Hello! I'm Newbie.

I'm so glad that I found this site. I was so lost when I got tinnitus. In October, I went to an edm music festival and I wasn't aware that I was too near to the soundbox and also I was on the front line. My friends were fine the next day but I wasn't. When I got back home, I instantly knew that my ears had to take a rest 'cause I heard the sounds and the voices lower than that I usually hear. And also, I was sick at that time which I didn't realize 'cause I was so excited that I finally had to go to the music festival. I didn't knkw that this would change my life.

The next day, I heard the ringing very loud and my right ear felt like it was clogged or muffled. I panicked and worried that I might damage my ears last night. For the first week, it was a disaster to me. I got depression, anxiety and got panicked when I heard the noise that were too loud. I don't want to damage my ears again. So, I searched about the ringing and I found many medical news that I haven't heard about it in my entire life, well now I know about it, tinnitus.

It sucks that I didn't know that I should wear ear plugs when I go to such loud festivals. But the first time when I went there, my ears were totally fine, only the temporary ringing after the festival and the next morning it was gone. But not this time. I got depressed that I lost appetite and anxious and paranoid when I heard the loud noises. I lost hope and I felt useless and I was tired. I distanced myself from my family and friends and cried a lot because I am still young and I don't want to live with this ringing for the rest of my life and fearing that I might lose my hearing. Later, I realized that I needed help and I talked about it to my friends and family. But I've learned that you got to tell about it to the ones that will try to understand about the thing you are going through. Some don't understand and think you are just overreacting or over-worrying. I couldn't even concentrate reading which is my favorite hobby and I thought I would not be able to read in a silent place. Haha. And I didn't listen to music too loud with my earphones and now I don't even use earphones at all. It's just that one stupid decision that is going to the front which is too near for my ears to listen to the loud beats.

I wasn't myself for the whole first week. And I went to see the ear, nose and throat specialist doctor and it turned out that there is no damage to the outer and middle ears and the inner ear got the impact very much. He gave me medicine to take but I had some headaches when I took the pills. I don't think they helped me reducing tinnitus but I got relief. I need to go see him again 'cause I can still hear the ringing but it's not that severe like before. For now, I can hear it in a quiet room and when I lay down in my bed and when I go to sleep. I hear the whole ringing when I cover my ears but without covering, I hear like the sound that emits from the TV. The level of the ringing reduces very slowly day by day. Sometimes, for a few seconds, I have spikes to the ringing from both of my ears like I have spike from the right ear or from the left ear, not having spikes from both of them at the same time. I didn't know how my left ear developed some soft hissing sound with the ringing and now I have it. And sometimes I heat a popping sound from my right ear without even swallowing. Mostly, the tinnitus I got is from loud noise exposure but it can also be because of my sickness at that time. I have it for like one month and a half now and I hope and still wish that it goes away.

But I can concentrate more on what I'm studying and on reading and the good thing is I don't hear it when I do something. So I keep myself busy. I'm very careful to my ears and when I feel like I can't stand to the sound or think that the noise is too loud, I put on a chunk of cotton in my ears and yes I need to buy ear plugs for hearing protection. I'm doing well now although it started out very bad. I still have depression and also anxiety but not that bad like before. So yeah this is my introduction. I was so scared at first that I could sh*t in my pants. It's like a plot twist in a book I was doing fine and the next I have tinnitus boom. Well, like my friend said, I just have to deal with it. It's useless that I kept blaming to myself and regretting about going there that day, thinking that why am I the only one who have it 'cause my friends are totally fine. I just have to make good use of the lemons that life gives. And also, I have experienced about this and I can make awareness about it to my community. I now know how to take care of myself more. I start to meditate more and I go out walking or jogging in the mornings for my health. It's like I totally change my lifestyle. And most importantly, I learn and know more about myself and my life.

I'm still struggling but I'm doing better. Sorry for the long thread (not really ) Any thoughts and advices are welcomed. Have a great day Don't forget to chin up, be badass and slay \m/

 

Welcome to tinnitus talk.
You have come a long way in coping with your tinnitus.
Keep up the positivity...lots of love glynis

 

Hi @K.Sarah and welcome.
Please click on the link below as you might find the information helpful on tinnitus.
All the best
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/