Hello Everyone — Tinnitus Started 6 Weeks Ago Out of the Blue

I've been reading this forum, for a few weeks now and it does give a lot of comfort, so decided to join and try and contribute and maybe get some advice. My tinnitus started around 6 weeks ago, out of the blue, I say out of the blue, I've had a lot of bother with my ears for about a year now. This all started with pain I used to get in my right ear, at first it was mild and slightly bothersome, then around April this year the pain got worse and worse. Then around 6 weeks ago the pain in my left ear started and not long after, tinnitus reared itself. I've had hearing tests, they are perfectly fine, I have problems with my sinuses and the doctors have examined my ears and they say I have fluid behind the eardrum. My dentist examined me and he said I have TMJ on both sides, so I guess both of these factors could be a reason behind the tinnitus?

I have no idea yet how to scale the level of tinnitus I experience, other than it's there constant, sometimes a lot louder than others, sometimes just visible. I'd like to think it never gets any louder than what I experience at its loudest for me but I doubt I have had it at its worst. Through years of having anxiety and learning techniques to cope with that, it seems to help with my ability to manage to live with the tinnitus (for now anyway).

I have an ENT appointment Sep 3rd, I'm hoping this shows up the cause for what's going on and if there's a solution, if not, then I guess I will have to try and learn to live with it. I have seen some really sad stories on here, I hope I never experience that level of despair but it's good to know I'm not alone, as explaining to my partner what it's like, she just does not understand.

Thanks for reading.

 

Hi @MickSmith72 - as a fellow new member of the forum, I welcome you! Sorry to hear about what you're going through. To offer some encouragement, at least you've already identified some issues that could have contributed to the onset of your tinnitus. Hopefully that knowledge will make the real cause of your T more easily identifiable. Best of luck at your ENT appointment, and I hope they are able to address these problems in a way that will begin your healing process! In the meantime, like you said, you can find comfort in talking with the members of this community.

 

How are things for you? is it really bad, or not so bad?

 

May I ask if you have had a history of overexposure to loud noise? Concerts, loud headphones, firearms without hearing protection.

 

Fortunately for me things are on the more mild side right now. I've technically had tinnitus for about 6 years, the first time from loud noise, but after a little while it pretty much faded into being totally negligible. Last month I re-aggravated it with more loud noise exposure after forgetting to wear ear protection, and now I can hear a ring when I'm in quiet places, or if I focus on it. Luckily I can mask the ringing with almost any external sound, but I am obviously hoping that this will not be permanent. I want to be able to be able to experience silence again. Hopefully in some time things will return back to the way they were.

 

No nothing like that at all, i've always been as careful as possible, throughout adult life

 

Right now with me it's like i know it's there, it's not really low but it's almost like i've accepted it's there and just see it as normal now. Starting to learn now though what noises do aggravate it and which are fine, sometimes it's the simplest of things that will make it worse.

 

Check with a doctor for medicines that may be ototoxic (harmful to hearing).

Look into other possibilities like head/facial nerve injuries.

 

I would say it's a kind of good thing that you're used to it..I still think you have something to be optimistic about though given the knowledge you already have about your ear issues. Hopefully your ENT can look into those further. Hang in there!

 

I have been on Trazodone for over 5 years now for sleeping problems, just after the Tinnitus appeared my doctor upped my usual dose of 100mg to 150mg. This seemed to spike my Tinnitus no end, to the worst i have experienced, so i've dropped back down again and things have settled some.

 

check to see if it is ototoxic or not. Express this concern with your doctor.

 

I don't see it but it's interesting to know that Lansoprazole , which i started about 6 weeks before the Tinnitus appeared, is listed as ototoxic and i was put on quite a high dose

My mistake Oleptro another name for (Trazodone) is also listed

 

Sorry i missed this response, i do have some hope especially after a visit to the dentist yesterday.The appointment wasn't about my TMJ but he took the time out to show me something, he did a few different exercises, trying to pinpoint something, one of them totally changed the tone of my tinnitus and reduced the level down to almost non-existent.

 

That sounds very promising!