Tinnitus very loud today

[Carol]

I've had T for 3 months now and am trying so hard to get used to it. I need a bit of support today though because it seems louder than before. I've heard stress doesn't help and my daughter started school last week and doesn't want to go. She cries and cries when I leave her and has to be prised off me by the teachers. Perhaps this is related to my loud T?
I've been experimenting with masking but I've not really found the right sound that properly masks my T unless I play the masking sound really loud which I don't want to do!
Over the summer I felt like I was making headway with positive thinking but I feel almost back to how I was at the start today! Arrgghh I really wish it would just go away....

 

[Amelia]

I'm sorry you are having a tough day. Mine seemed louder today too

I can't help you too much with your daughter because I have the same problems with my 4 year old not wanting to go to preschool, but I honestly believe that my T is in some way related to stress. Hopefully it's just a stage

What types of things are you masking with? I find the white/pink noise just annoys me but I can deal with relaxation sounds - last night I had rainforest sounds with some really loud frogs ... Seemed to work better. Fingers crossed it works well tonight!

 

[observer]

Hi Carol,

Sorry to hear about the tough time this T seems to be giving you.

I was pretty much consumed with this ringing until last week too but then realized that I was hoping for it to go away even when I was trying to be positive and I was scared- scared about this being an indication of some other bad condition, scared of having to live with this and never be quiet again...

I tried ignoring it like everyone suggested and that didn't work. When it got louder last week (or maybe I perceived it to be louder) I just decided to observe it- just observe it without wanting it to go away or stay or anything and for some reason that calmed me down and the mind automatically ignored it after a few minutes so I could go back to doing what I was. Hope this helps.

I have found maskers to be even more irritating during the day but playing a white noise on my phone does help me sleep during the night. Loud noises- truck horns or even my own 2 kids screaming definitely makes the T worse. It almost feels like there's something vibrating inside the ears which starts oscillating more with outside sound stimuli.

Hope you are feeling better.

Peace,
Observer

 

[Carol]

Hi and thanks for your replies.

Observer: I've been thinking about what you said about staying positive but also wishing it would go away and that really rings true with me. I still wish it would go away so it's hard to make any permanent progress. Now I've had it for 3 months I think I'm going to have to accept that it won't go away and approach it from that point of view. The idea scares me at the moment though....

Amelia: Yes, pink noise is a bit annoying but for me less annoying than listening to my T!!! I'll have a search around for some other masking sounds..........
Sorry to hear your daughter's having trouble settling at preschool. It's horrible to leave them crying, isn't it.

Carol

 

[LadyDi]

Hey Carol: My T also has huge variations in noise, often during the course of a day. I think changes in barometric pressure, due to weather, is a big factor. Also, rooms with lots of hard surfaces (bare walls, tile floors, no carpets) and lots of loud people talking really get my ears going.

My suggestion for masking: Get an app available for iPhones called WhiteNoise. Has about 20 different sounds (including white, pink, brown, blue and violet noise). Pick one that you like. I have found different sounds work better at different times for me. "Air conditioner" (yes, it mimics an AC wall unit) is great for sleeping. "Purring cat" calms me down, helps me write. Brown and blue noise work much better as background sound for me than white or pink. And rain sounds of any kind make my T crazy. Go figure. I think masking noises need to be tailored to the individual so the more choices, the better. There is a poster here on the board, SteveH I believe, who says he can make a noise that can match your pitch and preferences.

I listen using a very small sport headphone set where the speakers sit inside my ears, so I can hear others around me -- but don't go completely into my ears, like ear buds. It's made by Sennheiser.

Just remember on the loud days... it's only one day. Quieter days will come.

 

[Carol]

Hi LadyDi, Thanks for that suggestion. I'll give it a try. I've just invested in some good headphones that are comfortable but don't stop me hearing what's going on around me. Yes, it's strange how some sounds really get your T going. For me it's my 4 year old daughter screaming either in delight (which she's started doing suddenly since she started school, she must have made a friend who does it!) or pain and frustration etc ...... Hope she grows out of it soon!

 

[Maureen777]

LadyDi, thanks for your suggestion about the WhiteNoise app. I really like it.