Very New to This. You Guys Are Awesome.

Hi All

I'm Chris and I'm a very new sufferer. Last Sunday morning I woke up at 5 in the morning with a very high pitched sound ringing in my ears. I think it started a couple of days before but after noticing it a couple of times it just went out if my mind. I haven't been exposed to any loud noises recently (apart from a fire alarm), I only wear headphones twice a week to talk to some friends and I haven't been clubbing for quite a while.

After a few days of mixed panicking and trying to deal with it, it seems to have gotten worse and is starting to have an impact on my concentration. I think it is louder than someone talking and is making me really bloody miserable. It seems to start quiet in the morning and then grow louder throughout the day. I haven't slept much since it started. Although the sound seems quite central when I cover my right ear it it very apparent. There is no feeling of pressure in the ear.

The start of the ringing coincided with slightly sore throat and a slight runny nose. I have seen my GP and he said my right eardrum is retracted and so he thinks there is some fluid behind the eardrum. Therefore, clearing my slight runny nose will drain the fluid and so hopefully cure it. He just gave me some spray to clear my nose and said if it doesn't go away come back in a week.

What do you guys think? I will keep posting updates for anyone else having this problem. I just can't believe that some of you have put up with this for years and still live happy lives, even if its getting you down you lot are still absolute heros, its driving me to distraction.

Anyway thanks all.
Chris

 

Hi @Chrisakky

Please click on the links below and read my articles on tinnitus that you might find helpful. Try to read them in full and not skim through them.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

 

I haven't had tinnitus for that long compared to some of the other people here, but I will tell you what people told me when I first started to experience it... It is hard to believe at this point I'm sure, but, things will get better. As you learn to cope, you attitude will improve. Try to focus on separating your perception of the sound and your mental response to it. It takes time and practice.

Look into sound enrichment — especially for sleeping. I used masking sounds a lot during the first few weeks, I found it very helpful to get a break from tinnitus from time to time while I started to wrap my mind around what was going on. You can experiment with different types of sounds to see what works for you, but I found nature sounds like crickets or rain to be helpful, as well as just straight up white or pink noise. (I used the TMSoft White Noise app which has a decent selection of sounds and allows mixing them together.) At work, I ran a desk fan for a few weeks, just for the sound. Having some ambient noise helped me to concentrate more on work and less on the tinnitus sound.

Mine seems to be from Eustachian tube issues — and yours may be as well, if your GP is correct and there is fluid stuck behind your eardrum. I have some other similarities to yours... It is in my right ear only but sometimes it is hard to tell unless I actually cover my right ear (it often sounds like it is coming from inside my head). And mine came on gradually as well... I noticed it only in quiet areas and ignored it for a few days before it started to become constant, getting slowly louder, eventually becoming very piercing and nearly impossible to escape. I had days of very poor sleep and depression while I learned how to deal with it. It has been in a long slow decline for about a month and a half... fortunately, easily manageable at this point.

If it's really just from a cold then it may resolve in a week or two, but healing of the inner/middle ear structures can be slow, so it could linger for a while. Regardless, I wish you good luck and hope that you start to notice it getting better soon!

 

Thanks for your great replies Michael and Aaron.

Michael your articles are great you sure seem to know a lot about this thing.

I am certainly starting to get it into my head that whatever the cause, this may be a long road.

Aaron the noise is certainly very consistent and piercing and has defiantly changed from a wide spectrum of noise to two layers of ringing and squealing. I can generally only hear the ringing when I put my ear up to a pillow. When I was jogging just today my ear was popping a little which I think lends itself to the liquid theory.

Anyway I'm glad you are doing well and getting better

I'll update when I know more. Thanks guys.

 

Indeed, something to pay attention to... When my tinnitus was at its worst levels in August I would often take long walks because I couldn't really hear it while I was outside, and this was one of the first symptoms that I noticed, sometimes I would have a popping sound and strange feeling in my bad ear as I was walking.

 

Hi guys a quick update.

It's still there. I think it's stayed the same although I have gotten a little better at keeping it of my head. Still a very high pitched scream which changes suddenly every now and again.

I'm doing alright, it has stopped preventing me from sleeping although it does seem to take a long time.

I have an uncomfortable and sometimes ichy feeling in that ear and it feels like liquid is coming out of it but it seems dry.

Edit: I have also notices my left ear has bouts of tinitus for a few minutes a couple of times a day. Not sure what that means.

I am seeing my GP again tomorrow so I will update when I know more.

Cheers

Chris

 

I had this for weeks. I thought that I was crazy at first, it felt just like when my ear is wet (after a shower or swimming) but there was nothing in my ear. Sometimes I would also have a tingling, poking, or squirmy sensation inside of my ear at some place I couldn't pinpoint (never painful but downright uncomfortable at times).

It was fluid in the middle ear (on the other side of the eardrum). There are a few things that you can try to get it to clear up. In my case, I tried lots of things, but what ended up working was Sudafed which cleared it up within two or three days. I took it at my GP's suggestion... The real stuff that you have to ask a pharmacist for (no prescription required but they will only hand out a limited amount), not "Sudafed PE".

Note, I'm not a doctor, but I think that this is indicative of a Eustachian tube issue — it is supposed to open naturally and allow fluid to drain out, but if it is inflamed, fluid will get stuck in there. My understanding is that this sort of thing usually works itself out but it can take a while (weeks/months).

 

I wasn't sure whether it was just the noise making the ear feel very slighty blocked and I was just making up the ichynees or whether it is real. I'm still not really sure but I guess I'll see

Great thanks Aaron I'll give that a try.

 

There are online instructions regarding how to spray nasal sprays at/into the Eustachian tubes, which is where you want the spray to go. You have to bend your head down, and aim the spray towards the ears, perpendicular, not at the back of the nose. After spraying both Eustachian openings, do the Valsalva maneuver, or use a device that opens the Eustachian tubes, so that the spray will enter the right areas. You might want to talk to your doctor first, before doing this, as you seem to have worse than average problems and it's probably best to get the doctors approval.

https://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm

 

I should mention that I am pretty sure that my Eustachian tube inflammation had died down before I tried the Sudafed. If your tube is still inflamed, you may succeed in getting rid of the fluid/gunk feeling only to have it come right back after you stop taking it because the fluid is still not draining properly.

I've also been doing corticosteroid nasal spray (prescribed by my ENT) / Valsalva as @Luman mentioned (nasal spray for about a month and a half, but correct application including Valsalva for only about three weeks). The Sudafed, I just did last week.

I recommend that you bring these suggestions up with your GP before proceeding, since you are going in tomorrow anyway.

 

Sounds good guys i will suggest those to my GP once i have his assessment.

I am mostly worried about my left ear getting worse now. I think i could learn to live with one ear ringing at this level but two would be a pisser. It seems very intermittent and lasted long enough to keep me awake the other night. But by morning it had gone... not really sure whats going on there.

Anyway thanks for the help I will update tomorrow. I hope you are both doing well.

 

Hi guys just been to the docs.

Not what I expected. He gave me 500mg of Amoxicillin and said take that three times a day and come back in two weeks. He said it didn't look like an infection before but it does now.

I'm not overly confident about his assessment from what ive read but I guess he's the expert.
What do you guys think?

Also let me know how you are doing.

Cheers

Chris

 

Hi Chris, Sorry to hear that you have an infection diagnosis, but the doctor is probably right.

I'm doing OK, thanks, and hope that you see some progress real soon.

Cheers from here!

 

It may well be an infection. A middle ear infection can cause ETD. Tinnitus will probably linger for some time after the infection clears.

 

So i guess I'll take my medicine and see how this goes.

I'm not sure what an infection means for this condition, more likely to be permanent?

I'll continue to use the nasal spray and just get on. Hope you guys are doing good.

Cheers

Chris

 

If it is an infection, the tinnitus is likely to go away. First, the infection must be resolved, and then you have to wait for inflammation to go down and for everything in your ear to get back to normal. (I’m still waiting, it’s stubborn but still getting better every week!)

 

@Aaron44126 May I ask about how many times you do the Valsalvi maneuver on average, per day? Thanks.

 

I got a little confused there, probably due to tiredness. I completely forgot to ask about the sudafed, as you say probably wouldn't make much difference with the infection still there.

Great to hear you are still doing well.

 

I would suggest calling the doctor and asking him. I usually forget something, at medical visits, I think a lot of people do, and if it's important I call and ask. They don't mind, it's part of their job.

 

I’ve done good stories but also some bad stories so I don’t do it too often as I don’t want to make anything worse. A couple of times after I use the spray (twice daily) and then maybe three or four times during the day, as gently as possible.

 

Hi Guys just a quick update.

A definite improvement after almost a week on the Amoxicillin, it has reduced to a level where i can forget about it when i'm at work or busy with something. Still loud as hell at night but sleeping rough is better than no sleep at all.

It is definitely very variable. My left ear started ringing quite badly last night after I got home from work. stayed that way for a few hours and was clicking whenever i swallowed. I had a run, took a shower, forced myself to yawn and swallow lots, sat down in front of the TV and in about an hour it had reduced to below the TV.

Got a docs appointment next Wednesday so will update then. Anyway things are looking up, hope everyone is doing good.

Cheers

Chris

 

Hi Chris

I'm a new member too, but I cope with T since april 2016.

I just want u to know that things get really better, even if you don't think so atm you'll be able to have a good sleep again.
Just please be carefull , if you can, not to expose yourself to potentially dangerous situations like clubs, concerts or ototoxic substances that can result in a (most likely temporarily) spike.
Protect you ears, seek cure if you suffer from anxiety and you'll be fine.

 

@Chrisakky please be VERY careful with any and all medications that you are being prescribed. Many are ototoxic and can cause A LOT of damage to your hearing. Please ask your doctor about this, also your pharmacy and do your own research to make sure its fine. You do not want to damage your hearing further by accidentely taking the wrong medication.

 

Hello all

Thanks for the replies guys much appreciated.

Its been a month and a half and its still their, not as bad as it was but it is still very variable and it is very much in both ears now.

During my last appointment my doc gave me steroid nose spray to take for three weeks. Next appointment is the 29th so i'm probably going to ask to be referred somewhere or he will probably suggest it after so long.

For the last few weeks i've had a lot of discomfort in both ears and a lot of pressure changes for no apparent reason. Curiously, during this period the T was a lot quieter to the point where it wouldn't take my attention away from something i was doing. Over the past few days though, the discomfort has decreased, and the T has spiked. No idea whats going on there, does anyone have a clue/experience with that?

Anyway hope you are all doing good. I'm moving house over the weekend so i'll reply back when i have enough time.

Cheers
Chris

 

Mine was like this for a while in August, about one month after my tinnitus started (right ear only) — Intense, strange pressure feelings and nearly no tinnitus. This only lasted a week or two and then the strange feelings settled down and the tinnitus picked back up. I think this is the point in time when I had ETD at the worst and since then it has been getting better since then (but very slowly). I spent September listening to some very crazy sounds (it changed every few hours) and by October it settled down into a light hiss of varying intensity.

Here now in mid-November... Last week, I had almost no tinnitus at all (I really had to stop and listen for it to tell that it was there — totally not bothersome). This week I have a cold and it is back, it seems like I have been set back four or five weeks to how it was in early/mid October, I think the congestion/inflammation is to blame. I've gotten a lot better at dealing with it, the fact that it has been set back is more annoying to me than the sound itself.

Here's an ETD resolution story that I don't think that I've linked in this thread. This guy fought with it for nearly six months and was on nasal spray for about three. (This is to say that I don't think that it is reasonable to expect a tremendous improvement in just three weeks on the spray.) Keep at it, hopefully you will notice things getting better... slowly but surely... and remember that ups and downs are OK and expected.

 

Hi Aaron.

Very sorry to hear you have had a setback but i'm sure you know it sounds like just that, a temporary setback.

Your posts have been brilliant over the past month or so, very informative and re-assuring.

As you say i'm going to keep at the spray and deal with it. My next appointment is in nine days so i'll update then.

Cheers
Chris

 

@Chrisakky : hi how was your appointment is your T go away?

 

Hi there

Sorry I didn't see your message.

I'm afraid it hasn't went away and I have a cold at the minute so it's even worse. Ah well, the sound doesn't bother me as much now I've gotten more accustomed to it (3 months in).

As suspected my doc has refered me to an ENT on the 4th Jan so might get some answers then.

My latest symptoms include a lot of ear popping (mostly in my right ear) and just general pressure changes and uncomfortableness (I may be still hung over from Christmas). The sound is very changeable, swapping ears, pitches etc it never goes away but is defiantly always quiet in the morning getting progressively worse through the day. I seem to have a slight sensitivity to high pitched sounds in my left ear but even that comes and gos.its all a bit mental really.

It seems I have been using the nasal spray wrong for ages by following my doctors advice, with the spray pointing up towards the eyes. So I've started pointing it straight to the back of the head and pushing it up a little and combining it with the valsava maneuvour. (I can't explain it very well but it's described in the links sent earlier). Too early to tell if it is making a difference but from what I've seen here and on the internet it is the prefered method. I probably should of been doing it from the start but docs advice is docs advice.

I'm a little worried about using the spray for So long (around 2 months) but I don't see any other choice at the moment. Thoughts anyone?

Cheers

Chris

 

Hi all.

A spike has reminded me of this forum so I thought I might as well check in.

I am 6 months in and doing good. The beginning was hard but I feel like I've been coping well over the past couple of months.

I stopped using nasal spray after around 4 months as it didn't seem to help anything. Especially while using it in conjunction with the valsava manouver it's actually seemed to make the T spikes occur with much greater frequency.

Forgetting about daily treatment and just focusing on taking care of my ears (earplugs in loud places etc) has allowed me to habituate somewhat. I am getting less and less instances during the day where I am thinking of the T and it is usually due to fleeting tinnitus or more commonly a feeling of fullness in both ears that i can't seem to shake. Night times as well are better, as long as I don't cover my left ear (which is the loudest) I sometimes (quite rarely but still significant) don't notice it at all. (I sleep in silence)

The T itself I don't think has changed after 6 months (other than it's spreading to both ears after a month or so). This is the first spike I've had for a good 6 weeks and was brought on by (I assume) unconsciously popping my ears by yawning constantly while watching tv.

Going to see the doc next week so will probably get refered for more testing.

Anyway hope you are all doing ok.

Cheers
Chris

 

@Chrisakky I got T about same time as you did, but I'm not doing as good as you are. It's great to hear that you think about T less and less, but then you also said it's just as loud as before. I wonder if you keep yourself busy all the time or do you ever has down time like just sitting down and relax or watch TV. If you do, does the T interfere? If I'm doing laborious work, I would not hear my T much. But when I'm having downtime, I can hear it loud and clear and it gets me down.