Living with Tinnitus — My First 30 Days

[CallMeTC]

Hi everyone,

I woke up about a month ago to a screeching sound in my ears (at first thinking that I was hearing something outside). As it continued and didn't relent over the next 12 hours, I came across various tinnitus sites/information/posts all over the internet (which is by itself is enough to scare the bejeezus out of anyone).

Two days later, it stopped and I took some of the more common recommendations (lower my salt, stimulate blood flow, etc) and thought I got off lucky. Fast forward about two weeks and it came back and I have had it constantly at various levels for the last two weeks.

I have found some masking noises that seem to help when it is on the "lower" side of volume, but I get extremely stressed on the high volume days (lack of sleep, anxiety, etc), which I have to believe can make it worse.

I am in my mid-40s and although overweight (taking the expected HBP and Cholesterol meds for my age/weight), in otherwise generally good health overall. I work in a very sedentary industry (IT) and struggle with exercise as a result.

I have NOT been clinically diagnosed with Tinnitus, I am waiting for an appointment with an audiologist in January. I did not experience any noise related event which caused the tinnitus, I expect mine was caused by long term use of NSAIDs (OTC ibuprofen near maximum doses almost daily for six months or more). I have since STOPPED all NSAID or Acetaminophen consumption over the last week. I realize that sometimes stopping those triggers can cause tinnitus to fade over time.

I have done a lot of research over the past couple of weeks and there is a LOT of information around. I have also found that every time I find something that may help, there is a conflicting report somewhere else that indicates that whatever it is (Omega-3 oil, Vitamin D, Zinc, Magnesium, Flavinoids, Garlic, Tumeric, Apple Cidar Vinegar, etc, etc, etc) is / can be a trigger for onset or worsening spikes of T.

What coping mechanisms does everyone use for their condition in general and, very specifically, when it spikes (mine seems to spike 2-10x volume when it does)? I am having issues in working (luckily, I work from home) because it requires concentration that T is stealing from me.

I would of course prefer a cure, a miracle, something to stabilize the level at the lower end that I can learn to habitualize and ignore. However, I have done enough reading to know the unlikelihood of that in the short term, so I am looking for the coping mechanisms everyone uses to continue to function on a daily basis. Luckily, I have a great wife who understands my obsession and focus on this currently, but I need to get back to focusing on life and work and family and finding it REALLY difficult.

Any help would be appreciated!

TC

 

[glynis]

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk TC....
The first thing would get help for sleeping and that alone will lift your mood in dealing with the tinnitus sound itself.
Over the counter meds,bed routine and relaxation. Melatonin or short course of prescribed medication.
When eating and sleeping well you can move forward dealing with the sound with sound on around you and sound therapy at night set below your tinnitus so your brain learns not to focus on your tinnitus and build up its natural filter not seeing your tinnitus sound as a threat and will help you cope better in the day...lots of love glynis

 

[CallMeTC]

Strangely and accidentally, I seem to have discovered that my tinnitus can be lessened (volume and tone) or completely be abated (no discernible sound) for anywhere from a minute or more depending on the position of my head/neck/jaw.

Would this seem to indicate a TMJ / muscular cause for tinnitus that is more easily treated by massage / yoga ? I realize I may be being a bit hopeful, but it seems like if it were noise related (which it shouldn't be, don't go to clubs, concerts, lots of movies, listen to music loud or on headphones rarely ever) or drug induced (although I took ibuprofen liberally for pain over the last year, discontinued now given its propensity to cause / worsen T), it would not be affected so drastically by shifts in position?

Thoughts?

 

[glynis]

Have your dentist check you out for TMJ as could be a cause of your tinnitus and a mouth guard to wear over your lower teeth at night will help and your dentist can make you one...lots of love glynis

 

[brummygirl]

Hi CallMeTC

Really sorry to hear that you have developed tinnitus. If you have no hearing loss and the t varies when moving head/neck/shoulders i understand it is termed somatic t. In these cases physio and massage can sometimes help. I guess you will know more after your appointment with the ENT specialist.

I know that habituation is the best way to approach tinnitus, but if there is an underlying physical cause, then it is worth pursuing rectifying that. The t might or might not then go, so you do have to be prepared for that. For instance, some people with t have TMJ problems, but we often hear of people spending a lot of money trying to sort them and it not helping the t. But that's not to say it will not help. Hence habituation is recommended the best way to go overall. But you can work on that too while looking to see if there is a physical cause.

While researching for help for my son who has t, I found a useful article talking about the use of physio.
http://www.audiology-worldnews.com/...ith-tinnitus-be-referred-to-a-physiotherapist

You will see from the reference that a decrease in t while being examined by a physio is a positive sign that physio may help. So I would have thought your observation would be classed as that!

My son's tinnitus started with an incident when weightraining. He developed jaw and neck pain at the same time the t started. So we are currently trying to establish what the damage is - structural or muscular. Then the correct physio can be applied, in theory and we can see if that helps.

I have found a post doctoral physio at the University of Antwerp, Dr Sarah Michiels, who seems to be working extensively with t and physio, but I haven't had any luck contacting her yet. She has numerous research papers.

My son also noticed that his bite had changed after the incident. After talking to several dentists it appears the link between occlusion and tinnitus is tenuous, yet anecdotally I hear of cases where t had followed dental work and then following remedial work has disappeared again. Have you had any dental work recently?

There is also a tenuous link between bruxism and t. Your dentist will be able to tell you if you do clench or grind and prescribe a splint of mouthguard to help prevent damage by it. You will not necessarily be aware whether or not you do it. Again, we hear of people whose t has gone after wearing a guard but it certainly doesn't help everyone.

Also, there is some evidence that the head forward position which many of us adopt when using a device or looking at a screen, can exacerbate t. I assume your desk arrangement at work is good ergonomically? It can be that working on general posture, but in particular the neck forward position, can help t.

I hope this has given you some ideas. I have just been researching for my son and am no expert at all, so this is just a summary of some of my findings.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Cemt]

Hi,
I suffer from T. too. My guess about cause of mine is poor blood circulation around ear or brain. My b12 level also seem to be not high enough. I recommend you to have a look at b12 level.