First ENT Appointment: What to Expect?

I have my first ENT appointment coming up in about 2 weeks I'm extremely nervous for several reasons, 1. I hate anyone touching my ears! 2. I'm afraid he will stick something in my ear and make my tinnitus worse 3. I'm afraid of ear drops since I've heard horrible stories about how they cause screaming tinnitus 4. My biggest fear is that they don't take my concerns serious and say there's nothing that can be done

So here I am asking how your first visit went and what should I expect that way I won't be so anxious when my turn comes. Hope everyone is having a great day!

 

I have visited about 15 doctors. Most of them ENTS. Believe me, you will get absolutely nothing from them. The only thing that supposedly helps is talking corticosteroids if you are in the first days of your Tinnitus. When did you first experience tinnitus?

 

There's only 3 ENTs here I live in a small town so I'm already losing hope and no I've had tinnitus for about 3 years in my left ear I'm hoping something can be done to stop my right ear from getting spasms it would be nice to yawn without having my ear twitch for hours or days.

 

Hi I wouldn't expect to much from ent just tell them your concerns if it's something your not comfortable with just say..but I wouldn't worry to much

 

unfortunately don't expect anything else than : i don't see any issues, it should go away if not then learn to live with it.

 

Expect nothnig.... so every little bit you do get feels like something.
But most of the time they say... Your hearing is perfect.... T is just a sound....you should make it your friend.

Than tell him if I blow with a trumpet 24/7 in your ear do you concider me a friend or are you getting irritated by me?

It's all so easy... T is just a sound it does not hurt...learn to live with it.
But that would be the same as the following

Doctor I'm blind in one eye..... Well it does not hurt does it...you still have one eye left..learn to live with it.
Doctor I'm totaly deaf....Well it does not hurt does it...learn to live with it. Be happy you do not have tinnitus (but you could not hear him say that of course )
Doctor I'm incontinent... Well it does not hurt does it, wear a diaper...learn to live with it
Doctor I just cannot sleep at night ... Well it does not hurt does it ...you experience more of the day than others...learn to live with it

If everything was so easy and all the answers were like that... you never have to go see a doctor....you just learn to live with it

 

My ear does hurt from all the spasms but you are right I will go expecting nothing that way I won't be disappointed.

 

Ent will look in your ears, nose and throat with a flashlight. If they see inflammation they will prescribe anti biotics.. make sure these meds are not ototoxic.
Audiologist will do an audio test. Ask audiologist to do a Dpoae test to measure your haircells.
Without a Brain and Ear iac MRI. .. ENT can't see beyond your ear drum.

 

Not every ENT is 'the same', but my ENT was not a nice guy.
And I think he does not know anything about tinnitus!!!
He just don't know what a hell it is.
He gave me hope by saying 'I think you have 30% or 40% chance it will go away', and I lived with that hope. And that hope has killed me. Because I was 'waiting' for T to go.
Better was he had said: Tinnitus don't go away.
That's hard but than I could have began with 'acceptation'.....

Now living in hell for 8,5 months....

 

I felt this way two six years ago when T first occurred. I habituated naturally to it then. It took around 6 months to a year. Don't lose hope, but do change your attitude about it.

I've had a relapse and it's been 4 months. I still don't feel any better, but I still hope. I'm hoping that I'll be back to normal within the next 8 months.