Not Sure How It Happened...

[Bailey_]

I accidentally found this website while researching tinnitus and have been reading posts for a couple days. So I thought I'd explain my story with people that suffer the same thing! I'm still unsure exactly how I got tinnitus, but I have a couple guesses.

I started going to a dermatologist last year because of my constant acne breakouts. I was first prescribed tetracycline to help with it. About a month later, I first noticed the ringing only in my right ear and it made it very difficult for me to sleep. I researched about the tetracycline side effects and tinnitus was one of them. What's really freaky was that another patient used the same thing and got tinnitus too! Hers apparently went way but I still have it. I went back to the dermatologist and was prescribed something else for my acne and didn't have any side effects.

Now recently, right before Christmas, I have it in my left ear too. I was out with my family for a family dinner and listened to music with my earbuds, which I do on a daily basis. I tried to go to sleep that night and heard a low, beeping noise that almost has an echo coming from my left ear and it made it impossible for me to sleep. I don't really hear the sound in my left during the day. I sometimes pause during the day in a quiet room to try to hear it but I can't. The right ear is constant and high pitched. It's impossible to sleep during the night. I actually dread going to sleep every night now. No matter which way I turn, I hear something. I'm actually surprised that I get sleep at at all, but I only know because I remember what I was dreaming. I've always been someone who likes a quiet room to sleep in, so I'm not sure about using an app or something to drown out the noise. I'm also scared to listen to music at all because I'm worried it will get worse. And my depression/anxiety hasn't really been helping with this either. I'm 22 now and I already feel that I ruined the rest of my life because of this. I'm going to the doctor next week, so I do want to ask about this and see if at least my left side will go away since it's more recent.

 

[billie48]

There are many causes which can trigger or aggravate tinnitus including drug reaction or side-effects, ear or Eustachian tube infection, ear wax build up, ear drum injury, fluid build-up feeling pressured, TMJ, high blood pressure or blood circulation problem, loud noise exposure or acoustic trauma, neck muscle problems, hearing loss, Meniere's, barotrauma from flight, grief for the loss of love ones, untreated sleep apnea, elevated stress, anxiety & panic disorder, etc. Sometimes it can be a combination of these triggers. While we don't know how it can trigger T for sure, we can do something to make T not as intrusive. Perhaps try masking your T first with some nature sounds or music. This will reduce your anxiety level. Try to read the success stories which contain many helpful strategies to help people get better. Common approaches can be simple as diet change to cut off excess salt, sugar, caffeine, MSG etc., and to eat healthy diet. You can also consider some supplements, such as Magnesium, Zinc, NAC, B12, D3 etc. Take care. God bless.

 

[Rubenslash]

It seems that tetracyline was ototoxic for your ear and somehow caused damage. It is recommended to take a hearing test to check if you have any hearing loss. But note that most tests only go up to 8 khz whereas it is possible that you only have damage in the higher frequencies. You can perform such a test on youtube and check until which frequency you can still hear, just don't put it too loud if you can't hear it anymore.

Best advice: protect your hearing in the future. Avoid earbuds as they most likely caused the T in your left ear and always wear ear plugs when going to gigs/venues/bars/... The T in your left ear is very recent so it is certainly possible that it will fade away!