Grateful to Have Found You

[gitupagin]

I am reading alot of helpful posts on this site. Thank you. It really matters that other people are experiencing and coping with this T that I've unfortunately become acquainted with myself. About 1 month ago I returned from a long overseas flight. I'd had a virus/cold while over in Europe. After getting home here to the USA, I developed a swollen ear and took antibiotics for it. Then an ENT gave me steroids. After stopping the steroids at one week, I had extreme vertigo, tinnitus and hyperacusis. I've also lost much hearing in left ear. The vertigo was severe and landed me in the emergency room. But it hasn't returned after that. The other problems have hung around, though.
The only thing that helps is ear plugs right now. I am trying to keep busy and optimistic. Many of you describe your tinnitus as low, high or medium, etc.
Question: How should I know how to classify my sound? It goes higher, lower, softer, louder, etc.
Thank you for your interest.

 

[MikeP505]

@gitupagin

Hello and welcome to Tinnitus Talk. Indeed I am sorry to hear you have joined in the fun of tinnitus and all the issues that come with it. Everyone here on TT understands what you are going thru and can help you better cope and adjust to this issue. It is interesting what triggers tinnitus in people and not all triggers are the same. We all seem to have different levels of noise and some suffer hearing loss like myself (totally deaf now) and many struggle daily with hyperacusis and the pain associated with it. My tinnitus started out low in 2005 and very slowly got louder but not really bad. In 2011 I had to go in for an emergency surgery on my left kidney (only one I have) and 2 days later I woke up almost completely deaf and raging loud tinnitus.

I do not experience spikes often as mine is pretty much crazy loud all the time. Doctors cannot do a whole lot for tinnitus but may help in other areas that come up with this condition we have like sleep, anxiety etc. You must take control of the medications that may be prescribed as many can be habit forming. Research them and use them wisely. Suffering from tinnitus is not the end of the world. In the beginning it is extremely hard to cope and adjust too. As time goes on, you do adjust some, cope some and try to find things that take your mind off of this phantom noise. Your family and friends will not understand what you are dealing with and unless they experience it, they never will no matter how much you tell them.

You suffer from various levels of tinnitus and I am sure others here can better help you to understand this and know more ways to help you keep it low. Keep asking questions and keep us all posted on your progress. In time we all hope for a treatment that will put an end to tinnitus and some top scientists in the world are involved in the research. Until then you must protect your hearing well and avoid loud environments or at least bring those cheap foam earplugs with you to an event that may get loud like weddings etc.

We are all here for you my friend and hope you can find some answers to gain some relief.

Regards,

Mike

 

[gitupagin]

So nice to get your perspective, Mike. I am sorry about your medical issues, it sounds
like you've been through alot.
Even though I know that we're supposed to be here and do the best we can every day, I
can't help asking "why me"? I'd been on so many flights before, and had many viruses.
When I read everyone's stories, it seems we're each challenged to come to an acceptance
and an adjustment over time. That helps me to be more patient...

 

[Lorac]

Hello @gitupagin and welcome to the forum. I too experienced sudden and profound hearing loss in my left ear. It happened three years ago. The vertigo wiped me out at first but it is rarely an issue now. I still deal with the T and H though. I actually hear and feel noise in my deaf ear every time I hear a sound in my good ear. This drove me crazy in the beginning and I used earplugs to get through those brutal days. I still carry earplugs with me at all times but I only use them in really loud places.
Tinnitus is different things to different people. It might be roaring, beeping, squealing, hissing, crackling, etc. (I think I had all of those sounds in the beginning.) I'm not sure how loud my tinnitus is compared to other's because I can't hear theirs. I went through the "why me" stage too. It think that is a normal reaction but feeling stressed and angry tends to make the situation worse. You don't seem to be as panicked as I was at onset so kudos to you. Acceptance is key to living with it.

 

[gitupagin]

Hi Lorac,
Great to hear (!) from you... It was really upsetting at first, and still can be, but I've faced serious
issues before (depression, anxiety,etc) but I somehow persevered and went on to have amazing life experiences afterward. (Although I thought I never would again.) So I'm trying to keep that perspective... also maybe it will also just disappear one day as suddenly as it arrived....meanwhile I'm making adjustments every day and asking for healing from all positive sources...

 

[MikeP505]

@gitupagin

You are going to read so many things on here. So many people who suffer this noise for awhile have done almost everything imaginable to overcome it. It may actually help to read about the failed treatments also and better direct you in what you might consider to be the best things to try.

Yes I have been thru hell, but you know something? I can dance with that devil now and cast him aside with a flick of my wrist!! Seriously, what other options do I have? Accept it or let it kill me?

Good luck with everything and feel free to ask questions until your mind blows up. We are here for you anytime you need us!!

Make sure you see your doctor about all of this. Have a referral to an ENT ( ear nose throat) specialist. Audiologist. Get some tests done just to be sure it's not something bigger! In the long run they may not help settle your issues with tinnitus, but they can help with other things like depression, anxiety, sleep and what have you that comes along with what we go thru. Take full control of the medications prescribed. Some can be addicting.