Tinnitus After Being Sick with Bronchitis — Recently It's Worse, from Dropping Daily Wine or Stress?

Hello. I'm new. I got tinnitus when I was in my mid 20s after being sick with bronchitis for a week and coughing my brains out. Thought it would've fixed itself but 16 years later still have it.

This past month, March 2022, it's gotten louder and I don't know why. I thought maybe because I gave up daily wine with dinner but I also had a stressful month.

Anyways, it's been 3 weeks of louder tinnitus and a feeling of pressure in my ears and difficulty sleeping despite having a fan and TV on. Hope it gets better or my brain adjusts to it.

 

Sounds like you have a ton of experience. I believe whatever this is, you will adjust much quicker if the new volume happens to stick around for awhile. Prayers for a speedy habituation or decrease in noise/awareness.

 

Did you take steroids when the tinnitus first came up?

 

No.

 

So last month I wrote here mentioning that I've had tinnitus for 16+ years but I rarely even noticed it until middle of March where it became so loud I had to retrain my brain to sleep. My ears also felt clogged and I felt pressure.

I had an appointment with an audiologist and he immediately tested me for a thyroid panel and sure enough I have hypothyroidism. My TSH was 10.5. He said there is a very strong correlation between hypothyroidism and tinnitus.

Fast forward, it's been almost 2 months since my increase in tinnitus loudness, and it has gone down 75% with treatment for thyroid. I also no longer have the pressure or clogged feeling.