Should I Find a New ENT?

I've had tinnitus for almost two weeks now and it's driving me insane. It started with an ear infection. I took antibiotics and all the infection symptoms, including the ringing, stopped. Then the day I finished my ammoxacillin the ringing in my left ear came back and has been there ever since. I went to an ENT yesterday hoping for some light at the end of this very dark tunnel. The audiologist did a hearing test (a little hearing loss in the upper range, nothing major) and measured the pressure in my eustation tubes, which was fine. Then I saw the doctor himself. He looked in my ears, both of which look fine, told me that the tinnitus is for life, and that I'll eventually learn to live with it. That;s it. I told him about my ear history, about the vertigo spell I had last December ad the ear infection from this past April that wouldn't clear up. He listened, but seemed dismissive. He also told me that my vertigo spell from December wasn't a flu or cold bug getting to my ear and messing up my balance like the ER doctor said it was. He didn't tell me what it was though, and I was too upset and despondent to think to ask. I'm contemplating going to another ENT for a second opinion, but would it really be worth it? From what I understand there isn't any real treatment for tinnitus, so even if I did get a better doctor that listened they would still probably just tell me that there isn't anything they can do and I need to just go home and learn to live with it. I'm sorry if I'm rambling, but it's only two weeks in and I'm just grasping at straws here, anything to find some relief from this constant damn noise.

 

Don't bother. There's no pill for t.
ENTs are useless. They can treat mild throat infections and maybe perform cosmetic nose jobs.
They don't know the first thing about inner ear or brain disorders.

 

Thanks, thst's what I thought. Is there anyone out there that can offer any kind of help?

 

Just because ENTs are useless doesn't mean you shouldn't get a second opinion.
Try to find a neurotologist, they are a bit more relevant to tinnitus.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into a neurologist.

 

NeurOTOlogist

 

My mistake, thanks for the correction.

 

Some people have had unlikely success with unusual treatments after seeing dozens of different medical providers over a period of years, but most people who have gone that route end up with tinnitus and $10,000 in medical expenses.

Once the fixable problems (vascular loops, vitamin deficiencies, etc) have been ruled out, and the unusual-but-serious-problems (acoustic neuromas, cancers) have been ruled out, then there's not very much that any conventional doctor is going to be able to do for you.

As far as habituation therapies work, AFAIK meditation has as good a track record as anything else, and is free. Basic lifestyle changes (stress management, good sleep hygiene) can go a long ways towards making this a livable condition for some percentage of sufferers, and these things are also free.

If you want to play chemical whack-a-mole with trobalt, benzos, SSRIs, etc, then a neurologist who has specific experience prescribing those drugs is probably your best bet... but, again, this is just as likely to leave you with other problems, as it is to make any difference at all in your T.

 

Yes, I would get a second opinion. I agree about the neurotologist as well. If you come up short there, you can also find a otologist - essentially and ENT who specializes in the E. Sometimes if you look carefully at an ENT practice web site, they will mention tinnitus. If they have web pages for each doctor, some docs will mention it as well. It doesn't mean they are experts or are on here every day or will prescribe Trobalt, but they are hopefully a little more aware.

I would start with your history including the veritgo and ear infection and then mention tinnitus as opposed to going there just for tinnitus.

I don't know where you live, but you might also try googling "tinnitus clinic" as there are places that do deal with tinnitus. They also won't be on here every day and won't prescribe Trobalt, but they do deal with tinnitus. They will talk about management rather than "cure" which some folks don't like, but it might be worth looking into.

 

Thanks. As it turns out my local university has four neurotologists on staff, I'm just making sure that my insurance would cover the appointment. If I do go there I'll defiantly emphasis my history over the T, and truthfully even if the T went away right now getting my ears checked out by a specialist probably wouldn't be a bad idea considering my history. I'm just scared that even if I do go to a neurotologist they'll say there is nothing they can do, and I'll be even more despondent that I am now.

 

So I spoke with someone at my local university's ENT clinic. I explained my whole history to them, and they were actually able to pull up my chart as well. They said that the ENT I saw yesterday was right, tinnitus caused by mild hearing loss. I'm welcome to come in for a second opinion, but there wouldn't be much, if anything, they could do for me. Oh well. I tried I guess...

 

Have you had just the one vertigo spell? History of ear infections or just these two? Any other symptoms?

 

Lifelong history of ear infections and the one vertigo spell.

 

The neurotologist if your lucky will give you a nasal steroid spray........

See if you can find a squirrel in the park tell him about your Tinnitus you will get just as much out of it

 

LOL thanks. That;s why I've decided not to go.

 

hey kuriboh, seriously if you have mild high freq hearing loss ,it could be worth looking at Hearing Aids ,they are the only things that keep me sane,

 

I'm actually talking to a hearing aid place as I'm typing this. I hope they aren't too far out of my price range...

EDIT-So the hearing aid place has some tinnitus specific devices. They're expensive, and I don't know if my insurance will cover it (they cover hearing aids, but I don't know about tinnitus devices) but this could be what helps me cope with this...

 

...ok now listen,it was a stroke of luck that I got a volume control on mine, Right up to max it would distort things on a day to day basis so I keep them at normal but at night for some reason the perception of T is reduced buy at least half with volume at max.

 

Thanks for the good info. The possibility of a hearing aid has given me a ray of hope so I hope it all works out for me...