- Dec 14, 2025
- 1
- Tinnitus Since
- May 2025
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Upper respiratory infection
I have been religiously lurking on the forums for the last several months. I told myself I would create an account and share my story if and when I beat this. Well, I'm satisfied enough with my progress at this point to feel comfortable sharing what I believe is a success story.
I've had allergy-induced tinnitus and Eustachian tube dysfunction since around mid-April to early May of this year. I live in the country, and I remember the pollen was so bad you could literally see it if you brushed against a plant. At the onset of what I believe was a severe upper respiratory infection, I was more congested than I've ever been in my life. Granted, I've never had what you would call healthy sinuses. Congestion has been an issue most of my life, but never like this. I remember sneezing a lot and then just sort of accepting it for what it was.
About 2 weeks later, that's when strange things started happening with my ears. I could hear a swooshing sound, like I had water stuck in my ear from swimming, but it was not on the outside of my ear. At the time, I didn't even know about the Eustachian tube or the middle ear. I'd never experienced anything like this in my entire life, and I turn 40 this year.
That swooshing sound was magnified if I was around music or loud noises, and my hearing was significantly muffled. This was mostly isolated to my right ear. I would say about 85% right ear and 15% left. For a few weeks, it was mostly the annoyance of not hearing as well out of that ear, along with the weird feeling of having something moving around inside my ear and the constant swooshing or wooshing sound. I assumed it was earwax and let it be.
Not long after that, the tinnitus started. The baseline was quiet at first, intermittent, and not too bad, but some days it was very invasive. I went an entire month before I decided to actually investigate everything online. I didn't think much of it until the tinnitus became a 24/7 ringing. That's when I got worried. I also realized I had fluid buildup in my middle ear, which explained the wooshing sound.
At that point, I started trying things I read about here, along with chatting with ChatGPT. I used the Valsalva technique, tried pulling on my earlobe, used an Otovent, took Mucinex, and used Nasonex nasal spray aimed correctly. Nothing seemed to help much. I also noticed extremely loud Rice Krispies-type crackling sounds in my ears when doing the Valsalva technique. Stress certainly did not help the situation either.
My first real glimpse of hope came when I started feeling fluid drip down my throat. I would be sitting in my chair and suddenly feel a very cool drip in the back of my throat. I'm assuming most of the fluid eventually drained within the first 2 months. The tinnitus, however, stuck around.
Here's where it gets more interesting. The tinnitus has always been more forgiving when I'm in a quiet room. It's actually the worst around noise. Yes, you read that correctly. I realize that may seem strange, but that's how it has been for me since the onset. The tinnitus itself sounds like hissing, similar to leaking air from a tire. Over time, the baseline changed into a lower hiss, which I've heard is typically a good sign.
So, what worked, and do I still have tinnitus?
In short: I can still hear it, but it's very faint at this point. It's so faint that it's not intrusive, and based on my progression so far, I believe it will go away over the next few months.
Following a low-inflammation diet really helped me notice a difference. I ate less dairy, more meat and vegetables, avoided wine, and avoided alcohol altogether. I also established a better sleep schedule, going to bed at 10 pm and waking up at 6 am. The improved sleep helped reduce my anxiety and constant stress, which in turn seemed to lower the volume of the tinnitus.
I'm also using a steam inhaler twice a day for good measure, specifically the one made by Vicks. There's a lot more I could share, but I'll let people ask questions about anything I didn't cover here. Thanks!
I've had allergy-induced tinnitus and Eustachian tube dysfunction since around mid-April to early May of this year. I live in the country, and I remember the pollen was so bad you could literally see it if you brushed against a plant. At the onset of what I believe was a severe upper respiratory infection, I was more congested than I've ever been in my life. Granted, I've never had what you would call healthy sinuses. Congestion has been an issue most of my life, but never like this. I remember sneezing a lot and then just sort of accepting it for what it was.
About 2 weeks later, that's when strange things started happening with my ears. I could hear a swooshing sound, like I had water stuck in my ear from swimming, but it was not on the outside of my ear. At the time, I didn't even know about the Eustachian tube or the middle ear. I'd never experienced anything like this in my entire life, and I turn 40 this year.
That swooshing sound was magnified if I was around music or loud noises, and my hearing was significantly muffled. This was mostly isolated to my right ear. I would say about 85% right ear and 15% left. For a few weeks, it was mostly the annoyance of not hearing as well out of that ear, along with the weird feeling of having something moving around inside my ear and the constant swooshing or wooshing sound. I assumed it was earwax and let it be.
Not long after that, the tinnitus started. The baseline was quiet at first, intermittent, and not too bad, but some days it was very invasive. I went an entire month before I decided to actually investigate everything online. I didn't think much of it until the tinnitus became a 24/7 ringing. That's when I got worried. I also realized I had fluid buildup in my middle ear, which explained the wooshing sound.
At that point, I started trying things I read about here, along with chatting with ChatGPT. I used the Valsalva technique, tried pulling on my earlobe, used an Otovent, took Mucinex, and used Nasonex nasal spray aimed correctly. Nothing seemed to help much. I also noticed extremely loud Rice Krispies-type crackling sounds in my ears when doing the Valsalva technique. Stress certainly did not help the situation either.
My first real glimpse of hope came when I started feeling fluid drip down my throat. I would be sitting in my chair and suddenly feel a very cool drip in the back of my throat. I'm assuming most of the fluid eventually drained within the first 2 months. The tinnitus, however, stuck around.
Here's where it gets more interesting. The tinnitus has always been more forgiving when I'm in a quiet room. It's actually the worst around noise. Yes, you read that correctly. I realize that may seem strange, but that's how it has been for me since the onset. The tinnitus itself sounds like hissing, similar to leaking air from a tire. Over time, the baseline changed into a lower hiss, which I've heard is typically a good sign.
So, what worked, and do I still have tinnitus?
In short: I can still hear it, but it's very faint at this point. It's so faint that it's not intrusive, and based on my progression so far, I believe it will go away over the next few months.
Following a low-inflammation diet really helped me notice a difference. I ate less dairy, more meat and vegetables, avoided wine, and avoided alcohol altogether. I also established a better sleep schedule, going to bed at 10 pm and waking up at 6 am. The improved sleep helped reduce my anxiety and constant stress, which in turn seemed to lower the volume of the tinnitus.
I'm also using a steam inhaler twice a day for good measure, specifically the one made by Vicks. There's a lot more I could share, but I'll let people ask questions about anything I didn't cover here. Thanks!
