Newbie in Dallas

[CatLaw]

Hello. I just found this forum while searching for some tinnitus relief. I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I'm 53 and so far the only member of my family experiencing tinnitus. I'm convinced it's related to jaw/neck issues. I have experienced infrequent ringing in my ears on and off but it would only last a few seconds. I had really bad bronchitis in March, 2013 and thought I was going to cough up a lung. Never have I coughed so hard...not even when I had pneumonia. It was during my bronchitis when the ringing started and has never been silenced since. I use white noise at night to help me sleep and as long as I'm busy during the day it rarely bothers me. It's mostly when it's very quiet or I'm trying to read that it bothers me. Occasionally I have ear aches like when I was a child but doc says no evidence of inner ear problems. I've had hearing tests done and they say I have no hearing loss...just filtering problems...common for getting older. Occasionally I have a pulsating sound but that's rare. My dentist wants me to do the TruDenta therapy but she charges like $4K out of pocket and no financing. I'm like, "Sure, I've got $4K just sitting around in my bank account to throw away on something that's not even guaranteed". There must be other more affordable options and that's what I'm seeking.

 

[billie48]

Welcome Catlaw. Being positive really helps recovering from T. So if your T is mild enough during the day and you barely hear it, then count that as positive. To help with the quiet time, perhaps get masking going asap. I used to do full day masking for my ultra high pitch loud dog whistle T. I would have nature sounds playing in my bedroom with a sound machine and alternating with a CD player. On the go I have an ipod for really loud T days. Then on my PC at work and PC at home, I download a free sound generator called Aire Freshener which has many sounds to choose from. Being a TT member, you also have great masking sounds on this link which comes with excellent tips for new sufferers. Take care & God bless.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

There are many things which can help reducing T. Drugs should be the last resort but if you need them badly, talk to your doctors. In the mean time, there are many things you can do to help yourself. First and foremost is stress management. Try to do something relaxing, such as pursuing new hobbies, doing leisure walk, travel, hiking, outdoor living etc. Mindfulness meditation has proven very effective in managing stress and bad sensations. Youtube has many videos on instructing how to do it. Diet wise, you can try to reduce the intake of salt, sugar, MSG, caffeine, alcohol etc. You can take supplements such as Magnesium, Zinc, NAC, B12, D3 etc. You can also try to drink chamomile tea to calm yourself or take melatonin for sleep. Having good sleep will help reduce the severity of T ringing. These are just some suggestions. Use prudence and wisdom in using these things. Stick with those which help your T management. Good luck, take care & God bless.

 

[erik]

Hi and welcome. Tinnitus or "T" what we commonly refer to it on TinnitusTalk, is a tough bird. Tougher for some than others but we all share in the struggle so we understand regardless what you are going thru. Hearing tests are not always reliable since they cannot detect hidden hearing loss. If you T is due to hearing loss in the high frequencies, then standard hearing tests will not detect this. High freq hearing tests may be able to pinpoint hearing loss if any. I would be careful with expensive TMJ dental treatments. TruDenta seems to be favorable to the other TMJ/migraine treatments out there but finding a solid, independent review/report is difficult to say the least. And there are no guarantees. Like you said "Not like you have $4K lying around". Most of us are still trying to find out what caused our T or have moved on with our lives. I would, of course, like to find a treatment or cure since my T is pretty loud much of the time, but usually I don't even worry about it. I have too much going on and I prefer it that way. Stay safe and again, welcome to TT>

 

[just1morething]

My dentist wants me to do the TruDenta therapy

Hello Catlaw,
I don't know much about TruDenta therapy, but I have been to this Dr. in St. Paul, MN that specializes in TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, etc. I have a elastic mandibular advancer from them I use when I sleep for TMD and sleep apnea. It moves your lower jaw ahead and has different strength bands to use on the clear 2 piece appliance that is custom made in CA. I don't know if this is of any help to you but their website is worth looking at. Dr. Hakala talks about tinnitus being possibly caused by TMJ disorders but I'm still not sure about that.

http://www.mncranio.com/

 

[TexasT]

Hi @CatLaw...so sorry to hear of your issues with T, hopefully it will remain mild enough where it will not have a negative major impact on your life. I also live in the DFW area, I've been looking around to see if there is any kind of support group for T sufferers...I unfortunately don't have any family & few friends in the state, so searching for some support to lean on. This forum has been a welcome source of help for me, I hope you will find it will be for you as well.