Should I Search for the Cause?

My tinnitus journey started 2.5 years ago…so I guess I’m in the permanent club now.

After the initial dark weeks where I didn’t sleep and didn’t want to do anything other than sit in my room and constantly research tinnitus, I made a great recovery, to the point where I didn’t think about my T that much anymore. I only heard it if I was somewhere quiet, such as my bedroom, where I masked the low T in my left ear with white noise (something I’ve used for many years anyway) and my high-pitched noise in my right ear/head with crickets sounds.

I also came off here, and I don’t think it was doing me much good…..but I’m back now….having a bit of a relapse emotionally.

So, last week I thought I heard my T in my “bad” ear (left) when driving (changing the radio over). This caused me to focus on my sounds in my head, and now I cant stop hearing my high-pitched T in my other ear/head. It’s quite quiet in reality, but I can hear it over many things (TV, radio, my sleeping sounds!, in my new work office etc).

I’m pretty sure it is just my brain being annoying, it has not got louder, and that, given time, I’ll be back to “normal” again.

However, this has prompted my old question of….why did I get T in the first place?

I was early 30s when I got T. In my youth (mid 20s) I used to use headphones a lot, but this started to decrease in my late 20s and early 30s as I was in the car and not on the bus. I also don’t think I have hearing loss; I went to have my hearing tested when I got T and they lady said I have the best (high-pitched) hearing she’d ever seen.

A few weeks before I got my T, I think I had a minor cold.

After getting my T, my ears become full, but no one saw anything behind my eardrums even when it felt like there was water in there!

This fullness is now mainly in my right ear; popping them lightly gives relief for a few seconds, but that’s it. Again, this is not too bad, and is not something that has bothered me.

Added to the equation; a few years before my T, my new dentist recommended I visited my GP to talk about reflux (due to my teeth). My GP put me on a PPI. However, having no symptoms, I stopped taking them after a year…..until last year, when I thought I better take them for a while….and the very next day, I got heartburn!!?!?!

So, should I keep search for the cause, with the hope that if they find it they can help (if its due to ETD, I don’t think it can be helped anyway??)

Or should I give up and focus on my recovery?

Views welcomed.

 

Hi there.

I would do both. Certainly focus on your recovery (you sound exactly like me at the moment!), but also try and find out whats caused it/If anything else can be done. I am on the same journey. All the best to you!

 

So, it could be gerd or silent reflux... No symptoms for ages, but got some heartburn last year and going for a camera down my throat soon (well, waiting for an appointment).

Could be mild ETD but passed the ear pressure thingy

Could be headphones use, but surely I wouldn't get it in both ears at the same time?

Could just be genetics and bad luck!

 

It sounds to me like you may have a Tmj problem that is causing your tinnitus. My ears felt full and popping would relieve it temporarily and I have a Tmj problem. Go to a Tmj specialist to see if this is the case. Tmj tinnitus is sometimes curable.

 

Generally don't have pain in the jaw though or any other flags that point to TMJ. In fact, I once mentioned to my dentist about tennis and she did a quick check on my jaw.