Tinnitus

[Mitchell]

Hello guys and girls,

I don't know how I even can live with (hopefully temporary) Tinnitus.

The cause of my problem started with using new in-ear plugs while listening to music several days a week for for a month (September till mid October). I never noticed any kind of stress or noise because of the ventilator in my sleeping room. Neither did I noticed it during the day (because of the background noise) in most environment. But around 15 October I just decided to turn off the ventilator. The next day I woke up with a terrible noise in my right ear. I panicked, called the GP and I told my story.

It was Tinnitus, but he also said to me, that I need to stop panicking. Because of his experience and my age (25) he told me about other clients with the same issues, were Tinnitus disappeared after a couple of months. Especially on a young age. In the country where I live (not a native English speaker) we normally don't use Prednisone for things like this. Do I need to insist to get it? I'm currently using Magnesium and vitamin B12 and soon Ginko.

Is there actually a possibility that it will disappear in the coming months, or not?

I mostly hear it in bed, and can't sleep because of it. During the day it's barely to non existent (if I don't sleep in bed or stay in a silent room). But the only thought in my mind (currently) is to kill myself .

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi Mitchell,

Welcome to the site!

Did the doctor check your ears to see if you have any wax? As for the steroid treatment, you can ask for it (or even insist on it), but know that it has side effects (you can Google that).

As for tinnitus disappearing on it's own, I am not sure how common that is. Hopefully, in your case it will disappear.

In the meantime, I would take your doctor's advice and stop panicking as anxiety and stress feed tinnitus. Believe me, I went through the same things you did when I first got tinnitus back in March. Please do not kill yourself, especially over tinnitus. Instead, what you need to do is to stop fighting it. I realize that is a natural reaction, but you will lose and it just leads to anxiety. Instead, let the tinnitus win and you will gradually habituate to it. This simply means you will hear the noise, but your nervous system will not react to it as your mind will have decided that its not important.

As for sleeping, I would suggest you use a fan or some other technique to "mask" the tinnitus. Personally speaking, I tried to use an air purifier on the first night, but I could not sleep because it was making too much noise. See what works for you.

Again, don't panic! Here in the US, it is estimated that 50 million people experience tinnitus in their lifetime. Hence, it is a very common condition and people live with it. So you can you.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Mitchell

New to tinnitus what to do?

The onset of loud intrusive tinnitus can be very traumatic for most people. I use the words loud and intrusive, because tinnitus comes in many forms and intensities. When it is mild, moderate or occasionally heard in quiet surroundings it is usually not too bothersome and a person can go about their daily affairs quite happily and unperturbed by this anomaly. This type of tinnitus usually comes on gradually and in some cases it's associated with hearing loss, as we get older and the usual treatment is the wearing of hearing aid/s.

Tinnitus can be caused by other things: an underlining medical problem, build up of ear wax (cerumen). Jaw problems. Some medications and even irregular blood flow through the body causing Pulsatile tinnitus. There are a plethora of other conditions that can be responsible. However, the most common cause is exposure to loud noise or music that has been played at high levels causing some damage to the cochlear in the inner ear.

This type of tinnitus can be loud, intrusive and very debilitating. Often leaving a person at a loss and not knowing which way to turn to escape the nightmare that has suddenly come upon them. Your Dr has probably told you, it's tinnitus and nothing can be done, you'll just have to learn to live with it. I remember those words as if it were yesterday resonating through my mind and thinking, live with this for the rest of my life, impossible. So I fully understand how difficult it can be for someone new to this condition to take this in and believe it to be factual.

If you are having difficulty sleeping you might have been advised to try a night time sedation or an ant-depressant to help cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies tinnitus. These medications can be helpful especially in the early stages and they don't have to be taken long term, so it's something to consider. They can act as a safety net so you don't become too down.

A referral to ENT will usually be recommended. In the mean time try to keep occupied with something you like doing, as it helps to distract the brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Avoiding quiet rooms during the day by playing low level non intrusive music such as classical in the background can be helpful.

At night a sound machine placed by the bedside playing nature sounds or listening to favourite mp3 tracks or Cds are good. Keeping the volume just below the tinnitus is ideal and set to play throughout the night until morning. It takes time to get used to sound therapy so please stay with it. Whilst in a deep sleep it supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background helping to make its perception less noticeable during waking hours.

In the early stages of tinnitus, if one chooses not to use sound enrichment sleeping can sometimes be difficult and there's also the chance of the tinnitus becoming more intrusive as sleeping in a quiet room can allow the brain to increase it's own background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it more intrusive during waking hours.

There is a tendency for newbies to try and cure their tinnitus which is quite understandable. There are many remedies, treatments and concoctions out there. Some affordable others quite expensive. I am not adverse to trying to help myself but want to say, there are charlatans and con artists eager to relieve someone in distress of their money so please be careful. Even tried and tested treatments I wouldn't recommend a person try until they have been seen at ENT. Often a person after been seen at ENT is advised to wait a while.

The reason being. Many people habituate to tinnitus within six months sometimes a little longer and it has been known to go away. The ear is a very delicate organ and many Drs prefer to wait before investigating further and then suggesting a treatment. If other problems are experienced such as: pain in the ears, deafness, dizziness or balance problems this is of more concern and a person will usually been seen quicker.

It is best to have a word with your GP if you're feeling stressed or depressed in any way, as previously mentioned there are treatments available. Leaving things alone until ENT advise you of the next step is the best thing to do in my opinion. Don't try to fix anything or throw large sums of money at treatments that you have no way of knowing whether you'll get any relief.

It is not advisable to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume and keep away from loud sounds. By all means go out but anywhere that plays loud music then wear noise reducing earplugs.
Take things slowly and one day at a time. Read some of the positivity threads and ask other members for advice. Many people eventually habituate to their tinnitus and go on to lead a happy and fulfilling life even though it may take a little time.

Michael

 

[billie48]

I mostly hear it in bed, and can't sleep because of it. During the day it's barely to non existent (if I don't sleep in bed or stay in a silent room). But the only thought in my mind (currently) is to kill myself

As others have posted, you seem to have a mild case of tinnitus if you can't hear it much during the day. What is hurting you is your reaction to it, at least currently. Your doctor is right to say don't panic, because panic, anxiety and the stress from them can make T appear worse, and therefore feeding the vicious cycle to repeat itself. Bed time masking will help as well as some mind calming or sleep inducing stuffs. You can try natural alternatives such as Melatonin, Lemon Balm, Valerian, Hops, Catnips, Passion Flower, Chamomile, Lavender, Kava, etc. You can do google search or check Amazon.com for each of them to know how people review these products, and see if you can take them as a supplement. Check out this site on using natural herbs for helping to sleep or to calm the nerves. Take care. God bless.

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/lib...ealth/herbs-and-natural-remedies-for-insomnia /