Tinnitus Appears Out of the Blue

hey! I have had Tinnitus for 5 months now, the cause is unknown. Mine happened November 22/2017 it happened out of no where, and has been bad ever since. I went to the ER and they had done a cat scan, turned out good!

So I went home thinking it would eventually go away. Never went away, in December I went to a ENT Specialist, done a hearing test, which was good, they told me I could hear whispers. He said I was unique, since I was only 30 with this symptom.

He gave me Prednisone, since my ears felt so full. After the prednisone it helped a lot with my fullness, but of course the tinnitus was still there. I decided to go to a regular doctor for a check up, she seemed to thought it was allergies!

My tinnitus is all the time in both ears, my right the worse. I hear a very high pitch ringing, sometimes it is so high it hurts to hear other noises.

I also hear static and sometimes I hear clicking.

My ears hurts most of the times and they pop if I just blow my nose. My ENT gave me allergy testing, and I am allergic to grass, trees, weeds, cats dogs, mold, and the highest to dust mites which is everywhere!

I am having a very hard time dealing with this, I have recently took a leave of absence from work for a month to learn to deal with this problem, now I am back at work and I feel like I am back sliding. I know there is so much that could happen to me that are worse and I thank God I am in good health.

What do you all think, could allergies be a possibility for this?

Can Allergies make you have constant Tinnitus, most times it is very bad and loud?

 

It could be, but I'd recommend to go down a serious diagnosis path because it could be many things. Here is a flow chart you can follow with your doc.

 

@CrystalB ,
Aĺlergies can cause tinnitus as you make extra mucous and gets in your ear tubes and airways.
I am a sever asthmatic and allergies effect my nose and ears and lungs.
I take a strong antihistamine all year round and nasil spray along with my 3 inhalers and Montelucast.
You might benifit from a good antihistamine.
Love glynis x

 

Thank you! I take Claritin for the most part, I’ve always known I’ve had bad allergies, but I never knew it could do me like this. Thank you for your advice, the ENT had prescribed me Allegra, but said if I started to act strange on it to stop taking it, so that scared me into not starting it.

 

It caused me extra breathing problems and AnE took me off that one when I was taken in to respiratory.
Love glynis x

 

Greg, thank you for your advice. My ENT sent me for a MRI with contrast also, to rule out anything real serious. It came back normal. I also had recently had a visit to a neurologist due to me having eye migraines. I mentioned the Tinnitus to him and he said he would look at my MRI also, he said that a MRI would let him know what he was looking for. I haven’t heard back from him yet, so I’ve always heard “no news is good news.” I don’t have vertigo with my tinnitus just the occasional light headedness I believe is from allergies.

 

Greg, I have and the ENT told me my hearing was great, that I could even hear whispers.

 

Great!

 

It could very well be due to allergies. Did you have recently any head or neck trauma (whiplash e.g.) or do you work in a noisy work environment (a hidden hearing loss)?

 

Nope I didn’t have no injury’s at all, and I work in a bakery, so no loud noises but just the occasional dish washer. I know I’m never around cigarettes at all, I’m so allergic to the smoke. The day before I got tinnitus I was closed up in a car with someone smoking cigarettes for about 20 min. The Next day I woke up with tinnitus. I guess I’m going thru a stage where I’m just trying to figure out what might had caused it, maybe the cigarettes triggered it due to allergies?

 

Well, it is just my own opinion but I don't think it's the cigarettes. It could also be a stress related issue.

Note: If you are that much allergic to smoke, yes it'd makes sense that that was the trigger for your tinnitus but I imagine the effects of it would have already worn off by now?

I noticed we both got tinnitus around the same time, we're both the same age, and the way you described your tinnitus sounds very much like my own tinnitus.

Another thing that crosses my mind is, people like to go out from time to time and if you had any alcohol and there were excessive levels of noise (life bands, clubs..) that could be the culprit of your tinnitus too.

Alcohol intoxicates + dehydrates not only a brain but also your auditory system and thus making it more vulnerable to damage.

Otherwise I don't know. I hope it's really the allergies and that your T fades away soon.

 

Thank you for your advice! It could be stress related, I know at the time I was very stressed out, I can be a very anxious person and have anxiety. I’ve never had alcohol in my life and I haven’t been around a club or concert in years, but I did read somewhere that alcohol could very well be a trigger to tinnitus. Also I have heard caffeine could be a trigger? Do you drink a lot of caffeine? I have to stay away from caffeine because of my heart so I don’t drink it. We are still young, well...I still consider myself still young lol, I know you can get tinnitus at any age but like the ENT told me, its odd to get it unless your older. I hope you find out what has caused yours as well. Hopefully mine are allergies but I may never know.

 

You're more than welcome. So stress it is. Well, that's at least smth you can work on to get rid of your tinnitus. That's some good news!

Just remember noise damage is cumulative (listening to MP3's at high volume i.e.) and especially if your body is weakened by a lot of stress, illness, work so on and so forth... then "T" can appear out of blue too.

No, I don't drink caffeine and I rarely drink alcohol. I mean I used to ocassionally, you know just to chill with friends watching a movie. Damn right we're still young! Lol My ENT told me exactly the same thing "it's unusual for people your age to get subjective tinnitus". I think I know what caused mine. One Judo class (had some ringing that day but then it disappeared) and about 2 weeks later a super loud Bday party (mine) + alcohol. What a present, right? My past year was also super taxing on my body (full time study + job) so I think that didn't help much either. Lots of stress.

In any case, best of luck on your road to recovery and let us know how you're doing! : )

 

I’ve been trying to not stress out as much, but it’s so hard not too, when you have this and trying to work at the same time. Sounds like you may be on the road to finding out what caused yours, sucks that it had to come as a birthday present
My tinnitus had came before back in August, I woke up with it like I did in November, I had went to the Doctor she told me I had fluid in my ear and prescribed nose spray, I used it everyday and I believe eventually the tinnitus cleared up, I can’t even remember when it did Clear up, I just got to where I couldn’t hear it anymore.
Then in November I woke up with tinnitus again and this time it didn’t go away. It’s a mystery that’s for sure.
I wish you the best of luck also!

 

My ears always feel full aswell and it turned out to be my jaw causing this. Do you have problems with bruxism, clenching or any other issues with your jaw?

 

Tell me about it. I'm annoyed bec of that every. single. day. If only I knew back then what I know now... *sigh*

I can feel your pain. Bakery doesn't seem to be too much of a loud place. I think it might be a good idea for you to get a pair of earplugs that offer optimum attenuation in medium risk areas without adversely affecting communiction with your colleagues or customers. Just to be safe. Anyway, I didn't wake up with tinnitus. It was actually my tinnitus that woke me up. The first 2-3 weeks after onset were pretty brutal tbh.

The one thing I like about your comments is that you seem to radiate positivity even though you got tinnitus. More power to you and also you got a lovely smile. You also said "thank god I'm in a good health". Most people on this forum are hurting and feel there's just no hope anymore. Please, do yourself a favour and stay away from the net googling all the doom and gloom about tinnitus. I know people who would be much happier now if they actually knew less about the condition (me included). Ignorance is bliss - listen to your docs. A part of the reason could be, people who actually did manage to get rid of t. don't report back to let everyone else know that they got to hear silence again.

Here, some positive TT threads to cheer you up a little

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/a-collection-of-success-stories-from-around-the-web.24122/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/spontaneous-recovery-stats-many-recover-3-studies.21441/

 

Thank you I try my hardest to stay positive, I have my moments but then I look around and see all the stuff that I am blessed with. Life is so short anyways to worry about the negativity in life. I see people who are dealing with life threatening illinesses, no limbs, can’t see, and I’ve watched them cope with it and still live life. Tinnitus is so annoying, and is so hard to deal with especially the first few months, but if people can deal with much worse illnesses than I can deal with this.
There is always hope, as long as you have life, you have hope
And you are so right about the googling, I went thru my stage and still find myself looking at all the negativity about tinnitus, but I always stop myself, because that is useless and it will make you back slide.
Thank you for the link also, I’ll check that out.

 

Carlyi
I do find myself clinching my teeth and jaw a lot, especially in my sleep. Would a MRI show any jaw problems that might would cause Tinnitus I wonder.

 

True. Our condition - tinnitus, can get absolutely debilitating though. Especially those severe cases of it, then you develop hyperacusis on top of things and it becomes a circle that's hard to break. People start having suicidal tendencies, especially in the beginning stages, then you hear about relationships/marriages falling apart bec of it... I won't go even further than that as I don't want to scare you (myself included).

That's where I think doctors are right to stay away from these type of forums and internet in general because it may have a devastating impact on anxious people. Well, look at the bright side of things, right? We're still here and breathing lol You lead by a good example. Keep it up. I like the research forum on here - it gives hope.

I think you pretty much nailed it with your comment. *you're getting two thumbs up*

 

The internet can be very negative, you have to be very careful with what negativity you bring on your mind. I’ve stopped researching it for most part, and try to only read the positive stuff. Your so right it can be debilitating and you never know what someone going thru, but I will try to hold onto life no matter what happens, because we are here to be strong. Life is a beautiful thing. Today has been a rough day, some days I handle tinnitus better than other days, but I looked around at all the great things I do have today, and all the blessings I do have, overcomes the bad. Tinnitus can’t defeat us and I’m not going to let it defeat me! Thanks for the two thumbs up lol. Don’t give up. I have read of marriages that have worked even with tinnitus, people learning to live normal lives. Be positive.

 

I was wondering also I forgot to mention it in my last post, but do you take any medication to help it? Have you ever heard of lipoflavornoid vitamins?

 

Yeah, I think we just switched sides now. You can now mentor me on how to cope with tinnitus (and not just me). It's like you have some aura of positivity around you and the strenght to lead a normal life even with T.

Hat tip to you for bringing some sunshine to this forum.

P.S.: Seriously, have a look at these ones: 3M™ E-A-R™ Clear Plug Earplugs 20

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• Class of protection: 83 dB(A) - 93dB(A)

The 3M™ E-A-R™ ClearE-A-R™ 20 Earplug has been developed with a 20dB reduction in noise to offer optimum attenuation in medium risk areas without adversely affecting communiction with your colleagues or customers. The high precision filter controls the flow of sound to maintain a connection with the outside world. The 3M™ ClearE-A-R™ 20 Earplug is transparent and has a shorter stem for workers who want their hearing protection to be almost invisible, ideal for the entertainment industries. Other options would be the Etymotic ER•20®XS High-Fidelity Earplugs or Eargasm high-fidelity earplugs. 'Middle ground' protection.

http://www.justonline.co.uk/product/3m-e-a-r-clear-e-a-r-earplugs/
https://www.etymotic.com/
https://eargasmearplugs.com/products/eargasm-high-fidelity-earplugs

 

Oh god, I'm tapering off slowly atm from antidepressants and some anti-epileptic drugs. Like I said the beginning was brutal and it completely turned my life upside down, crash and burn. I was working my bum off as a postgrad student working multiple jobs, lots of stress, meeting deadlines at uni and all that jazz and when I was finished with my coursework and exams I just wanted to take a break, relax and work on my disseration in peace so I can get a good grade and possibly rank up in league again and aim for a Ph.D. aaaand that's about when I got tinnitus. So my life pretty much collapsed as I wasn't able to concentrate on my work anymore (note: I was used to working in complete silence), and now this. That's when I realised I need help. I should proly have seen and get treated by a neurologist first rather than a psychiatrist. In any case, at first I thought the combo of the afore-mentioned drugs I was doing was boss. Well, after doing some more research I don't think that anymore. The antidepressants affect your central nervous system while the anti-epileptic drugs affect your peripheral nervous system. They are not ototoxic but they may cause tinnitus as a side effect. As potentially any drug can....

So to cut this short and sum it up. I just want to get rid of all the drugs asap and then lead a healthy lifestyle and let the body slowly recover, perhaps override some protocols in my brain as I believe the body likes to repair itself.

I'm seeing an assistant professor neurologist this Monday so hopefully I'll be able to get some pointers on what to do..

Edit: I just remembered that some users recommend taking Magnesium (it should help with your nervous system) and then N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is quite popular around here.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/n-acetylcysteine-nac.395/

 

Agree with Crystal that allergies can be related- antihistamine with HCl helps but doesn't cure. I had asthma until a few months after I was dx'd with Celiac Diseas and clench my teeth too in my sleep-- a lot whenT first started. Did you have dental work recently?

 

I’ll check that link out for the ear plugs. I use ear plugs thru out the day.
Especially at work but they are children’s ear plugs, my ears are so small, and they are bright orange lol, so I do get embarrassed wearing them.
It sounds like you had a lot of stress! Your tinnitus may be due to stress and especially if you have anxiety which does make it worse. I’ve noticed since I’ve went back to work after being off a month because of the tinnitus, my stress has become worse and the tinnitus seems to have moments of extreme loudness. It does seem good to be back to work, and live a normal life and not let it take over!
The ENT prescribed me a anti seizure medication, it came with such bad side effects I didn’t want to take it! I guess he knew the medicine would sedate me so bad I wouldn’t think about the tinnitus, but I didn’t want to live like that, that’s no way of living.
I don’t blame you for not wanting to be on all that medication. Doctors will prescribe medication just to be giving it out sometimes I believe.
The only thing I have took that my ENT suggested was vitamins called lipoflavonoid, I took them for over a month, they may help you, it’s natural and suppose to help the inner ear.

 

Laurie,
I have had my regular doctor to seem to think it is allergies, she says she sees inflammation in my ears at times and a little fluid. I haven’t been to the dentist in a long time, I had an appointment but turned it down because I was afraid the drill and the tinnitus would not mix good!
I don’t know what caused it, I wish I did though. I’m thinking either allergies or stress.
I’m wondering thou just to be curious, can you own scream cause damage to your ears and cause tinnitus?

 

Have you done an audiogram?
DPOAE?
Do you listen to ipod, use earbuds?
Did you attend a concert?
Did you use any ototoxic drugs?
Do you have TMJ?

 

I had never listened to a iPod or used earbuds.
I haven’t attended a concert in years.
I never used ototoxic drugs and I was tested for TMJ and didn’t have it