Tinnitus Since 2017 Due to Sticking Q-Tips in My Ears, Made Worse by Wisdom Tooth Removal

Hello. My name is Melanie. I am 36 and I’m from Carmel, NY. Originally from the Bronx, NY. . I decided to join because I’ve had tinnitus since 2017 which I think was due to me sticking q-tips in my ears because they were constantly itchy. Then I’d get pain and take ibuprofen constantly. (I regret all of this). In May I went to see an ENT and they said I had low frequency hearing loss in both ears, but I can’t even tell because I hear everything just fine. Then, my ENT said my hearing loss could be due to just living in NYC.

On August 10, I had my wisdom tooth removed and 3 weeks later the tinnitus got louder. Another thing that happened during my wisdom tooth surgery was that my jaw, chin and lip stayed numb weeks after. Recently I regained feeling in the lip, but my chin is still numb. Seems like the feeling is coming back slowly. Before this, I had braces and got them removed in February. My Surgeon thinks the tinnitus is due to either ibuprofen ototoxicity or clenching my jaw while I sleep. And I do clench my jaw a lot! Actually the day I woke up with really bad tinnitus I had been clenching my jaw after a bad dream. It has been driving me crazy ever since because sometimes it’s louder than the TV or fan I use to try and mask it. I have lost 11 lbs because I haven’t been able to eat. I think about this 24/7 which I know is not good to do. I just want to get better and be the old goofy me that I used to be.

Another thing to note. I have a daughter who is very severely disabled and her condition is terminal. This Summer she had some health problems and I was really depressed and anxious about it. So I wonder if the recent rise in stress/anxiety and clenching my jaw has a lot to do with the recent spike.

I know some people who have tinnitus and live perfectly normal lives like my father and brother and a couple of other people I’ve spoken to on my Instagram. My father has had it since he was 26 and he is now 60. He said he has gotten used to it and doesn’t hear it unless I bring it up. (I’m going to stop doing that). I went to see an ENT yesterday and he agreed that it can be due to me clenching my jaw and I probably need a mouthguard.

I can tell you that when my husband and I go out on a date, I start to loosen up, laugh, joke while sipping on a margarita or glass of wine and suddenly my tinnitus feels like it is gone. I only have a drink on Saturdays as I do not want to make my tinnitus worse by drinking excessively.

Anyway, I came here to look for positivity and support. I feel positivity from people who can relate is what I need right now. I read some sad stories and it just scares the living crap out of me.

 

First of all welcome to the forum! I hope your numbness goes away, some meds can have adverse effects on us. Many factors can contribute to tinnitus, just do know that this community is filled with people that TOTALLY understand your situation and we are here to support you.

Do yourself a favor, read good stories and try to get support. Try not to read stories that do not help your situation. Tinnitus is a journey, it's a day by day ordeal. Be gentle on yourself and do know that you do not walk alone, we walk with you!

 

did you rupture your eardrum with the q-tips? looks to me like your use of ibuprofen is the real cause.

 

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I did not rupture my eardrum as I had my ears checked a bunch of times after and the Doctors all said my ears looked perfect. But I also do believe Ibuprofen is a culprit. I also had to take some when I got my wisdom teeth pulled not knowing there were ototoxic affects until recently.

 

Thanks so much for your reply. I have been looking for positive success stories only. From people who have either habituated, gotten better, or just learned to live a normal life again. I tend to come across the negativity sometimes, but I TRY my best to ignore it. It’s a scary journey, but I’m so thankful I came across this site and have found positive people who can relate. That is what I need at this time.

 

Habituation,coping,adaptation takes work and lots of it. Don't look at the future right now, in regards to your tinnitus. Just look to tomorrow and those small baby steps you can take to make your life better. The famous saying is - Rome was not built in a day.

Tinnitus can bring lots of challenges into our lives, I have faced them and still face them. when it's stressful and at times uncertainty tries to crawl in, I simply tell my self - "It's going to be ok", "You are going to be just fine", "You can handle this, I believe in you!".

It's that kind of self talk, that gets me through each day.
Positive re-enforcement is vital in life, not just with tinnitus. As I say in many of my posts, only YOU can help yourself, No one else can do it for you...

 

Yes! I am constantly reassuring myself that things will be ok, but the stupid anxiety won’t shut up. The calm me knows things will be ok, but the anxious me has a louder voice and talks a lot of fear mongering crap! . I just need to learn to silence the anxiety. Once I do, that’ll be one big step to getting better. I’m Just trying to figure it all out now while trying my best to be positive. Even making jokes about this. My husband recently asked me if I remembered something and I said nope, it doesn’t ring a bell. . Lol. I’m a goof.

Thanks again for responding to my post with positivity.