Hello, I'm New Here

Hello everyone,

I've been dealing with ringing in my ears for nearly 5 years now. It's more strong in my left ear,but sometimes it alternates to my right ear. It all started one night while listening to some music. Some days I get a very loud ring in my right ear,so much so that I can sorta feel it,kinda makes my eye twitch and then it calms down, though strangely enough that sorta thing has happened on occasion long before I had tinnitus.

Suddenly common noises are alot louder than they use to be. A dish breaking on the floor sounds like loud crash in my ears.

I have been to a doctor,Had a brain scan,was given some type of prescription that failed. Seen a ENT and was told my ears were in the healthy range and they could not pin point the cause of it. I was even told that trying to find the source of tinnitus was very difficult.

Since then I have been having ok days and worse days. Some days it's so intrusive that I cannot find peace,other days I'm too busy to notice it. Or I do notice but I am too busy to give it a second thought. I have also found my life changed for the worse.

I have rarely left my home outside for 4 years,I'm too afraid to enjoy the things I once did,I keep my tv volume on so low that no can really hear it,I haven't been able to enjoy the company of others because the noise is too loud. Music one the many things I used to enjoy,I am too afraid to even try.

I have read so many articles on tinnitus with some claiming tinnitus won't get worse and then others that says it will when listening to anything too loud to which I have no idea what noise is considered too loud . I've seen so many different treatments I guess you can say to coping with the ringing but I have no idea which ones to try and I am too afraid any of will just worsen my condition.

The ENT Specialist recommended I try masking the noise but leaving the fan on doesn't help.I've tired static,rain and various others but none of them has masked the noise. I just hear it over everything.

And lastly there are the very dark days, the days I hate the most where my thoughts travel to places I've never want even dream of going. But my thoughts casually drift there because I so much just want one day of silence, one night where I can sleep without having to force myself to stay up for odd hours of the night till i just pass out.

I glanced this forum a couple of times over the years and I've read many posts and how very many are learning to cope with Tinnitus. I am hopeful that maybe I can find some success as well so I can enjoy living my life again.

 

Welcome to the forum. From your description, it is obvious that you have had some degree of hyperacusis to go with your tinnitus. T & H are very tough to deal with together at the same time. That was what I had at one time, ultra high pitch screaming T and severe H. H turned all normal sounds so loud and so piercingly hurtful. It was hard to live with both of these monsters together. So I have empathy for your struggle with them. H usually comes after high pitch T and will create havoc in our lives it is also the one which will fade away for many of its victims, myself included. If you don't have H now, and only T is bothersome, then perhaps you can read up the success story 'Back to Silence' by IWLM. He has bad T for 40 years and then miraculously he found a simple method helping him to turn around his suffering. Take care. God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/

If you want to check out my success story on my journey with T & H, here is the link:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...w-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

 

Welcome @Lance27 . I have no experience with hyperacusis, and wish I had no experience with tinnitus.

Sadly, as you read this forum, you will learn that tinnitus can get worse. But, everyone's tinnitus is different. Just because many here have had their tinnitus worsen, many others have not. Also, many have learned to deal with the symptoms, and others have had their symptoms decrease and even vanish.

There is always hope. Regardless of your particular symptom changes (or lack of changes), this forum will provide you with information (search out posts my @Michael Leigh ), hope (search out posts from @billie48 and @Bobbie7 ), and many of the members, far to many to call out individually, are incredibly supportive.

This is a group that no one joined voluntarily, and the bar to entry is suffering tinnitus (with the option of hyperacusis added in); but a group that supports its members.

You will find many people who share your symptoms, and the problems they cause (e.g. not being able to leave the house, etc..)

I, personally, along with many others here, truly understand what you are feeling in relation to the "dark days". I am not 100% certain where your thoughts are traveling to, but please do not give in to them. It may seem as though there is no hope, or that you have no strength left to deal with your suffering. You may even be considering extremely drastic measures to end your suffering once and for all. Do not give in. We know how you are feeling. We will be here for you. This is a forum, so a reply may take a little time, but please wait. Someone will post something that will provide you comfort and/or hope. Even if not in a direct response to your post; you will find comfort in replies to posts by other members. Even though we do not, really, know each other; due to the commonality of our afflictions, we know each other reasonably well. This common suffering automatically makes us sisters and brothers in arms. We are all fighting the same battles; and you will find that like soldiers; we have each other's backs. This is an amazing community; filled with kind; caring; generous people, all helping each other.

Do not let the darkness win, there is always hope.

I hope you find what you need here; I wish you the best. Please keep us updated on your progress.