Please, if you can, offer some help for my mom.
She is 70 years old and has tinnitus. She has had it for a few months, but at first it was not really noticeable to her. She thought it was just the sound of air in the room. However, due to stress, it has become much louder. She says it sounds like whooshing or like air moving. Could this be pulsatile tinnitus?
It is often very loud, and even with the television on, she can still hear it. She is very distressed. She has been taking a blood pressure medication (Amlodipine) for years to manage high blood pressure. Should she switch to something else? Although this tinnitus started long after she began taking it—years later—I wonder if it could still be related.
She has also been on a PPI on and off for about a year because she suffers from severe acid reflux that causes significant chest pain. She is thinking of stopping the PPI but still needs something to manage the acid. Additionally, she has taken Lorazepam (Ativan) on and off when needed for anxiety. She has not used it long term, which I understand can be a concern.
She has an upcoming appointment with her family doctor and will also be seeing an ENT, but the wait is long. I am not sure how much they will be able to help.
Should I take her to an audiologist? Should we consider a hearing aid? Is there anything else we could try? I also thought about starting therapy for her. I am not sure if what she is experiencing is pulsatile tinnitus or regular tinnitus. It is in both ears and constant. I asked her if it follows her heartbeat, but she is not sure. She just describes it as a windy or whooshing noise.
Thank you for any help you can offer.
She is 70 years old and has tinnitus. She has had it for a few months, but at first it was not really noticeable to her. She thought it was just the sound of air in the room. However, due to stress, it has become much louder. She says it sounds like whooshing or like air moving. Could this be pulsatile tinnitus?
It is often very loud, and even with the television on, she can still hear it. She is very distressed. She has been taking a blood pressure medication (Amlodipine) for years to manage high blood pressure. Should she switch to something else? Although this tinnitus started long after she began taking it—years later—I wonder if it could still be related.
She has also been on a PPI on and off for about a year because she suffers from severe acid reflux that causes significant chest pain. She is thinking of stopping the PPI but still needs something to manage the acid. Additionally, she has taken Lorazepam (Ativan) on and off when needed for anxiety. She has not used it long term, which I understand can be a concern.
She has an upcoming appointment with her family doctor and will also be seeing an ENT, but the wait is long. I am not sure how much they will be able to help.
Should I take her to an audiologist? Should we consider a hearing aid? Is there anything else we could try? I also thought about starting therapy for her. I am not sure if what she is experiencing is pulsatile tinnitus or regular tinnitus. It is in both ears and constant. I asked her if it follows her heartbeat, but she is not sure. She just describes it as a windy or whooshing noise.
Thank you for any help you can offer.
