Tinnitus Free for Over 15 years, and Now It's Back.

August of 1998 I spent several hours in a too-loud club. This was the beginning of my T. I couldn't sleep and it was quite a disruption to my life. I had previously worked for an audiologist so I had some idea of what T was. I called my audiologist friend and she recommend I get checked out. I was told I had no hearing loss and that I should mask the sound as best I could. For sometime after that I feel asleep to the low hum of TV infomercials. Eventually, it was months but I can't recall how many, it went away completely. I've always believed it just resolved itself, and not that I habituated to the sound, but who really knows for sure. In the years since I've always worn over-the-counter ear plugs to loud events. On October 26, 2013 I attended a concert. Our seats were in the second row center from the stage. I have T again. For some reason, I'm not near,y as anxious about it this time around as I was last time. Maybe because it's not foreign to me and I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I haven't seen a doctor this time around, but I likely will as I've also had sinus issues since early October. I hear the hum almost all the time, but it doesn't really bother me during the day. I'm usually able to put it out of my mind. Nighttime is another story. I'm using a nature sounds IPad app to sleep through the night. Crazy thing is...when I'm awake listening to the nature sounds in the still of the night I run little experiments on myself. I can listen to my T through the nature sounds. But I can also focus on the nature sound and block out the T 100%. I remember a camping trip when I had T years ago. It was so wonderful to not here T even if I tried for days because we camped by a swift flowing creek. I need to get back to nature again soon.

 

It went months and then went away?

Damn, that gives me some hope!! (6 months in after partybus with extremely loud speakers, could feel the blast on my skin lol)

If it has gone away before, maybe it will again. If not, there are cures coming! I hope!

I base my emotion on the assumption that a cure is within 10 years from now, or at least an effective treatment. Dno how smart that is, but it's what works best for me as of now.

 

Thank you! Yes, it disappeared after months. I believe there's hope. I do strongly believe in not attending to the T. I'm hoping this time runs a course similar to the last time and that there will be relief for all of us soon.

 

I reckon huge loud speakers should be banned!
We go to public parks and outdoor events and we are assailed with these gigantic speakers blasting "music".
I look at parents with their little kids and babies being exposed and wonder how much damage is being done.
I sound like a misery guts, don't I?
LOL

 

I'm with you on that, Jill. I feel I can't really "hear" the music when it's so loud anyway. It's too bothersome to hear. I was a little nervous during the concert. Wondering if my earplugs would be effective. I suppose that shpuld have been. Sign to me. I'm confident that, if it doesn't resolve itself somehow, I'll habituate.

 

I finally saw a doctor yesterday. She was not at all concerned with the T, but she noted that I'm "on the verge" of a sinus infection and that both of my ears have fluid in them. She prescribed antibiotics. Now I'm wondering if the T is a result of the fluid or the concert. Hmmmm.

 

Yesterday afternoon I noticed silence. Apparently it had be silent a while. At that point at which I noticed silence, I became desperate to try NOT to listen for the T. Things remained relatively quiet for the remainder of the evening and throughout the night. Today was not good though. My ears have been buzzing all day.

 

I saw my doctor again today because the antibiotic and Nasonex I was prescribed two weeks ago seemed to have done nothing for the fluid behind the eardrum of my left ear. My ear still feels full and I still have T, although it seems to be considerably more quiet. I was disgnosed with acute otitis media which is often accompanied by T. The doctor wasn't at all concerned about the T, saying that it often gets worse in everyone with the process of aging . He mentioned that the infection I have is likely viral, hence it not responding to antibiotics. I have normal pressure in right ear and high pressure in left ear. He recommended I continue with Nasonex and use Afrin consistently for 2 or 3 days to help clear the Eustachian tube which will help clear infection.

I'm still ordering if the concert I attended attributed to the T as well. I'm sure I'll never know.

 

I think because you noticed some silence, there's a good chance you'll be rid of T soon, the first months are very crucial I would go the ayurvedic way and eat a clove of garlic everyday and also put half a teaspoon of turmeric in slightly warm milk and drink it at bedtime, it will help with the infection.

 

UPDATE...

I woke up this morning and I had forgotten about my T... completely. I was up and busy for about a half an hour when I realized I hadn't heard the humming/ringing in my left ear. Sadly, I stopped in my tracks to listen... and there it was, but very faint. Darn it! I wish it hadn't popped into my mind. This is the first morning I've awakened to silence. Typically, I'm aware of it before I consciously think of it because it's apparent enough. I'm truly grateful for this morning.

 

I hope you all don't mind. I'm kind of using this as a way to chronicle how things are going/changing/improving.

Today my T is LOUD. It sounds as if I'm standing under high tension power lines. Nothing except the shower masks the T today. But yesterday was pretty darn near perfect. I took Sudafed and Nasonex this morning as usual. It's now 3:30 in the afternoon and I decided to try something that's worked for me once before. I used a saline nasal spray and Afrin. I feel my sinuses clearing. The T volume is decreasing somewhat now. It's still noisier than yesterday, but much more quiet than earlier today.

 

Hi Mis, at what age u felt first T?