Already Struggled with Depression and Anxiety — And Now Tinnitus for Several Weeks

Hello. I'm Gen and I've been struggling with tinnitus for several weeks now. Saw an ENT and it seems that I am just going to have to learn to deal with this. Has anyone tried anything that has helped? I already struggle with anxiety and depression and this has made it much worse. Any suggestions would be so much appreciated!

 

Hey! I’m pretty new to tinnitus as well (~3 months), but here are some tips.

1. Use masking sounds to get throughout the day. Maybe invest in an in-ear masker or hearing aid.

2. Stay active to get your mind off of it.

3. Exercise. A healthy body is a healthy mind.

4. This is controversial, but maybe ask your PCP for a benzo to help you on the bad days.

5. Lastly, stay hopeful. We live in a blessed time for tinnitus sufferers. It is almost guaranteed we will see a treatment in our lifetime.

 

HI @Gen61,

Do you have any idea what might have caused the tinnitus? Do you regularly use headphones, earbuds or wear a headset? Have you been working in a noisy environment or listening to loud music through speakers or in the car? Have you experienced tinnitus before even for a short while?

If yes to any of the above please let me know and will try and help you further.

Michael

 

There is still a chance that in about a month your tinnitus will begin fading. If that happens, it ought to continue to fade.

You will want to make sure that you don't hurt your ears during this period of vulnerability as your body is healing. You will want to avoid taking ototoxic drugs, avoid microsuction or syringing (performed when you need to clean wax out of your ears; a manual tool should be used), and not let your dental hygienist use an ultrasonic scaling tool on you (a manual tool should be used). For more details, see

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

 

Thank you for all the responses. I really do appreciate it.

Michael - I don't really know what caused it. I was slightly ill when it started and thought I was coming down with something but it may have just been allergies.

 

Hey Gen! I also struggle with both anxiety/panic and depression. Tinnitus did make it so much worse, but I guess the only thing I can tell you to keep you going is that it gets better. My tinnitus started over 4 months ago and it has improved a LOT. The first week it was insanely loud. Now, it does not bother me nearly as much and I guess I just got habituated to it. That's another thing... if your tinnitus ends up not improving very much you can and probably will habituate and get used to it. It used to scare and worry me but now it's just more annoying and frustrating and I wish it would just go away. I wish the best of luck with you and your tinnitus journey <3 Everything will be ok. If you need anything, do not hesitate to message me. I know how depressed tinnitus can make you.

 

Thanks so much @tae.aot. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

 

HI @Gen61

Using headphones or earbuds are common causes of tinnitus. If you use them even at low volume this is likely the cause of your tinnitus.

Please click on the links below and read my posts. If you use headphones or earbuds, I advise you to stop using them immediately.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

Thanks Michael. I don't wear earbuds often but I do have to wear headphones 4-5 hours a week to provide my services virtually. Maybe that is the cause.

 

Sorry to tell you @Gen61 Headphones, earbuds are the most common cause of tinnitus. I suspected this already but decided to go through the motions. Many people in this forum have noise induced tinnitus caused by headphones. Please read my articles in the link.

Take care
Michael

 

Headphones and earbuds are harmful even if you don't use loud volumes? Is this suspicion or fact? Do any experts know why this might be?

If this was true, it would seem to me that there is going to be a tinnitus epidemic.

 

How are you doing now? Any progress?

 

The growth of hearing loss amongst the total population is accelerating. It's also becoming slightly more prevalent to younger age groups. Since tinnitus is a common symptom of hearing loss, it stands to reason that it will increase at a similar rate. Source:

Addressing Estimated Hearing Loss in Adults in 2060

 

Quite a few of us here have had bad experiences with headphones. If you're looking for a reason from 'experts' you will probably not find it. Sadly, research is severely lacking.

 

I certainly understand that the use of headphones and earbuds at high volume would result in hearing loss and tinnitus. It’s the following statement that has me confused:

If this is true, what is the science behind it? Lack of airflow to ear parts? Inability of ear pressure to equalize??

 

I have no science data on noise induced tinnitus and headphones to give you. I have personal experience, corresponding with people that have noise induced tinnitus, who returned to using headphones at low volume and the tinnitus got worse. The choice is yours if you want to use headphones but I don't recommend it even at low volume, if your tinnitus is noise induced.

Take care,
Michael