Help! My first cold with Tinnitus!

Well, I knew this day would come... I now am dealing with my first cold since having tinnitus. Thank god I don't have to get on a plane anytime soon, so I don't have to worry about flying, ear and pressure issues. It's your classic winter cold: runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, achy. My ears, which have been doing pretty well lately, suddenly seem to be ringing off the hook.

Any advice on dealing with the common cold when you have tinnitus? I am assuming my spike will go away when my cold does. Thanks.

 

Same! I have a cold with tinnitus i think. Dry Throat at night and my ear too
I'm with you bro.

 

I just got over my cold, I honestly just let it run its course - which was long and painful at times. I was too scared to use medicine for the fear of a spike! I drank lots of tea with honey! Also I took shots of apple cider vinegar. Oh! and a weird concoction of cayenne pepper, honey, water, and apple cider vinegar.

I also ate very spicy red thai curry, which made me feel a lot better actually.

 

Hi LadyDi, last year I had bronchitis for a about 10 day's along with high T. Actually the T did not affect me as bad as the bronchitis, my chest was so sore it took a back seat to the loud T.
Knowing you, I am sure you will ride this out just fine...

 

Demi, I take apple cider vinegar mixed with water during the day, and straight shot before going to bed. What is the deal with adding cayenne pepper to the mix, Is this your own recipe...

 

Lol no! I read that it helps when you are congested! Which it did!

 

Take a lot a fluid and rest. I had many colds since I had T a few years back and no issue. The worst one was last Christmas on my Asia trip. Got a cold big time there but had to fly as I had no choice with a return ticket booked before the trip. There was problem to balance air pressure upon descending even with all the yawning and drinking and my ears and hearing felt like wrapped in a cocoon with my T spiking. LOL. But I stuck to being positive and keeping calm, knowing things would get back to normal, which it did after a few days. So to my Lady, don't be too worried about your cold, and don't pay too much emotional price for it.

 

When I had a flu short time ago, my tinnitus suddenly increased. I went to a doctor for relief. He, after examining me, told that I have a "Eustachian Tube Dysfunction" (that is, my eustachian tubes are blocked) due to the flu. He told me that blocked eustachian tubes can increase T.

He prescribed me two nasal sprays to open my eustachian tubes : Otrivine (nasal decongestant) and Nasonex (glucocorticosteroid to reduce inflammation of the airways). (Note: I also have allergies)

After my eustachian tubes are opened (it took about few weeks), my T. went back to the "usual" volume level.

 

Thanks to all of you who replied so quickly! You are all getting well-deserved hugs. A lot of good suggestions; I am going out to buy some Nasonex, a gallon of water and an order of hot red curry!

 

OK, thanks for the info, I'll have to get some cayenne pepper to have on hand to go along with the ACV

 

With you there. I'm dealing my first cold too! and it did get louder, my left ear which was my good felt full and there's a soft ringing now too! I've been sneezing like crazy, runny nose, dry throat at night and... well y'knpw the rest. But I do feel yoir pain,

 

I've got a cold too, so annoying! Its always in January I get ill, fine the rest of the time, all the fun stuff, sore throat, blocked ears, achy, sneezing every couple of minutes, I am starting to get a chest infection as well, happens without fail! Tinnitus louder but I know it's only temporary.

Today and yesterday I planned to just rest, but my dog was giving me sad eyes...lol, walked him in heavy rain feeling like this! Roll on the spring!

 

Yep, I got all that stuff, Anne and Mick. Amazing how many of us are getting sick.
Mick, is that your boy? He is a sweet looking dog! I love animals; my work schedule only allows me to have cats, no dogs, but I am getting a dog as soon as I retire.

 

Thanks LadyDi for providing a thread for us all to bitch about our colds and tinnitus!! Not sure if it's necessarily helping you (Sorry!!), but it's nice to complain to/with people who understand!! I too have a bad cold and my T is going Richter!! What's up with that ?? Anyhow, lots of fluids, sleep and hot tea with honey and lemon!!

I hope you feel better soon LadyDi ( and everyone else!! ) !!

 

Have any of you used a neti pot? I know that if you use a positive pressure bottle you can blow water into your ears via your sinuses, and I don't know if that's bad or not for T. But, if you do it right it's awesome for sinus grossity!

 

Hi LadyDi, no that's just a stock photo, (really should get a photo of my dog), looks identical though, Rhodesian Ridgeback, lovely dog, he is so friendly, dog's are great, highly recommended!

 

alibee, tell more about this "Neti Pot"! What is it and how does it work?? I'd love to take care of my sinus grossity!!!

 

Hello Lady Di!
This is my first post on the forum so I hope it's a constructive one!

I'm also in the middle of my first cold since developing T, so you have my sympathies. I'm a pharmacist, so right now I'm giving myself the same advice I would give to any patient who consults me in these circumstances.

Firstly, to deal with the increased tinnitus. Any upper respiratory tract viral infection can cause congestion, inflammation, reduced drainage, catarrh and any number of other unpleasant changes in your ear-nose-throat fluid equilibrium. This can dramatically alter those features of your hearing which depend on conduction through bone, tissue and fluid. I'm guessing that right now everything sounds dreadful, and your tinnitus more dreadful than ever, but stay optimistic. There is every reason to believe that your tinnitus, like everything else you are hearing, will settle down to pre-cold levels once all these systems have had the chance to get back to normal, ie, gradually, during the 2-3 weeks after the cold has gone.

In the meantime, what might help?

I would recommend trying an oxymetazoline or xylometazoline nasal spray. Brand names in the UK are things like Sudafed or Otrivine- might be different in US. Try to get one in a proper metered-dose spray, but without menthol etc which can stimulate nerve ends- great for a cold, unless you have tinnitus! This should help all the small blood vessels etc get back on the job of keeping your ENT fluid systems properly drained, and your perception of your tinnitus should abate a little. (I should say here that menthol in sweets and steam inhalations is absolutely fine in tinnitus, just not a solution of it squirted energetically up your nose!)

The sprays are not a treatment for tinnitus, just a useful tool when tinnitus is aggravated by congestion.

Speak to the pharmacist on duty when you buy it to make sure you know it is safe for you, eg, if you are taking medication or have other medical conditions. Limit yourself to four or five days use, after which it is wise to have a break of at least a couple of weeks. In the UK these sprays have an absolute maximum duration of use of seven days. If you go beyond this you are at risk of developing rebound congestion, which makes you want to use the spray for longer, which causes rebound... the cycle can be habit forming, so stop at 4-5 days!

And finally, my favourite home remedy. Take a quarter of a lemon and squeeze the juice into a mug. Add a big dollop of runny honey. Top it up with water from the kettle and give it a good stir.

Something magical happens with this formula. It only happens with real honey, and juice squeezed straight from a real lemon- honey & lemon lozenges or cough syrups just don't measure up. The acid in the fresh lemon reacts with the honey to release organic peroxide compounds which are antiseptic, soothing and taste great. Hug the mug for comfort, inhale the steam to clear your sinuses, and let the soothing honey and lemon trickle over your sore throat. This should bring a few minutes welcome relief and make you feel a bit less miserable.

I'm off to take my own advice...