New to Tinnitus Talk. Have Questions About This Ringing.

Hey TT,

My story.. i haven't been to any loud concerts recently. I was laying in bed one night (5 weeks after a concert) and i experienced a high pitch ringing in my right ear it sounds like.. This has been going on since June 25th 2014( so almost 2 weeks) I am going through with forum and it seems to me that if its doesnt stop within 24-48hrs, it most likely permanent ( or to the point where you just don't notice it anymore, cope with it for the rest of your life)... I have never had this before ..once in a blue moon it will happen for 2 secs then stop..I am not in a band and dont really listen to loud music... went to the ENT said that my hearing is fine... i have an MRI scheduled just to be safe...

It scary to think that it will never stop and i will have to live with it... i am depressed and have minor anxiety thinking about it... sometimes when i dont think about it it kinda stops but its still there...but then for the last 3 days its been going nonstop and its hard to not think about it.. any advice?

I know this sounds ridiculous but is 2 weeks something to start thinking its permanent and learn how to cope... i have yet to see any post that have said it went away after 2weeks or a month.... its all long term 6months.. 1 yr.. 20 years and STILL living with it..

Any help do distract myself... or reassurance that people do get better in less then a month..

 

Everyone with a ringing ear..

Has anyone herd of someones ringing stopping after a few (3-5) weeks? It seems that all these post/forums say that if its not gone after 24-48 hrs.. your looking at permanent T. Yes, people learn to cope/deal with it. But i have yet to see a post where someone got 100% back to normal no ringing after a few weeks?

I say this because its been only 2 weeks for me and came out of the blue in my right ear... (no loud music or concert before)... but Demi.. and everyone was in the same boat when it first started... now its months, years later and still having problems/issues..

I pray mine goes away soon and isnt permanent... I try not to focus on it... but as im sure all of you know its hard not too in the beginning .. i have to say its scary..annoying..depressing. I feel like pulling a Van Gogh on my ear

 

Your doing the right thing getting your hearing checked and getting the MRI you have to rule out all those physical things first. Avoid quite places if your having trouble sleeping try using a masking device like a ipod or something that plays some back ground noise....Your still at a very early stage so I hope your T is just temporary.
Stay strong

 

Same thing happened to me when i got my tinnitus. I had just gotten to bed and i heard this high pitched tone in my right ear, no idea where it came from as i have never been to a concert. It basically popped up from nowhere but i thought it would go away during the night. It didint tho and here i am 6 months later and still have it. I wish you the best and i hope youll have more luck with tinnitus than i had.

 

Check teeth, jaws problems, blood circulation, diet, even stress.

Also do you hear it anytime or just in quiet places?

Don't worry. We all had the same feeling at the beginning and there is nothing ridiculous about the desesperate reactions with T. The first weeks are always hard.

 

A couple days ago i couldnt hear it during the day.. However for the last 3 days i can hear it during the day and even more at night.. Its really hard not to focus on it bc its such a high pitch tone.. I hear that it will start to go down in few months.. But who really knowones...

 

I truly feel for you, ifeel4U. Those of us who had been there know what you are going though and know the tough struggle at the initial phase of T. You see, the brain is a habitual thing. It is resisting the new & alien sensation of T. Since T can't be shut down at will, the brain senses a threat it cannot remove. So stress starts to build up with various symptoms of anxiety, panic, depression and perhaps sleeplessness. It takes time for the body to absorb in the new condition. At this traumatic phase, the brain can be under control of the limbic system which usually aggravate the senses and make things worse than it actually is.

Beware of cognitive distortions. At this stage, you may have many distorted thoughts called cognitive distortions in cognitive behavioral therapy. It is important in CBT to challenge each of the distorted thought and replace it with a more positive/realistic one. I used to have written many WORD documents & placed on my desktop for me to read these often to remind my brain to not trust in any of the distorted thoughts as real. For example, I used to think my T is unbearable and that to have loud T ringing for life is just unacceptable nor livable. This line of thinking gave me immense sufferings. Well, now I am doing just that. Life is great even with the same ringing. My brain is now hardened to this ringing and it doesn't react negatively to T any more. If you read my success story and those from others, you will know that I am not unique. Many people get better over time and with a good approach.

What can you do at this new stage of T? The simplest and easiest step to do is to get some masking going for you high pitch T. Try download some high frequency nature sounds like waterfalls, waves, shower, rain, even faucet, or white noise which match your T. When your T can be masked or just partially, you will be less anxious. If you still feel very anxious or even depressed, be sure to see your doctor to get some meds for dealing with anxiety and depression.

I have ultra high pitch T like a dog whistle packed with so much energy like a laser against a night sky. It is like the dentist drill with 10 times the pitch. It was a horrible sensation. Then soon after that severe hyperacusis attacked me also, turning every normal sounds glassy and piercingly hurtful as if my ears kept getting drilled. I tried to wear earplugs all the time but the plugs blocked all masking sounds making the T so harsh & dominant. Which was the lesser evil the two? I had no answer. They were both unbearable. These two alien beast just caused relentless anxiety & panic attacks with their own horrible sensations. I thought no way I could bear these sufferings for life. No way. No how. But who knows. Never say never. I am now living an absolutely enjoyable life. Never thought it possible back then.

So don't lose heart. Your T being so new may just fade or disappear. Hang in there. Things will get better over time. Just need to be patient and give it time. In the mean time, explore your options of alternative treatments, mask or take some meds to help. Take care & God bless.