Looking for Good Advice

Hello,

I have lurked and read over the last few years. My tinnitus started in 2014, I felt like I had fluid in my ears. Doctor said there was nothing and I have tinnitus.

I saw a few ENTs and got hearing tests with the usual response. High frequency hearing loss and "get used to it" there's no treatment.

I habituated pretty well and with a low volume radio it was almost unnoticeable. In my left ear only. Until last month. It cranked up. Looking back, I took about a dozen ibuprofen throughout the month and that may be a factor. And yesterday, I was listening to a tinnitus waterfall with my earbuds to relax. Afterwards, I noticed a high pitch in my right ear now. So I have two tones one in each ear. The left is 4500 Hz at 38 dB. The right is significantly higher.

Taking sudafed D when my ears felt full was helpful before but not this last month. Also taking ginkgo extract and zinc. Yesterday, I took a magnesium pill a few hours before the " new" sound. Maybe unrelated.

I was also looking into the sound therapy from R. David Case but I am hesitant to do much for fear of making it worse and the thread on his treatment has gone on for months with no real conclusion. I wear earplugs even when putting a nail in the wall for a picture!

I am looking forward to advice and support. This is having a terrible effect on my quality of life.

 

@OregonDad

To state the obvious, you should get a new audiogram to check if there are changes in the hearing thresholds. I believe that we can get stronger over time and you should be able to habituate to a bit more noise.

 

I am making an appointment today.

 

Since you have high frequency hearing loss, you may want to try out the hearing aids. I have read that some people's tinnitus becomes less intrusive after they used the aids. It is not going to work for everyone but at least you can try it and return it. That is what I did in Canada. Not sure you have the same return policy where you are.

 

yeah it sucks but there is something called a "new normal" and you can adapt.