Unexplained Tinnitus

Hi everyone! I've never been on a forum before, but I thought I might as well give it a go since my tinnitus is slowly driving me crazy.. Any help/support/fresh insights are much appreciated!

I'm a 24yo female and have had a sudden (unexplainable) onset of tinnitus about 6-7 weeks ago. I should probably mention that I've had a cleft palate operation (and grommets) as a child, because of which I have had frequent middle ear infections for most of my life. The ear infections got much less frequent since my late teens. Also, because of the whole cleft palate thing, my eustachian tubes never really function "properly" (ears don't pop in a plane, can't pop my ears whilst holding my nose etc), although this has never been a problem for me.

So far I've tried oral and nasal decongestants, a steroid nasal spray and a course of antibiotics (to get rid of a possible infection). I've also had some earwax removed by a specialist a few weeks ago, and had a go at some home remedies like apple cider vinegar and steam. Unfortunately, none of these have helped get rid of the tinnitus. I would say that the antibiotics relieved the loud sounds a bit, but I've finished the course now and the doc says there's no sign of an infection.

I've never had tinnitus for over a month before and in the past it was usually caused by an infection and would be cured with the infection going away. I'm baffled by the mysterious onset of this tinnitus & concerned it might be something more serious I have an appointment with an ENT specialist, but its 2 months away.

The odd thing for me is, why did the tinnitus get a little better with antibiotics if according to the doctors there was no sign of an infection?? And for the last 2 weeks, when I'm eating my ear canal sometimes feels a little scratchy (like the sensation of someone scraping out earwax) but this happens only occasionally when I'm chewing.

Recently, I have also noticed a strange "good day- bad day" pattern emerge. I seem to have a day or two when the tinnitus is barely noticeable (or at least bearable) whilst watching TV/listening to music etc., followed by a day or two when the ringing spikes no matter what I do. This gets so bad to the point where I can't concentrate, can't sleep (even with rain sounds/white noise playing in the background which helps on good days), and even TV/music doesn't drown it out. Does anyone else have a similar good day-bad day pattern?? Is there any reason for this or am I just being more emotionally sensitive to the tinnitus on some days than others?

I'm also wondering why every morning I seem to hear two sounds- the normal high-pitched ringing one, along with a low-pitched buzzing one (almost like a bee/wind whistling in my ear). The buzzing sound disappears a few hours after I get up. Is this common? Does it have something to do with lying down for 7-8hours?

I'd love to hear if anyone else has a similar experience with tinnitus, or has any other suggestions for me!

 

Hi thought i would reply to you, i have a very similiar thing but no problems ever with my ears in childhood and no operations. I am 21 and i was having dinner one evening when all of a sudden my ears felt like they filled up with water and i could hear ringing like the sound when you come out of a concert and your ears ring after. It was driving me mad i tried everything all the de congestants i went to the Dr four times and he said my ears were fine and it was 'stress' which is most certainly is not, i also paid a lot of money to see a specialist in harley street who carried out all the tests (ENT) and he said i had above average hearing and could hear better than 80% of the popluation and my ears are healthy.

Very upsetting to hear as i know there is something wrong, that was 6 months ago and i still have the tinnitus mine is the same as you in the morning or sometimes randomly i can hear two sounds one is ringing and the other one is like a dialling sound? like a electronic dial tone noise in my right ear only. Very strange makes no sense and makes me miserable but i have like you said really good days where i dont hear it much, and some days are AWFUL and i cant hear myself think.

Added to this my jaw usually feels sore, and i get earaches in both ears, so i have gone to the dentist today to see if i have TMJ maybe thats what is causing the ringing - he said my teeth are healthy and jaw looks fine teeth dont look bitten down, however, he did say all my symptoms suggest i clench my jaw, not grind it, so then there wouldnt be any visible signs. He took impressions and ive paid £200 for a night guard which im hoping to god will work as ive spent ridiculous amounts of money trying to make myself better, i hope ive provided you with some comfort. all i will say is dont get your hopes up for it to go away, as i have been like this since december....

Hope you find something that helps you!

 

@Su Kay ,
Welcome to Tinnitus Talk.
It could well be allergy related this time of year especially with itching in your ear or back of throat.
Love glynis

 

I have a good day-bad day-pattern, too. No idea, what is the cause...
Sometimes I have the crazy idea it depends from the sleeping position of the head at night...,
O.k., the idea is crazy, but with tinnitus everyone will become crazy...

May I ask a few questions:

Do you have tinnitus at both ears?
Can the tinnitus be covered by ambient noise?
Do you have problems with loud noises?
Does your tinnitus follow a pulse-synchronous pattern?
Can your tinnitus be influenced by movements of head, neck, jaw, etc.?
Do you feel any hearing loss?