Learning How to Live With Tinnitus

This is one of the worst things I have ever had to deal with, this week it is really bad all I want to do is cry and I know that doesn't help I feel sorry for my family and friends, somedays I just want to shut my self away because its easier than having to explain that I'm having a bad day, I feel like i'm in a vicious circle I know I shouldn't get stressed because that makes it worse, I don't sleep very well if it wakes me I normally don't go back to sleep which makes me very tired and touchy which then makes the tinnitus worse I hate this so so much, how do other people deal with this, my friend bless her has suggested we both go to Yoga

 

Not that it helps....but you are not alone. I too am new and having a real hard time with this stuff. I talked to an "Old" man about a week ago and one of the things that I asked him.."in my search for wisdom" was..in life to have made in to 80 yrs old you must have ran into lots of health problems...how did you deal with them. His answer was simply...Life has a way of fixing itself or sooner or later you just stop worrying about it. This too will eventually fix itself through habituation about the time you just stop caring about it. I of course am still in panic mode reading everything and hoping for anything that would help.
Many people have this stuff.....Keep your head up and write out a coping plan. Start with yoga.

 

To be able to speak to people who suffer with this as well helps a bit at least you understand, I know my family know I'm suffering but I don't think they realise sometimes how bad it can be, to-day I am at work with my ipod in my ear, which I've had in my ear all night I have no idea why its so bad these last few days hopefully it will calm down soon, I know a lot of people have this, to get some feedback from people is a good thing it might help

 

Hi Sue ...

A 20 year battle with a chronic health problem has provided me with a toolkit of viable self help strategies.

I have not got a handle on the tinnitus - yet - but I can suggest a very simple way of relieving some of the ensuing anxiety and unhappiness. I can promise you that it helps.

You will know about acupuncture I am sure - well there is a diy adaptation - acupressure - which is simply applying finger pressure to known acupuncture points - very easy to do - costs nothing - if it works - great - if it doesn't you lose nothing by trying.

If you want to give it a go I will be glad to help or point you towards an appropriate book.

 

Dykey Phillips...well said



Sue Knights...

how long have you had tinnitus? and what if any activities have you found that will take your mind off of T even slightly and even for just a minute?

ive had T for 20 years but NOT continuously...well not exactly...its like this... way back when it "first got it" after about 6 months of insanity an then a year or so of "perceived" improvement, i got so used to tinnitus that it wasnt in my face or "up front" in my world unless somebody brought it to my attention

but then last fall i got whacked with "new and improved tinnitus" (very much worse)

it was like...ieeeeeeeeeee way up high and other sounds...in many ways like before but the perceived loudness and conscious awareness level was back

for me, exercise helps and an occasional beer (im allergic to wheat etc so it has to be a gluten free beer

hang in there
i believe you will get better, it takes time
mock turtle

 

will beer make the timmitus worse?

 

Amsolutely not!

 

From my experience with beer, which is relatively a short period of time but I like my beers, it helps my T. However, if I drink too much the morning T is worse for me.

 

For me, drinking helps. I usually have a glass or 2 of Merlot. It helps get my mind off the constant sound.

That's the point: Getting your mind off the damned noise.

Until researchers get their acts together and find us a cure....
Until the FDA approves the cure (making sure that we also don't get cancer if we use the cure)....
Until the Board of Directors of the company that owns "the cure" agrees on a price that will maximize their profits for selling the cure, ....

Until then, you are left with several options: Beer, or wine, or anti-depressants, or weed. Not to mention our "comradery:. Take your pick, in moderation, of course. You deserve a break.

Once again - everybody, in unison - Tinnitus Sucks.

 

moderate alcohol consumption helps relieve my perception of tinnitus and get relaxed...too much and when i wake up in the morning the ringing is even louder (im not talking hang-over here)

and btw i usually find the ringing louder within 5 minutes of waking up

best wishes
mt

 

Sue,

I am new to this forum and I recently just started with my Tinnitus (T) going on 2 months now. Since then, it's had me become such a nervous wreck that I actually got into a wreck. I've been to every doctor under the sun. But I think my condition is a little bit different. Most people usually get their T either from being constantly around loud noises such as musicians or machine workers, etc. I don't subject myself to any of this situations. What I think my problem is, is my "NECK". I have acid reflux and a hiatal hernia so I sleep sometimes with my pillows propped up. One night I feel asleep with my chin bent down to my chest. I don't know how long I fell asleep like this. But when I woke up, my ears immediately felt weird. They had this deafening sound as though I stood completely inside of some loud speaker, then right afterwards my ears felt muffled then my heart started pounding.

I do suffer with anxiety and on occasion panic attacks. I thought it was possibly a sleep panic attack but didn't understand why it would affect my ears. The next night is when the horrific T started for me. This was around June 9 of this year. I went to my cardiologist and had an ultrasound and an EKG, etc. Everything was ruled out and said I was ok and that I need to get rid of my stress. By the way, my husband is frustrated with me, he's never suffered with anything and doesn't get what I am dealing with.

Secondly, I went to my pain mgmt dr and he said NO, there is no connection to the neck and tinnitus. So then I went to my neurologist and he said YES there is a connection. He did an MRI and found that I had degenerative disc disease, arthritis, bone spurs and muscle spasms. He said something is probably compressing the nerves and joints which can cause T. It hurts to turn my head left to right and when I do my T sounds louder each time I move it.

I went back to my pain mgmt dr. this morning and he now is listening to me. He is doing injections in my neck in the joint areas and also a nerve block in my neck in the occipital nerve. I am scared but I hope this helps. I posted this in another area but maybe it will help you.

A neurologist posted an article about T and this is what he said. He said if you walk into a room and you hear an AC running, you forget about it and go about your business until someone brings it to your attention and then you hear the AC again. Your brain DOES NOT detect the AC sound as a threat. When you initially get T, your brain detects it as a threat which puts your body in the flight or fright syndrome which causes high level of stress and anxiety which then makes the T very loud. It becomes a cycle.

He said you have to train your brain to know that T is not a threat, it won't kill you. Once you can come to those terms and also using something like Xanax (which has saved my life), you can start working on training your brain to know it's an aggravating sound but try and listen to pleasant sounds to drown it out. Eventually you push to the back of your brain.

I still to this day after 2 months of having it get scared. But do you want to know how I tone it down?
Did you hear the article of the girl (Amy Copeland)that went zip lining and the zip line broke and she ended up falling into some lake and cutting her calf on the zip line? She went to the hospital and got 22 staples in her calf. When she got home she started feeling sick and went back to the ER. They gave her heavy narcotics and sent her home. Then she got even sicker and went back to the ER. Well a doctor recognized that it wasn't flu or an infection but what she had was the FLESH EATING DISEASE.

She was and still is a beautiful young girl going to graduate school and by the time she left the hospital, she lost both of her arms, both of her legs and part of her torso. (She even left the hospital when released "smiling") Flesh eating disease usually attacks limbs. So I think to myself, this girl would LOVE to change places with someone who is complaining about a sound in their ears/head. This helps me when I get scared of the T to refocus and think to myself, thank God you have arms to put ear buds in your ears, thank God that even though you have T, you can still hear birds chirp, rain, etc. And thank God you can run outside to mask the T with outside sounds. You can google her story for inspiration for yourself like it did for me. Just type in Amy Copeland-Flesh Eating Disease. This just happened a few months ago.

My story is long, but it's because I want to really help you like everyone here is doing for me.

Julia

 

Julia
you speak words of wisdom
best wishes
mock turtle

 

Thank you Julia. Feeling rubbish today about T even though it's not loud.. just 'buzzy' (weird how it can make me feel worse sometimes when it's not as loud as it usually is). Still feel rubbish but now feel guilty for feeling like this. Oh dear! Your posting does put things in perspective though.