My Sister Got Tinnitus from Chronic Allergies / Possible Flight Barotrauma

Hi,

I am from the UK and posting on behalf of my sister who is too distressed to come on such a forum at this moment.

This is not about me but I have chronic allergies and have had ENT issues all my life. I had three surgeries which effectively ruined my life. I am in a poor state of health and now my sister has tinnitus and it is literally driving her insane.

She too has ENT issues and chronic allergies. Had grommets as a child and has always had mild hearing loss but could cope. She has always been blocked, congested, never really blowing her nose. Assuming back there like me, it's pretty inflamed and unhealthy.

About the end of May coming back on a flight, she suffered excruciating ear pressure. I know the feeling, I had it myself once when I fell asleep on the plane with a cold.

She said she felt clogged in her ear, but assumed it may pop or clear, and did not worry her. Over a week ago she knew something was wrong with her ears, ringing and feeling her hearing was a bit more affected. She found it hard to focus at work.

Now it's a loud unbearable microwave sound, unrelenting.

She has had her hearing tested and has mild hearing loss, they say possible genetic, maybe skipped a generation? It's low decibels she can't hear. I need to get her results. She has been given hearing aids which do not seem to be masking the tinnitus but help with the hearing. The hearing was not a problem so this is not the relief she was hoping for.

She has done everything possible at the moment and is off from work. Tapping her head, doing all the manoeuvres, nasal drops.

I have always been interested in regeneration and have looked for help for myself. I know stem cells are now being treated on humans like MSC's with their immunomodulatory and anti-fibrosis benefits. Because of my own condition I have contacted bio scientists and know for sure they are the future. I am in my late fifties and have lost a lot of my life to botched surgeries. Now my sister is dealing with this.

I don't know how to help, she has a pending MRI (don't know how she is going to get though that), she has booked to see an ENT who has an interest in tinnitus, but can't see him until September, and is going to see an allergy specialist. I know I would eat dog shit if they said it were a cure. From having botched surgeries and then many ENT visits with them telling me different things, contradicting themselves, referrals just to get rid of you, blame stress etc... I could go on. I have a very poor view of the medical world

Not sure where or what to do. I say take each day. Keep hydrated and eat when you can. Trying GABA 750 mg once in the morning and evening. The hearing aids I mentioned before are not masking the sound and it is not only driving her nuts, she is panicking. She did not know what day it was yesterday.

I guess I wanted to introduce myself see if anyone has had a similar pattern of experiences and just keep up to date.

Any thoughts on a short course of oral steroids?

 

Hi there @judy kennedy - Sorry to hear about your and your sister's condition. It's good of you to take the time to become a member of the forum to help your sister out.

When I first had my onset a few months ago, I was completely confused about what I was experiencing and I went into a very rapid anxiety and depression nose dive. A couple of things I wished I knew from the outset is that it's important to get mood and anxiety stabilized (for instance, seeing a psychiatrist or doctor to get anti-depression/anti-anxiety meds prescribed) and to focus on getting good sleep. Sleep tends to be hard to come by when you're panicking about tinnitus, but lack of sleep has a huge impact on tinnitus and of course anxiety and pretty much everything else.

A couple of things I did for sleep were to take sedatives, like Tylenol PM and then eventually meds my doctor prescribed, and also find white noise or nature sounds that are pleasing and similar to the sound of the tinnitus. This helps with masking the tinnitus some and creating more calmness while going to sleep. Temperature and air flow are also important. If the room is too hot and stagnant, that creates conditions that the body might interpret as panic symptoms.

Another thing to consider is that, for most tinnitus situations, a majority of them get better over time. Ears are slow to heal. What your sister is experiencing now might very well lessen over time (think on the order of months). Also, what you might read on this forum are the extreme cases. Those who don't improve much over time tend to be the ones that stay around the forum. But keep asking questions and keep gathering information!

 

These supplements helped me a bit: Silence After 4.5 Years (Medications from Company Called Decola) | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

Besides, I know it's hardly any consolation for a sufferer, but tinnitus can really improve over time.

It is a good thing that you care so much for your sister. Many ill people are left alone with this disease.

 

I'm in a similar boat. I have several allergies which cause my nose to be blocked, I have been using nasal steroids to help with it.

About 3 years ago I had several flights in a 1 month time window. Then one day, just after I came back, I went out to a bar and heard a pop in my ear. I woke up the next day with a blocked ear and later also realized I had mild tinnitus. My ear would go full every time even after popping (if I was able to).

Fast forward 3 years and a lot of ENT sessions, I got loud tinnitus and also ear fullness/popping in my right ear after forcefully doing a Valsalva. I currently have a grommet in my left ear it does help lessen the ear popping but it still gets full from time to time and still has tinnitus (since then also with an additional pulsatile tinnitus).

My ENT suspects Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) as I don't have any hearing loss. He is not sure though if it's too open (palatous Eustachian tube) or too closed. I am more thinking about a fistula, because both times it happened after a sudden change in pressure in my ear. So next appointment I will ask about some tests to rule it out.

I will also go to TMJ specialized dentist as I have jaw crackling around my TMJ joint by moving my jaw/neck/head.

I wish you both good luck and keep us updated. Maybe we will find the solution.