Out of Nowhere? Please Help.

I was taking a nap in my chair last week and a crazy noise woke me up. I turned off the fan, tv and other electronics and the noise continued. Finally I realized that it was inside my own head.

Over the years I have always had a little "cricket noise" in my hearing, but this was a solid, very loud ringing noise. I had a headache for three days and had been taking asprin for it, along with advil. I decided after three days to go to the doctor and let them check me.

After a CAT scan, Xrays, EKG, and blood work the doctor tells me I am very healthy. I have noticed that I can't hear higher frequency noises, like car breaks squeaking and since I was in artillery in the Marines I figured I was losing some hearing.

My ears have now been ringing for over a week. This is not a slight ringing, it's a very loud ring that keep me awake at night and I can't watch movies, due to focusing on the ringing. I have tried a few over the counter drugs, with no help. My mother had a single hearing aid and I tried it. I got a little relief from wearing it, but it's still there.

I guess I am looking to reach out to anyone that can put my mind at ease. My VA doctor tells me there is nothing he can do for it. I do have an apt for a hearing test and hearing aids. I also have a slight sinus infection, but I didn't know I had it until they did the CAT scan.

Can someone please tell me, is there anything I can do to relieve this? Over the counter or cheap hearing aids I can use until I get my VA to give me one.

BTW I am a 48 year old man, if that makes any difference. Thanks for any help.

 

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that there is no miracle cure or relief option.
Some things work for some people, however, depending on the root cause for your tinnitus, which isn't always obvious to pinpoint.

It's good that you're going to do a hearing test. Try to do a comprehensive one (testing bone conduction vs air conduction) and high frequencies (above 8kHz) if possible. Also have the ENT doc perform the typical fork tests, etc.

With your past in artillery, you may have done some damage leading to mild T, then something broke the camel's back recently...

Sorry to hear that you've become "part of the family". Since you have a sinus infection, there's a chance that T will go back to your "mild baseline" after it clears up, but nobody can tell for sure.

Good luck

 

Thank you for the reply. I do count my blessings that I at least can still hear. Sometimes mine seems to get very very loud which is what bothers me most. I did just notice something weird, while playing my game online and wearing headphones with the volume up loud to drown out the ringing, once I stopped playing and removed the headphone the ringing had almost stopped. It seems to be coming back but slowly, taking 20 minutes or so. Not sure if that means anything or not.

I think the hardest part, is being new to it. All I seem to be doing is focusing on it and researching it all the time and this seems to bring on anxiety and stress, which seem to make it worse. I only pray that in time my brain will train itself to ignore the ringing and focus on more important things I need to be hearing.

Being new, to anything always seems to attract the brain's attention. As a Marine with combat PTSD and now this, it is going to make everyday life even harder to cope with.

 

I would really advise you not to wear headphones or at least not to crank the volume all the way up as this can do massive damage to your hearing in the long run.
Did you get any counselling for the ptsd?

 

It may be wise to give your ears some rest (i.e. avoid loud noises, whether via headphones or other).

 

Hey John,

Welcome aboard!

Like others mentioned, I would put away the headphones.

You may want to try out taking gingko/B12 as some people say it helped them. The best advice I can give you is to try to minimize your stress and anxiety to it. Also, getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep every night is very important. Believe me, I was in the same boat as you the first few weeks. Over time, your brain will disqualify the noise as a threat to your nervous system. The best thing you can do is to stop fighting it. Eventually you will habituate to the ringing and it will be a non-issue for you. Best of luck!

 

So sorry it has taken me so long to reply. Yes I am still currently getting help through my local VA for my PTSD. I have stopped using the headphones as I found out that it causes my T to go crazy the next day.

 

The other day I was outside raking leaves in my yard, working up a little sweat. It was chilly outside and my ears got very cold while I was raking these leaves. After doing this for about an hour or so, I decided to come in and warm up. I have a borrowed set of CIC hearing aids I am using to help with my T. After getting warm and putting the hearing aids in, I noticed my T was at a very low volume. I was so excited!! I thought it was going away. My T did completely vanish for the entire day, but when I went to bed......it came right back. I recreated everything I did that day and my T will sometimes completely go away, but always comes back while I sleep. I am taking Ginko now and it does seem to help, a little. I don't understand how getting cold ears, working for an hour or so and breaking a sweat seem to ease my ringing, but it does. I actually had a full day of silence!! The hearing aids do work for me, but I don't like wearing them. I do have an appointment with my audiologist on the 12th of this month and I am sure they will size me up for my own.

I would like to ask you guys about Tebonin. It's the German version of Ginko. I have heard it is the best one to use for T. It has EGb 761 in it and the US brands do not, or so I have heard. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

You mentioned you were taking aspirin. If you are still taking it, then this can cause temporary tinnitus. Best to avoid aspirin.