Hi I'm a newbie

Yes, I have a similar type of tinnitus. It is a whooshing sound, with drumbeat undertones. I also have a constant, steady hissing sound. Do you have that, as well? Also, when mine first started (or actually when it got worse), it was roaring. Our type of tinnitus must be somehow different from the tonal, chirping crickets kind of tinnitus. I don't have any earache with it now, but I did in the beginning.

I know you are very glad to have the tumor removed, and it is wonderful that it was removed completely!! But I'm sorry that you are left with the tinnitus. Are you having sleep problems as a result? How are you coping?

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk! We're glad you joined us!

 

Dolly, My earache lasted for a short while (maybe a couple days) when my tinnitus first started. I believe that was because of injury to my right ear, due to loud noise. The second time, when my tinnitus became very severe, I had sort of a dull ache in my ear that lasted for a couple months. Then, it went away.

How long ago was your tumor removed? I'm wondering if you are experiencing a tinnitus spike due to the fact that you are still recovering from surgery. It could be that, after your body readjusts and recuperates, your tinnitus will settle down. Have you been rechecked by your doctor, and have you asked him about the tinnitus? It could be that this is a common side effect in someone who is recuperating from this type of surgery, particularly since you already had mild tinnitus to begin with. As you may have read on this site, tinnitus can start out roaring, and then settle down after awhile.

To answer your question "Does it mean once you have tinnitus you have it for life?", I would say not necessarily. Some people's tinnitus has subsided to the point that is not noticeable; this is called habituation. I've heard of cases where people's tinnitus has actually gone away. But for most of us, it's somewhere in between. Most of us find that, in time, our tinnitus subsides, or we no longer pay attention to it, and it becomes a non-issue. This is called "habituation". In the meantime, there are many ways to cope. Please look around on this forum, read some of the threads, and I believe you'll be encouraged by what you read!

 

Hi, again, Dolly,
Since it has been 2 years since you had the tumor removed, have you been experiencing tinnitus all this time?

I'd like to hear more about the BAHA device. I've read a little bit about it, and the fact that it is basically screwed into a titanium insert in your head. I understand that you have to remove the BAHA whenever you go into water (shower, swimming, etc.). Is that correct? How is your hearing since you received the BAHA? Is it good? Tinny?

To answer your question about the feeling of your ear being blocked all the time. Yes, a feeling of fullness in your ear (is that how you would describe it?) is very common. In fact, I was suffering with that for about the past 2 years, and it is just now going away. It has something to do with an imbalance in the eustachian tubes. It is nothing to worry about, but still, it can be very annoying!

 

Dolly, The BAHA does sound like an amazing device, and I'm glad to hear it has such high-quality sound! Did implanting the device require an overnight hospital stay? It sounds like this turned out to be a very good option for you, and I'm glad it's working so well.

So, maybe your constant tinnitus has something to do with this. I guess the best thing to do is ask your doctor about it when you next see him. In the meantime, I'm glad you're a member of Tinnitus Talk! We are here to support one another, and if there's any way I can help, or if you just want to vent, we're all here for you.

 

Hi, Dolly,
That's good to hear, about the ease of implanting the device.

So, how are you doing? Any improvement since last time?

 

Dolly,
I'm sorry there's been no change in the tinnitus for you. It probably does have something to do with having the surgery; your already mild tinnitus that was there before may have been exacerbated by the surgery. But, it could settle down after awhile. That's the thing about tinnitus; everyone's case is different, and there's a lot doctors don't know about it.

I still have the ringing and pulsating 24/7, too. I don't notice the ringing when I'm sleeping, but I believe the pulsating is there all the time, because I've even incorporated it into my dreams sometimes! I'm going to see a doctor who specializes in pulsatile tinnitus in May. Don't know if he'll be able to find anything (I've had so many tests already) but we'll see...

Please don't get discouraged. Who knows, yours may calm down all by itself. I'm glad the sun is shining there for you! Are you in the UK? Did you have a lot of snow this winter?

 

Well, let's hope the snow is done for you now!! Sounds like you had a lot; we didn't have anything here this winter except a couple of snow flurries. I am in the Atlanta, Georgia area; pretty far south. I'm glad you enjoyed being in the U.S. I've been to Myrtle Beach a number of times; it is always a fun experience! I've never been to the UK, but would love to go. I'm kind of afraid to fly right now, too. I haven't flown since the pulsatile tinnitus started.

To answer your question about what tests I've had: MRI/MRA with contrast; CT scan (no contrast); Doppler of carotid artery. I've also been to several doctors, and had audiogram tests a number of times. I have some hearing loss in the tinnitus ear, and I'm sure that has added to the problem. I'm going to another specialist in May, and he may recommend additional tests.

 

Yes, I will. The doctor I'm going to in May is one I've been to before. He had ordered a CT scan with contrast; however, I did not have it done because I was afraid of the contrast dye. But now, I think I'm willing to try!

Please do let me know what tests you decide to have done, too. I hope you can find out what is causing your pulsating.

 

My goodness! Ten scans; that's a lot, but I can understand why they would want to monitor the growth of the tumor. Thanks; the fact that you did not have any bad reaction to the dye does make me feel better. Take care, and stay in touch!

 

Yes, I have. I've tried it myself! For some people, it seems to work. I wasn't so lucky, I'm afraid. It did help to calm me down, because I tried acupuncture during the first year my tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus became severe. But the tinnitus is still there. It is a very relaxing and calming experience, and it probably depends on the type of tinnitus you have as to whether or not it helps.

Are you considering trying it?

 

Dolly --- I think that's a good idea, to see what your doctors have to say first. Then, if it seems that there is nothing more they can do, you could try the acupuncture. There are a couple of people on this forum who have had some success with acupuncture. One of them is Cookie; I believe she said it had lessened her tinnitus quite a bit.