Viral Caused Tinnitus — New Member Intro

Well, I can't say how happy I am to find this forum and I hope to be able to find some comfort and maybe some solutions here to help with my tinnitus. Here is my story.

I am a 38yr old, healthy male, no disease or anything of the sort. Last February, about 3 weeks after coming back form a cruise to the caribbean islands, I was hit hard by what the doctors called a-typical pneumonia, which was accompanied by an unidentified virus that attacked my lungs, shoulder and left inner ear. A week after getting sick I went deaf in my left ear only. My doctor said it was an ear infection and gave me some antibiotics. Another week went by and then I went to see an ENT because I still had no hearing... very scary. He put on prednisone and an antiviral drug right away and after three weeks of that "fun" drug, the virus went away and I miraculously got better, but with only about 50% of me hearing in my one ear. Worst of all, the doctors never concluded what the viral infection was, it remains a mystery.

Fast forward a few months, I am back to work now, feel good, exercising, eating better and taking more vitamins than ever to make sure I am as healthy as possible. I never want pneumonia again! But since I got better I have had constant tinnitus in my left ear and am having a very hard tim adjusting. Mine is a high pitched constant tone, like what you hear sometimes from a tv monitor. I also have problems hearing mid frequencies and have been rocking a hearing aid for about 3 weeks to help. My hearing loss doesn't bother me to much, but the tinnitus drives me crazy. In the day its ok because I am busy at work, talking to people, or in the car listening to music etc, but in the evening it really becomes obvious especially when I go to bed. I find at work I sometimes miss things in conversations because I either get distracted by the tinnitus or I miss hear things some times.

I am doing the following which I have read may help. Taking Ginko Baloba, cutting back on coffee and beer (boo!), fan in the room at night which does help and started yoga to help destress. I want to get back to normal but I have to be honest, sometimes its really upsetting and overwhelming, specially knowing that there is no surgery or medication that conclusively treats tinnitus.

So thats more or less my story, and I haven't really read much on here yet but am hopeful to find some support and share some things that may help.

Cheers
Cris