Tinnitus from Slap to Head

Dear Doctor,

Past year in September I go a slap against the left side of my head. This resulted in getting a hole in my eardrum. Which healed after 2 months. However Tinnitus remained.

It decreased in intensity as how it started. But still it is quite noticeable, it is not a tonal tone but somekind of white noise which changes in volume.

I am worried that I will not really habituate or recover fully. As there is probably not any cochlear damage, but somehow brain damage occurred.

This week I am going to get my jaws checked. My neck etc is ok.
My question how can I best recover? (avoild loud sounds?)
Will I habituate?

Will a TRT noiser in my ear do any good or contribute to overloading my ear to too much sound.
I am afraid.

Thanks for your answer, I am glad you came to this forum. Thank you

Best regards

Robb

 

Hi @Robb -

I am sorry that you are having a difficult time of it, and I well-understand that you are afraid. The fact that many have walked in your shoes and ultimately did well can only be so assuring. But it's true nonetheless.

I wish I had some sort of magic formula for you. I am sure that you have already read my Doctors' Corner post on Strategy - but that's an overall plan and not a step-by-step.

I think what you are saying in your post is that your tinnitus bothers you a lot, you want to habituate, and you'd like my advice on the best way to go about it.

If that is the case, then I would make an appointment with a clinician who is knowledgeable regarding tinnitus and who is experienced in assisting people whose lives are significantly affected by their tinnitus with the habituation process.

If I lived in Germany, the person I would particularly want to see in that regard would be Jacqui Sheldrake in London. Likely she would be able to handle all of your follow-up long distance, so you would only need to see her in person once for a thorough evaluation and recommendations based upon that evaluation. There are others in the field, but in my considered opinion Jacqui Sheldrake is the very best in Europe. So she's the one I would want to see.

As far as your question about whether or not a TRT device would be of help to you, my general feeling is that a TRT device without actually doing TRT under the supervision of a knowledgeable and experienced TRT clinician is largely worthless.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Stephen Nagler