Just Need Some Advice — Tinnitus for a Couple of Months — Not Sure Where It Came From

Hello I'm new to the group and I've had tinnitus for a couple of months. Not sure what it came from...

My wife left me and I've been stressed so it could be that. But the ENT that I went to see gave me 5 mins and said you have tinnitus come back in 6 months and see me. I told him doc I can't sleep.. He said come back in 3 months then.

So the stress factor and anxiety on knowing nothing about this issue is overwhelming.

That's why I'm here, and I hope I can get some helpful information. My tinnitus is in my left ear and its a high pitch.

Btw I'm 55 years old.

So when I'm at work its not as stressful as it is at home in the quiet of my house.I need some advice on sleeping and dealing with this. Should I go see another ENT. A psychiatrist...

I'm not giving up hope but I don't have anyone really to talk to.give me your best advice. And God Bless p.s ask me any question and ill answer..

 

HI @RingingRuss

Many things can cause tinnitus the most common cause is exposure to loud noise. Listening to music through headphones or attending places where loud music is played. Stress can also cause it too. Try not to sleep in a quiet room as this will make you focus on the tinnitus more. Using "sound enrichment" at night is a good way to takeaway your focus from the tinnitus. Please click on the links below and read my articles on tinnitus.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
Sorry to hear your wife has left you ,that alone brings lots of stress and emotions that are
hard to deal with.
stress can cause tinnitus but there are lots of reasons you can get tinnitus so always worth
having your ears and hearing checked.
For now you need to find what helps keep you relaxed and as calm as possible and find whats right for
you to help you sleep.
Melatonin can help sleep and sound therapy and stronger medication off your doctor if needed.
keep posting for support as we are here around the clock to support you.
love glynis

 

In the past, I was generally opposed to the position of stress being a culprit of tinnitus - the main reason being that it mostly seemed like an "easy excuse" to not have to come up with a proper diagnosis on the part of the physician i.e. "let's blame it on stress". But, there is perhaps - at least at the scientific level - further evidence that stress can be a co-contributor to developing tinnitus. Stress has two overall components: the psychological feeling (well-known) and the release of cortisol (less well-known). There seems to probably be some anecdotal evidence of stress being responsible for tinnitus; in addition, the topic has been covered by Prof. Knipper and other researchers - here is one of the articles:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25862619

I recall also prof. Jeanmonod (who himself has tinnitus) mentioning that stress is likely a trigger not for primary tinnitus, but for secondary tinnitus i.e. tinnitus as a result in those who are predisposed to the condition through hearing loss because of noise exposure (EXAMPLE ONLY).

If anyone wants a copy of the paper, I can probably find one for you.

To be honest, that is a good start. As long as work works out, then you are off to a good start.

Melatonin as a sleep aid is a first good approach to consider. Therapeutic range is from 5 to 10 mg, ½-hour before bedtime.

 

I did have a hearing test at the ENT and was told I had Some hearing loss. But the tone I couldn't hear was the same tone as the ringing. So I'm assuming its a combination of that, and stress is making it angry. My GP prescribed some Celexa but when I started it the side affects were terrible so I stopped it and figured I would attack this another way. There's no one at my house but me so when I get home its just me, so I need to figure out how to deal with this rather then think about it.. That's my issue.. I do have Ambien prescribed it will put me to sleep but not keep me asleep and all I have is a fan going and that won't mask a high pitch so falling back to sleep is an issue.....glad I found this site and looking forward to the advice

 

Hi @RingingRuss ; Welcome. I'm sorry to hear your wife left you. Tinnitus is quite often accompanied by depression (either causes it or exacerbates it), and it can get pretty bad for some people. I also can sympathize with the lack of people to talk to. Fortunately, you found this forum. TinnitsTalk.com is filled with caring, sympathetic people who truly understand what you are going through. While everyone's tinnitus is different, the commonality is great enough that we can all help each other. You will find many supportive people who are willing to interact and help put your mind at ease. The start, and any increase or negative change, in tinnitus can be stressful. Search out the success stories. There is always hope (and I am glad that you have not given up hope).

I wish you well and hope that you find what you need among this community.

 

Interesting. Saved you some time. ...