New to the Forum but So Happy to Know There Is One

Hi. I'm glad I found this forum. Thank you all for the posts I've read before even starting to write my own post. So here's how it all started...First I will tell you I don't listen to loud music all the time nor do I work around a lot of loud noises. But I do have a headset on 9 hours a day at work.I was at work this past week and my left ear felt like it was clogged up. I didn't think anything of it until later on in the evening when I started hearing a very annoying,loud ring--the same ring that many of you here have described. When the ring hadn't stopped after 5 hours and my head started throbbing from this, I went to the ER and they did a cat scan and found nothing (yeah!)but said I had an ear infection. I asked the doctor if having a ringing for that long period of time was common with an ear infection and he said yes. He gave me amoxicillin and told me to follow up with my family doctor. He said that I may have tinnitus but further testing will need to be done. I went to my doctor and he has referred me to an ENT. No medication was prescribed as he wants to wait until after I see the ENT. Meanwhile,I have had very little sleep and the ringing has continued the whole week into this weekend. The ringing has never subsided and has gotten even louder. I am trying to ignore it. It is very irritating and continuous. I am looking for suggestions on how to manage this while I await to see the ENT. Also, I would appreciate any questions I should ask the ENT when I go to see him. I'm trying to stay optimistic and not dwell on this. It's comforting to know from posts I've read that this can become manageable and may subside or go away.

 

Ask your ENT, If a tapered course of Prednisone might help? Usually administered immediately, if there is acoustic trauma from noise exposure.

Good luck and God bless,

Sailboardman