Hi — Any Advice? Suggestions?

Hi I am a 28 year old professional who started having headaches about a month ago.

Then not long after I was sitting at my desk one day and felt a fullness build up in my left ear.

Since then my ear has been ringing, it has gradually gotten worse. It is so loud and so high pitched that I can’t concentrate or sleep.

I can’t get my ears to pop, there feels like pressure and my hearing seems muffled in my right ear.

I went to one ENT who sat there and told me we all have ringing in our ears while I cried and told him how loud it was and that it was constant.

I now have another appointment to see another specialist. My parents and I are at a loss to what is causing this?

I am a healthy adult besides my congenital glaucoma, who would work out 4-5 times a week before this all started. I have never been so close to a mental breakdown.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

What was the outcome of the examination? Did everything look normal?

Who is the other specialist?

Here's a flow chart you can follow to help you diagnose your T: https://www.tinnitusresearch.net/index.php/for-clinicians/diagnostic-flowchart

Bring it to your doctors to help them help you.

In the meantime, be kind to your ears and avoid loud noises.

Good luck!

 

The ENT I went to just looked in my ears and said everything looked normal and that he didn’t have anything he could do for me.

I’m going to another ENT that specializes in the ear that was recommended to us by a physician.

Thank you for the chart I will definitely bring hat with me!

I have to say the only thing that helps mask the ringing is loud noise. So I’ve been listening to an app. This is how I found this website. So does loud noise make it worse?

 

It's probably not the wisest thing to do. I strongly recommend you stay away from loud noise.

I know it may take away one of the few relief options out there, but you are taking a big risk by exposing yourself to loud noise.

 

We have to start pushing the community to demand that the various tinnitus associations start promoting awareness of emerging technology that could potentially cure some of us now.

 

I guess I should note I was born with a hearing loss in one ear and in the other ear you wear an aid. But I’ve never had a problem before. But I do tend to have to listen to things a little louder than normal but not like blasting sound.

 

Hello Ashy_nic6. First I want to wish you all the best in solving your issue. I have done extensive research on tinnitus and what tends to happen is that your brain has a built in mechanism to mask the noise from hearing loss. This is why some people who have hearing loss don't have tinnitus but everyone who has tinnitus has hearing loss (even very minor like myself). Tinnitus starts when that mechanism to mask the noise malfunctions or if there's some sort of trauma to the ear or brain and the brain can no longer mask the noise. Infections, head trauma, viruses are often the trigger needed for this malfunction to occur. My T started out as ear fullness accompanied by a cold/flu. The cold symptoms went away but the ear fullness/muffled hearing remained for several weeks. By the time I booked an appointment to the ENT, my hearing was improving and the internal swelling was going away and that's when my T started. I know this information does not help you with your T but sometimes knowing the cause provides you some level of comfort.

Some advice I can give you to improve your T is to get plenty of sleep (even more than needed), avoid irritants and drugs (legal or illegal), lower sugar/caffeine intake and keep your mind busy with work/hobby. Whenever I find myself focusing on some task at hand, I tend to forget about my T. The worst is when I'm sitting alone in a quiet room and constantly thinking about that awful noise. Good luck

 

@Ashy_nic6 ,
As you were at your desk ,look in to posture and neck problems and neck tension.
Also stress and Migraine as a cause.

love glynis

 

You may have somatic tinnitus, caused by some discordant sensory signals. -- Somatic signals are sensory signals and are generated from muscle position sensors in the face, neck, head, trunk, arms, tongue, and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). -- Structural issues of all kinds can cause or contribute to tinnitus. You might want to consider seeing someone who specializes in structural alignment(s). -- All the Best!

 

Ashy, don't underestimate your adaptability. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to get some water and my ears were whooshing so loudly I thought I'd never enjoy life again. But that spike happens every night and now I'm used to it. Think of your internal soundtrack as proof that your brain is working. Computers sometimes make noises too.

 

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

My ENT doc determined that my tinnitus is caused by an underlying TMJ issue. The ears and jaw are connected. Go for a second opinion with TMJ in mind. My tinnitus is almost gone with physical therapy and dietary changes that eliminate foods that aggravate my TMJ.