Mild High-Pitched Tinnitus in Left Ear

Hey all, I've been eyeing this forum for a bit and decided I'd stop by.

I'm 17, I've had tinnitus in my left ear for a few months, I approximate it started around December 2014, although I am still unsure why. I can't recall a specific event that triggered the ringing and I am still unsure what the root cause of it is.

The high-pitched ringing is accompanied by the occasional feeling of fullness/soreness in my left ear, although not always, and it seems to stay at the same level. I've visited an ENT and an audiologist and passed the hearing test, so it is not a definite that the ringing was caused by a form of hearing damage, my ENT didn't really give me much information, just told me to check back in 6 months.

Anyway, my tinnitus is FAR from unbearable, it is not noticeable throughout most of the day as it is considerably mild, most atmospheric noises tune it out. At night, when I'm laying down, it is more prevalent, I usually sleep on my left ear to muffle the noise and make use of fans in my room to act as a white noise, which helps me get a good night's sleep. Occasionally, if I am laying on one side, it is almost as if the tinnitus is also audible in my right ear, however I am certain it is rooted in my left ear. I can pinpoint the root of the tinnitus by shaking my head or bending my neck, which in a sense "resets" the sound so that I can determine its source, which is evident in my left ear.

I am not sure where to go from here, should I take further steps to determine the cause of my tinnitus? Should I consider an MRI/CT scan? I would consider myself almost fully habituated to the sound, and it doesn't appear to get worse. Normally, a calming technique I use to "level out" my tinnitus is to rumble my eardrums, which tends to dull down the ringing. In the morning, it is almost unnoticeable until I become consciously aware of it.

Recently, I went to a concert to which I was exposed to loud music over a period of a few hours. However, afterwards, my tinnitus was actually subdued and LESS noticeable for awhile, which left me perplexed. After awhile, it returned to its normal state, it didn't get worse.

Overall, I still miss silence, I would partake in various treatments, however I don't want want to be subject to medical repercussions.

I would appreciate feedback on what steps to take (if any), and if anyone shares similar symptoms.
Thanks!

 

Sometimes, when we are exposed to some noise of similar pitch or quality as our tinnitus, then T seems to quiet down a bit. This is called 'Residual Inhibition'. You can google search this to understand this phenomenon more. Actually there are treatments out there based on this.

If your T is not bothering you during the day, count that as a positive. For the quiet time, you can try masking them if it bothers you. Here is a TT thread with masking sounds and good tips for newer sufferers.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

 

http://www.audionotch.com/app/tune/

I am using this ap, I noticed very early on while I was testing my hearing (16kz is the highest I can go) that my tinnitus was silent after a ringing noise. I have been using "summer sounds" and noticed that quieted my tinnitus considerably but now I am giving this a try.

 

Is it recommended that I undergo an MRI or CT scan? Is there a way to discover the root cause of the ringing?