If You Could Go Back to Week 1 of Your Tinnitus, What Would You Do Differently?

I see a lot of people talk about the "golden period" of weeks 1-2 where you can do certain things to help.

My ringing started 1 week ago. I feel like I'm in a rush to learn as much as possible.

What would you have done differently on week 1 that you think could have helped your tinnitus?

P.S. The cause could be chronic sinusitis, not sure.

 

I would not panick like that

 

Unfortunately there are no golden periods when it comes to having tinnitus. Even a low static tone can bother someone that never had tinnitus before. The thing I will say is this, remaining calm and trying to not build an obsession towards the ringing will be very HELPFUL and instrumental in your tinnitus journey. Those are two factors that many have issues with, even myself I had it for a while.

Tinnitus could remain and life can become a journey with our tinnitus. Do what helps you to move ahead with your affliction. It's a day by day ordeal and each day try to see... what can possibly help you out. Journal your habits/routines.

 

Thanks for the reply. I know what you mean, but since it isn't noise-induced, I'm hoping maybe I can nip it in the bud. I see some people say steroids like predisone can work to stop it in first couple weeks but not after that. Or other stuff

 

My advice to you, applies whether it is noise induced or not.

 

How do you remain calm and not build an obsession towards the ringing if it is a day by day ordeal? I'm finding it really hard. I can't imagine having tinnitus for as long as you have.

 

Any advice on how to protect my ear from worsening it? Like headphones/earplugs? I've seen mixed opinions on those. Watched a movie for 30 minutes yesterday and I think the volume caused a spike, even though it was normal movie volume

 

I will be very honest with you. The reason I have intrusive tinnitus and severe hearing loss was due to constantly being in LOUD spots and just living my life to the max(with no ear protection). I had no TT or mentors guiding me. My T never became intrusive due to daily living. T can possibly get rattled more at times when we STRESS and fill ourselves with anxiety. I was listening to loud music with headphones and my hearing did get affected.

It's amazing what stress/anxiety/fear can do to the body...not just tinnitus.

 

It's amazing what we are able to accomplish in our lives. I just found my inner drive and always worked hard to beat my afflictions....

 

Could you be more specific? How?

 

I personally would perform the ancient ritualist anti-tinnitus dance which is a cross between disco and the tango.

Then I would embrace upon a serious period of introspection in a dark room second guessing why I chose the parents I did giving me this genetic predisposition when most people I know that also abused their ears didn't get it.

Other than that, I would probably eat pizza.

 

I'm just very driven, always have been. When I first got tinnitus, I was like what the hell is this? I would ask all family members if they heard that noise? they'd look at me funny. I was just looking for answers, looking for ways to see how I can move ahead with my current situation. I'd question my audiologist, i'd visit vitamin stores. i'd go to to the library, I'd try EVERYTHING to get a picture as to what was happening. This was 31 years ago....

I did all of this while people laughed at me, mocked my tinnitus, called me weird and delusional. I was driven to ignore all those, that did not walk in my path ways with me. I am very driven and always have been.

In college I was very shy and scared of being social. I bought books to help my mindset, i was very driven. I read books after books and in one year for the first time had a Gf, while i had moderate tinnitus and moderate hearing loss.

I have full empathy for all that suffer, I am one of them. Even with all the HELL and torment i face, my drive is still there. I am driven to make my life better even with the hell that screams out my head 24-7....

PS-I battled my tinnitus ALONE while many did not support me or help me. It was very difficult, but it made me a better person today!

 

My noise started one day, but I took no notice of it as I thought it would go away. Plus, at the same time, my eyes went blurred and that took all my energy. Really, I didn't notice my tinnitus until about the 3 week mark. Even then I was very slow at doing anything.

In your position I wouldn't hang about. Take action. Get someone, even your GF or Mum or an ENT or whomever, to gently look in you ear with a small flashlight to see if there is any wax or not. You have got to make clear that you need them to be gentle. And if it's an ENT make sure to tell them not to remove anything, wax or otherwise, at first. Tell them your concerns. If they think your concerns are trivial do not go any further, find someone else.

As for steroids, I think that is more for noise induced tinnitus, but i'm not sure. Find out ASAP and then take the decision whether to go for it or not.

I would go out and buy an otovent from your chemist or pharmacy ASAP too.

 

If I were you I'd root cause it asap. Some root causes require quick treatment, so time is of the essence.

Good luck!

 

I'm trying man. What's the best way to find the root cause? ENT appointment this week, but from what I've read in this forum, it seems ENT's are terrible at finding the root cause. How else can I do it?

 

Take this flowchart to your doctor's appointment and ask to follow it: https://www.tinnitusresearch.net/index.php/for-clinicians/diagnostic-flowchart

 

I would have stopped listening to music with headphones, and I would have told my boss that I needed a break from my internship that put next to a lot of live music.

 

Stopped taking high doses of aspirin and turned my damn guitar amp way down.

Yes. Entirely. However, if it doesn't you're life will not be over and you will adapt. A year and 4 months in, it still bothers me sometimes, but I have found a good supplement regimen and have done "other things" and have gotten to a place where my lie is mostly enjoyable and most importantly can be a good father and hold down a job.

 

Which supplements would you say worked the best? I've seen people post so many different ones in this forum, it's hard to separate which actually work

 

Curcumin hands down. It gets me very close to feeling totally normal and others here have reported similar results.

I myself take it at bedtime with dinner. I've taken it interchangeably with turmeric from which it is a derivative and it seems to work just as well.

I also take EGCG and spirulina but the key seems to be curcumin.

 

I did the right things during first weeks, dangerous thing is when you start healing and you start feeling normal again. Don't do like me and go into a nightclub, even for a minute. I spent 40 minutes in nightclub last week and now my ears are ringing like crazy again. I was almost at silence!

 

Hop on one foot, and swing a dead chicken over your head!

Seriously, get earplugs that fit and work well for you, and use them to avoid noise exposure that can make this worse. I also wish I started taking my omega 3 (500 mg) daily earlier in the process, and did not find it until the 3rd month or so.

 

Seeing as my tinnitus happened in mid 2017. I would buy a tonne of bitcoin as the price skyrocketed a few months later. The tinnitus itself does not bother me. So, I'd just tell myself not to panic.

 

I would have told my husband to turn up his guitar playing, due to me getting tinnitus anyway. It would avoid a lot discussion. I also would told him to play right in our living room. I wish doctors knew more right and wrongs. Because I believe from the look of their faces they had no clue and they really should have.

 

As I am sure some others have mentioned I would have avoided loud places. But they never seemed to make my tin and worse and I was out enjoying my life. I think my tin actually started from SCUBA diving and not loud places as I really wasn't going to them then.

You can't play that woulda, coulda, shoulda game. I finally got over that after this recent major ramp up in my tinnitus.

 

There are no golden weeks.
If there is a clear blast trauma, high doses of corticosteroids should be administered for a short time, but even their benefit is not proven beyond doubt.
Sinusitis: Do you have unilateral or bilateral tinnitus?
What does the tinnitus sound like? Can it be somatically modulated?

 

Try not to panic and AVOID micro suction!!!

 

Left ear only. It’s like a high pitch frequency eeeeee. Like if u were next to a TV or something electronic. One ENT said I have a sinus infection, going to another one this week to confirm that and check the ear. But I’ve had the infection for months I THINK, the ringing only for 1 week so idk....

 

The most important is to stay away from noise, as the effects of noise are cumulative. Then eat healthy. Do not eat junk food or drink alcohol. Do a bit of exercise.

If you want to try meds I would go for Deflazacort, but it is quite strong to use it just for T, check with an ENT, see what they say about using it.