily and unperturbed by this anomaly. This type of tinnitus usually comes on gradually and in some cases it’s associated with hearing loss, as we get older and the usual treatment is the wearing of hearing aid/s.

Tinnitus can be also be caused by an underlying medical problem, build up of ear wax (cerumen). Jaw problems. Some medications and even irregular blood flow through the body causing Pulsatile tinnitus. One of the most common causes is exposure to loud noise or music that has been played at high levels that can affect the cochlea in the ear. This type of tinnitus can be loud, intrusive and very debilitating. Often leaving a person at a loss and not knowing which way to turn to escape the noise. I fully understand how difficult it can be for someone new to this condition to take this in and believe it to be factual.

If you are having difficulty sleeping you might have been advised to try a night time sedation or an ant-depressant to help cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies tinnitus. These medications can be helpful especially in the early stages and they don’t have to be taken long term, so it’s something to consider. They can act as a safety net so you don’t become too down.

A referral to ENT will usually be recommended. In the mean time try to keep occupied with something you like doing, as it helps to distract the brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Avoiding quiet rooms during the day by playing low-level non-intrusive music such as classical in the background can be helpful.

At night a sound machine placed by the bedside playing nature sounds or listening to favourite mp3 tracks or Cds are good. Keeping the volume just below the tinnitus is ideal and set to play throughout the night until morning. It takes time to get used to sound therapy so please stay with it. Whilst in a deep sleep it supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background helping to make its perception less noticeable during waking hours.

In the early stages of tinnitus, if one chooses not to use sound enrichment sleeping can sometimes be difficult and there is also the chance of the tinnitus becoming more intrusive as sleeping in a quiet room can allow the brain to increase it’s own background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it more intrusive during waking hours.

There is a tendency for newbies to try and cure their tinnitus which is quite understandable. There are many remedies, treatments and concoctions out there. Some affordable others quite expensive. I am not averse to trying to help myself but want to say, there are charlatans and con artists eager to relieve someone in distress of their money so please be careful. Even tried and tested treatments I wouldn’t recommend a person try until they have been seen at ENT. Often a person after been seen at ENT is advised to wait a while.

Many people habituate to tinnitus within six months sometimes a little longer and it has been known to go away. The ear is a very delicate organ and many Doctors prefer to wait before investigating further and then suggesting a treatment. If other problems are experienced such as: pain in the ears, deafness, dizziness or balance problems this is of more concern and a person will usually been seen quicker.

It is best to have a word with your GP if you’re feeling stressed or depressed in any way, as previously mentioned there are treatments available. Leaving things alone until your ENT advises you of the next step is the best thing to do in my opinion. Don’t try to fix anything or throw large sums of money at treatments that you have no way of knowing whether you’ll get any relief.

I advise not to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume especially if the tinnitus was "noise induced" and keep away from loud sounds. By all means go out but anywhere that plays loud music then wearing noise-reducing earplugs, the type that has attenuation filters would be a good idea. 18 to 30 decibels reduction should suffice. While reducing external sound they will not impair sound quality.

Michael

 

The most common case or cases for tinnitus, is sound damage to the ears. Your tinnitus could possibly fade and get much better, just hang in there. Controlling the stress and protection of the ears, are crucial from this point on. If you feel that you are overwhelmed with everything, do possibly try to find a therapist and talk things out. Simply talking to someone face to face can be very helpful.

Tinnitus/life is day by day. Take it slow, enjoy your new child and try to remain calm....

Bless.....

 

Hello McCormick29 I like you am new to the T world. Surprise, anguish and the question 'Why, why why?' I am finding out means you are human. Mine happened when my phone somehow rang directly into my ear. In one second everything changed, just when, as with you, my life was really coming together. In the several weeks I have been on this forum I have learned that this is i) normal, and ii) no matter how cliche it sounds, you can move on. The suggestions and support contained in this forum are really, really helpful. You are not alone, you are now able to talk to a whole bunch of people who understand you, support you and who can all relate to you.

Mine was loud, and in several weeks it changes in volume, even occassionally stopping, giving hope, and then it is angry for some time, as it is while I write this. I am finding out, as with others, that this is the hard part where you felt good, and then back to reality it seems, and all you can do is be strong, listen to the suggestions contained in this forum, as in the above comments. As a nurse, you have strength of character, something I have known all nurses to have. Now is the time to pull on that, look at that wonderful child of yours, his father, smile and be strong for not only the both of them, but also you and the wonderful future you will have. This is a tough time, but so are you. There is a future for you. If it is hard to see, go look in your child's eyes, have your husband give you the hug you need, think of his first and tenth, and so on birthdays, and remind yourself YOU can do this.

You have come to the right forum, best of luck, best wishes, and use your strength, and the strength of your family to keep going on.
Sincerely, John CC

 

I know how you feel. I've got a toddler and I'm afraid about my future. Maybe we should start a white house .Gov petition to get these hearing loss drugs fast tracked. This is an emergency.

 

@McCormick29 ,
Welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
Congratulations on your little baby.
Tinnitus can be caused through childbirth through the preasure bearing down and also hormones but could be your ear infection also and anaemia ,anxity and stress are just a few reasons.

Tinnitus invades our life and comes with lot's of unwanted emotions and lack of sleep on top can soon have you feeling low.

Try take up any offer of help with night feeds so you get some rest or a break in the day.
Keeping relaxing music on in the background is a nice distraction and out in the fresh air or Windows open.

Keep posting for support as we are here around the clock and lovely support from members whom understand what your going through in the early days and weeks etc.

love glynis

 

Welcome and grats on the little one. Don't pressure yourself into adjusting as I think that puts more focus on it. I am officially 8 months in and I am adjusting a little some days and others not so much.

Have hope also that your may go away with time!!!

 

I read somewhere that it can take at least 18 months to get habituated to moderate tinnitus.

I believe that many people who got T as a result of being sick (and not as a result of an acoustic trauma) get to eventually hear silence again.

The first few months are the hardest. There is still a good chance that your T will begin fading soon, and that even if the worst happens and your T is permanent, the sound you will be stuck with will be less intense than the sound you are hearing now.

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

We all here can totally relate to what you're going through:
"Ever since that day I feel all hell has broken loose. I'm no longer that person I was. I live every day with this gut wrenching knot in my stomach. That my life is over because of this consuming fear I have of a sound my own body is driving me insane with!!!"
But the reality is that you will actually get used to it and get back to leading a normal life and I know its absolutely impossible to believe this right now, but its true, so please keep this in mind when you start thinking that "life is over" because its not really going to be anything like that at all.
And the reason is, our brains have a way of dealing with it over time, like about 1 or 2 years, sort of like developing a mental callous, where it will no longer cause gut wrenching anxiety and sleepless nights, but unfortunately its a painfully slow process with many up and down cycles, but it does happen, so its important to know that you will be able to get back to a new normal life again and the schrill may still be there, but it sort of becomes a background noise.
However, the above is a worst case scenario and since you're young and probably got T from a cold, I would bet your Tinnitus reduces to barely noticeable in about 6 months or less.