My Tinnitus Is Getting Worse — Becoming Anxious and Sleep Deprived

Hello, I'm a relatively new tinnitus sufferer, having had it for a few weeks now.

I am a 3rd year in college and I can safely say that most of my anxiety this year has had less to do with school and more to do with my tinnitus.

I got tinnitus a few weeks ago, about 6 weeks into the semester. It was a low hum in my right ear with a high pitch static that went away after a while. Through some research, I found a few sleeping apps that have helped me and had been greatly helping me cope with it. Recently, the static ringing has begun to get louder and has been making it impossible to sleep at night, my phone not loud enough to drown out the sound or distract me. Now, I have lost sleep 2 nights in a row and am seriously considering my future. I have also recently learned that I have low frequency hearing loss, meaning I can't hear low frequencies anymore and my hearing will worsen in reverse overtime. I'm wondering now how this will also effect me and my career. I have since ceased using headphones (which I believe caused my tinnitus) and avoid listening to loud music where I can. This has all lead me to have a major identity crisis as I used to deal with my anxiety with headphones, using it as a prime source of relaxation and escape. Parties were also a good outlet for me, although those are also a sore subject right now.

As I am writing this, semester 1 exams are around 3 weeks away and my usual routine now seems impossible and the lack of sleep is making me wonder what the point is in even bothering. I am, at this point, seriously considering dropping out of college. Talking with my family hasn't helped as they usually say I have to 'get on with it' and that I can't let my life slip away. I could appreciate that when my tinnitus only consisted of that low frequency I only really heard in real silence. Now that I'm hearing a static along with it, I'm starting to lose hope and become incredibly depressed.

I have got an appointment with an ENT, however, I won't be able to as I have an exam that day and that has only added to my usual exam stress as well as my anxiety with regard to my overall health.

I also recently got COVID-19, which did not help matters as I am now locked in 1 room surrounded by all my problems and anxieties with no means of escape. I feel so misunderstood and nearly unloved, although I know that isn't true.

The reality is there is nothing anyone can do about this. I have to live with it. It's especially hard as I thought I was getting used to my tinnitus as it was before this and now, I have a whole new set of issues. I made this post at 5 o'clock in the morning so please forgive any spelling errors or grammar mistakes.

Thank you for reading this.

 

As you are already in your 3rd year of college, it is likely you will return to graduate even if you take a break. You should definitely let your professors know as they may be more lenient, or they may let you take the tests at a later date. Since the semester is almost over, try your best to make decent grades this round. I did take prescription sleep aid for the first six months, and then moved to OTC sleep aid for another six months. I took Trazodone and it's supposed to be non-habit forming. Although I do not like recommending this, you may need prescription sleep aid temporarily. However, before you try prescription sleep aid, try OTC sleep aid first and see if that works.

Looking back at my own experience there was no way I could have gone to school during my first months. Personally I would take a break spring semester and then return next fall. It is no point continuing going to school, paying money, and making bad grades. However, next semester you should still have routine in your life as that will help with your sleep and habituation.

 

Hi @Rosa_D_123,

I'm very sorry to hear about your recent worsening in tinnitus.

Sleep can be a real pain, as I too have had quite a few sleepless nights. When I first had my onset, my anxiety wouldn't let me sleep, my heart began to race as I drifted off. I got my anxiety(and sleep) under control with Hydroxyzine which doesn't build tolerance and should be one of the safer sleeping medications. We should always be careful though, and monitor any worsenings as medication can impact tinnitus and or any hyperacusis. Melatonin can also be worth considering.

I think, if the tinnitus is mild to moderate, anxiety can impact the sleep a lot more than the tinnitus itself, so getting the anxiety under control is a good idea.

I don't know, but that may be worth having checked out. It's my understanding that the higher frequencies usually go before the lower.

Totally get this. When the ears starts to become an issue, a lot of activities becomes an issue. I've had to give up a lot of stuff to not have it get worse, and it's sad, but I think we can find a lot of other things in life that can give happiness, and there shouldn't be a problem listening to some music on reasonable volume on a HiFi-setup, for example.

This is just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't drop out. I know that tinnitus (and especially hyperacusis) can be extremely challenging to push through, but if you can do most of your daily activities without getting worse, I'd try to push through anyway. I got tinnitus 8 months before graduation, and in the final 4 months it got progressively worse, and I developed pretty severe hyperacusis and reactive tinnitus which was (and still is) a living hell, but I pushed through anyway and got my Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering. If I could do it, I think you can too, but I completely understand how hard it is.

I'd recommend to try and continue your daily activities, try to get your mind off the ringing so it only becomes a disturbance in the night time. With time, you may find yourself habituating, or having this new level decrease. In the end everything may work out.

What is most important is to ask yourself if you get worse from doing the things which are required of you. If not, I think it makes sense to brew another pot of coffee(if it doesn't spike to coffee that is) and push through.

We're here for you.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do,
Stacken

 

I'm 7 months in and tinnitus wakes me up every night. Now it's louder and more shrill when it wakes me up. Not sure why it's doing this but it's killing me slowly. My sleep apnea doesn't help.

 

Thank you all so much. My recent worsening of tinnitus has seriously been impacting me but it's nice to hear of some success stories of people who have managed it. My low frequency hearing loss while a large worry hasn't impacted me much yet, as I can only really not hear lower frequencies.

I'm wondering also if COVID-19 may have had impact, making the tinnitus worse, although I'm not 100% sure.

 

I'm really sorry, it's so shite to have to deal with, I hope you figure out how to cope.

 

Thank you, I wish you the best all the same. I think in our case, in the first year, it changes quite a bit.

 

Since getting tinnitus, I've gone through a whole set of emotions and problems that only seem to get bigger the longer it goes on.

The biggest one and the hardest deal with is the sense of self I seem to have lost. I know it may sound dramatic but hear me out.

Since getting tinnitus, I haven't worn headphones. For a lot of people, that doesn't seem like that big of a deal but, for me, it is because I had no idea how much I used them to cope before. I used them to pump me up when I went into a situation I was feeling stressed about, FFS, I passed my leaving cert because Beyonce and Fall Out Boy told me I was such a badass bitch, the paper would write itself... okay, they didn't say that, I did but they were there. I used them as an escape from reality where I could dream of whatever, be whoever, be the secret nerd I am too embarrassed to show to others. I used them to imagine a life not my own that seemed brighter, better, more fulfilling. That is not to say that I have a horrible life... I don't. I am the most blessed girl to ever walk this earth, I know this and I always have. It's the reason I hate myself and always have hated myself for feeling in any way discontent because I had every chance to make my life more fulfilling and I didn't do it, I instead retreated into the my own mind, where I was comfortable and safe, prettier, stronger, smarter... in fact, most times that I remember feeling truly at peace was with my headphones, although not restricted to that... that sounds pathetic now that I'm reading this back.

Point is, because I don't have that anymore, I'm feeling as at home in myself as a tortoise at a céilí. That and other things but that's what has been hitting me the hardest. My tinnitus has been difficult to sleep with as of late and that's only added to my losing another bit of myself as my studies have taken a hit and I used to be quite good at them too, not amazing but good. My personal hygiene has also taken a turn for the worst, mostly my ability to take a shower which makes me feel not worthy of trying on new clothes or wearing make up, things I used to love doing. I'm horrible at talking to people about it too, particularly my family, because I don't want to be clingy and spoil everyone's day "whinging and moaning", so to speak. Socialising has felt difficult and, while I could never say I was a pure extrovert, I did have my moments and enjoyed them immensely.

This turned into a bit of a rant/confessional, sorry... but now that I'm reading it, I cant bring myself to delete it. Honestly, I've had moments where the battle just isn't worth it but I can't seem to commit to it which could be a blessing... but I don't know.

 

Hi Rosa. I thought I would offer some perspective on headphones.

Before I got tinnitus, I used earbuds every single day. They were always in my pocket, and I listened to something, be it podcasts or music, whenever I had the opportunity. Maybe I did it to forget about the world and to avoid being left alone with my own thoughts. It was a difficult transition for me as well. I realized that I was addicted. But good news: Like any addiction, it can be beaten. After a few months, I no longer felt the urge to put on some headphones to silence the world around me. At this point, I no longer miss it at all. We Homo sapiens have lived and died for 300k years (give or take a couple of k's) without headphones, so you know it's possible. Since tinnitus, I've only used headphones for zoom meetings, without issue (there was one exception to the "only meetings" rule, and there I upped the volume too much, so now I am back on the forum after 4 years. Take that as a warning). Right now it feels like you can't manage without them, but trust me, it's only because you became dependent on them.

Maybe tinnitus is your chance to change this? You could decide that if this forces you to drop the headphones and face the world, you might as well make the best of it.

Do you know the reason behind your low-frequency loss and why it will worsen in the future?

 

Low frequency hearing loss is very rare.

 

Hi Rosa,

I posted this a while back. It may help you:

I have dealt with tinnitus for over 30 years and have tried every over the counter supplement available and nothing has worked. 3 weeks ago I purchased a set of high end hearing aids and it has substantially reduced the ringing in my ears. At times it is almost undetectable. I don't know if this will help you but it's worth finding out.

 

Hi everyone.

For anyone wondering about the low frequency hearing loss, I know it's rare and I haven't got a professional diagnosis but I can't hear anything at certain lower intervals. Like when I'm listening to music, if they change the frequency lower to emphasise certain points of a song or line, I can't hear it. An example of this would taeyeon's "Good thing", if anyone knows that song. If background noise is loud and someone is speaking, I have to focus a little more to understand what they are saying. As my tinnitus is noise-induced, I assume I got it from that too. In terms of it getting worse, I don't know how or when exactly but I can only assume that, as time goes one, the lower frequencies that I can't hear will begin to increase in frequency until my normal hearing range starts to become effected.