Hello There! My Name Is Ben...

…and I have tinnitus! I’m 23.

In February 2015, I had a really bad cold, probably the worst I’ve ever had. It took me about 2 weeks to properly shake it off, and just when I thought I was back to normal, I woke up with a high pitched noise in my left ear. Initially, I thought nothing of it but it gradually got worse and worse, until I had to head to A&E (I’m from the UK) because it was so loud. The doctor told me that I had a very bad case of ‘Glue Ear’ and my Eustachian tubes could be blocked. He told me to sit tight and let me body overcome it naturally – so I did.

A few days went by and the sound got less and less – I actually think it disappeared altogether at one point. Then out of the blue, I was driving along and my left ear started crackling, almost like shaking a bottle of Coke and letting it fizz. After 5-10 seconds of that, the high pitched sound was back in my left ear. Accompanying this tinnitus was my left ear popping every 5-10 seconds. I soon learnt that I could play with the popping by moving my jaw, and by moving my jaw in a different way could change the way it popped. I was almost making music with it, and it has been something to play with when I’m bored.

After a few weeks, I decided I should probably go to the doctor again (I hate going to the doctors). He told me that it was perfectly normal to still be experiencing some tinnitus and to stick with it, it could take 3-6 months to clear properly – so on I went.

After about 4 months more of the constant popping and the (albeit fairly quiet but still noticeable) high pitched noise, I went back again and saw a different doctor. He told me this time that my glue ear was fine, but the Eustachian tubes were still blocked. He asked me about the amount of mucus my nose naturally produces and I told him that since February I wake up with a runny nose most mornings. He gave me some antihistamines to be taken every day and a nasal spray to be sprayed twice a day. He thought that allergies were causing the mucus to block my Eustachian tube. Since I started this prescription, I no longer have a runny nose every morning (which I’m happy about) but the popping and tinnitus is still there. I have good weeks and bad weeks just like everyone else, but I have accepted that this might be forever and I’m okay with that.

The thing that interests me the most, is that everything is associated with my left ear, which is also the side that I have a wisdom tooth problem – the little sod can’t decide whether to come through or not.

If anyone wants to talk, or is interested by my story, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Good luck!

 

Welcome and thanks for sharing your story. What impress me in your above quote. It is really the secret of habituation. Acceptance of the reality of living with T and not putting up a painful resistance can lead the brain to not treating T as a threat. As such, after some time of hardening to the sound, the brain will learn to fade out T more and more when it is busy with other stuffs more important in life. Time is on our side if we have this positive attitude.

 

Hi, I got tinnitus as well. I only 22, got it before you . Well I only had mine about a month now but I am coming to terms with it, I have my good and bad days as well. I am sleeping ok again, just dam tinnitus keeps waking me up.

Hopefully we both can recover. Good luck and try not let the tinnitus take control, even on the bad days