Hearing Loss and Tinnitus

Hi there,

I'm having some issues and I think I am actually going to go crazy. I lost some hearing in my left hear in early March, I went to the doctors after finding that none of the treatment from the chemist was working, in which they used a machine (water!) to remove a lump of wax. I could hear better for about an hour before my bad hearing returned.

Since Monday this week, I've been experiencing Tinnitus, usually in bouts of around 30 seconds to a minute before it would stop. I've always experienced some tinnitus when lying down, particularly with my right ear on the pillow, so my left ear in the air. Then since last night, I started to experience tinnitus from around 10pm when sitting down, and I've had it pretty much constantly since then (although it does go away if I lie with my ear against the pillow!).

I'm only 22, so I'm pretty worried about this - particularly permanent hearing loss. I am actually going crazy with it and feel like crying out of pure frustration. What could be causing this sudden onset? The doctor says that there is no more wax left in my ear and there doesn't see, to be signs of infection. The doctor was genuinely baffled by it.

Please help

 

Ano, welcome to the board. We understand and have true empathy for your fear. Most of us have gone through the initial stage of tinnitus. I particularly have hearing loss in the high frequency. So my tinnitus is loud and ultra high pitched. At first I was very scared and nervous like you. Didn't know what to do. Then it got worse as I also developed piercingly hurtful hyperacusis. All normal sounds hurt. I remember all the panic attacks that I suffered daily and hourly. So given your new condition with tinnitus and fear of hearing loss, I understand your feeling. Don't be too hard on yourself though. You probably need more medical consultation on your ears. If the doctors clear you of anything wrong, then rest your heart.

Your T being so new may just fade or disappear. If the ringing is really hard to bear, consider masking it with some music or nature sounds. You can probably download some free Apps to MP3 or mobile phone. I myself just download some nature sounds from Amazon to my ipod using itune. If you have a laptop or PC, you can download some free sound generators. I personally used Aire Freshener which is free to download. Google it. Very easy to set up. Knowing that you can use masking to block off the T ringing can help calm your nerve.

Worst come to worst, get some anxiety medicine from your doctor if you are still very anxious, or if the condition robs you of your sleep. But don't worry, the bad time will pass. You won't always be so scared or annoyed by the T ringing. I had my T a few years back which knocked me out badly. But today I am back to normal, living an enjoyable and productive life and drug free. There are many success stories here. Try read them to give you some comfort & hope for the future. Take care & God bless your recovery.

 

Hi Ano,

I know what you mean: I am only 21 and am scared that I am going to have this T for the rest of my life. But try not to worry. You are young which gives you a good chance of recovering.

Sounds like your T has been brought on by hearing loss. Again, some people can recover from hearing loss, though I must stress a lot of people don't. What is confusing me is that it seemed like your hearing loss had been caused by wax, and it went away for an hour before it came back after the wax was gone. Is there possibly another reason for your hearing loss i.e. loud music?

I have thought I was going crazy with T - and on some occasions still do! But you do get used to it. You mentioned that your T goes away when lying with your ear on your pillow - I believe that is a good sign. When T disappears it is a sign that it is not going to be permanent. As @billie48 mentioned before, try to block the sound out with background noise, particularly when you are going to bed if you struggle to sleep. Sleep is very important when you have T, so if you are still struggling perhaps go to the doctor and ask for some help in that area.

As for your hearing loss, how bad is it? Have you considered hearing aids? Some people have found they can help.

Let us know how you get on!

 

Thank you so much for your replies. I've always had some 'T' to some extent from the age of around 13. It would only happen when I was lying down and the ear was in the air. In my post, I made it sound like it was only the ear that is effected now, but it actually happens on both sides. It doesn't happen every night, and it has never occurred in both ears at the same time (thankfully - as it means I just have to sleep on my other side!). It was only up until very recently (the last few weeks) that I actually found out this wasn't normal.

I don't think music causes it. I listen to music when I go to work and sometimes during work, but not extremely loud (as I still need to listen for the phone and people talking to me etc). Other than that, I don't operate loud equipment or go to concerts a lot or anything like that.

The sound I hear isn't really a screeching noise. It sounds sort of like the noise you have when you put your ear into a shell, or perhaps even like the wind blowing? It also pulses, so it isn't a constant sound - I think perhaps in time with my heartbeat? I read that's normal on the NHS website, though. But it's enough to drive me crazy, and if I'm honest I think I'd prefer it to be a constant noise rather than a pulsing, as at least with a constant noise I'd (hope anyway) eventually forget about it, but since it pulses, I'm continually reminded.

I'm back off to the doctors today anyway, as the T has gotten worse over the past 24 hours - it's now pretty much constantly happening

 

Actually @Ano that sounds more like Pulisating T to me - why not post in the section dedicated to PT just below this section? Unfortunately I don't know much about PT, but it sounds like you have had some form of it for a while.

 

Oh, that has me scared ! I didn't realise there was more than one type, and after some googling I read that PT could be fatal and that it is usually indicative of a blood problem somewhere?!

Well, just got back from the doctors, he thinks some tube behind my ear drum is blocked (forgot the name!) and has prescribed a nasal spray for 2 weeks. Wish I saw your message so I could of mentioned that it was pulsating, I never thought it - it never even crossed my mind that it would make a difference

 

Don't panic - there are people who have PT and are fine. Besides if it was something very serious I think there would be other signs.

I am by no means an expert, but I believe that your sound could be because of the blood flow in your head. Sometimes if you are not getting sufficent blood flow it can cause the PT. Again, don't take my word for it, but it would explain why you only hear the noise sometimes i.e. the blood flows is fine at times which is why you don't hear the noise, but when you are sitting it doesn't.

Again, I am not entirely sure. Use the nasal spray in any case - it won't harm you. When you go back in 2 weeks (that is if the noise has not already gone, and it possibly could) mention the sound to him.

 

Ano, in all the 5 years I have been browsing tinnitus support boards, I have read many people with PT and none of them associated it with fatality. So you should relax that PT is not an end game for most people. If you like, you can message Karen with a conversation. Karen is quite experienced with PT and is a notable contributing member here.