My Experience with Tinnitus — Onset After Cold-Like Symptoms

I have experienced tinnitus since October 2019. My version of tinnitus is a high-pitched tone with the occasional "whooshing" sound.

Without "doxxing" myself too much, I began experiencing these sounds shortly after the onset of what I will describe as "a cold without a cold," in other words, cold-like symptoms but without a runny nose or the extremities of tiredness or fever. I felt some tired and I felt some fever but neither was extreme to the point of needing bed rest.

The experience feels as though it is limited to my left ear. My left ear has always been the "weaker" of the two ears although that weakness is not significantly substantial; There is a difference in volume but not to the point of significant hearing loss, just that noises are softer and not as clear.

The cold-like symptoms subsided after a few days but the tinnitus did not and has been with me ever since. I have since had a tube placed into my left ear as it was discovered that I had a swollen ear drum. That tube was recently removed. The next (and presumably final) phase is that the doctor has recommended an MRI scan for the possibility of cancer. I understand that such cancer is rare but that it is a possibility due to the tinnitus being in only one ear.

If this matches what anyone else has been experiencing and you would like to ask me questions about my own experience, please do. While I can not provide detailed specifics, I will provide what I do know and, perhaps, that will aid others in their own choices for how to deal with their own situations. Thank you.