Where to Start — What Doctor to See First?

I've had tinnitus for a week now. I believe its Hyperacusis related. I'm under a great deal of stress and have TMJ. What Dr. should I see first? An ENT or Audiologist. I'm so freaked out its not going away.

 

if you have tmj, go see a dentist first. If your tinnitus does not get any better, then an ent and then an audiologist. Tinnitus is not the end of the world, be strong and move forward in life....

 

Get your arse to your GP (general practitioner) now.

You're going to want to be treated with antibiotics immediately for the possibility of ear viral infection. And you want to hurry about it and get treated today or tomorrow as the window for effective treatment is closing up fast should it be infection.

 

What makes you think it's caused by an infection? And antibiotics do not help with viral infections... They can do more harm than good if not necessary.

Get a doctor to look and your ear, and if you have an infection that they deem could be helped by antibiotics then go for it. If not, if it's sudden hearing loss or caused by an acoustic trauma an anti inflammatory (prednisone) may be more beneficial.

 

We don't know if it is viral infection. That's not the point.

The treatment for tinnitus caused by viral infection needs to be done within a week on onset lest the damage be permanent. At the very least get advice from his GP for the possibility of viral infection.

 

antibiotics can be used to treat viral infections????? really????

 

I'm seeing an ENT tomorrow. he should check for infection.

i think?

 

@whale, Like @squeek said go to see a Dr. right away. More likely to be a ear problem than arse though. Could be TMJ disorder? Oh I see you're going to a ENT....better yet! Maybe a short course of Prednisone and/or antibiotics to be safe? I've seen a TMJ specialist also.

http://www.mncranio.com/

 

did yours get better?

 

Well it isn't better at the moment. It could be caused by my neck though? Loud hiss right now. How did your ENT visit go?

 

He just told me the T wasn't do to hearing loss or infection.

 

Maybe TMJ disorder then? I seen Dr. Hakala on link. My spine has been bothering and that's why I think mine could be compression in my neck. Surgery upcoming for me on my neck and lower back. Meds that used to work on my noise no longer work.

 

I'v schedule an appt with a TRT dr

 

You're going to start tinnitus retraining therapy within 2 weeks of acquiring tinnitus without first being reasonably certain of the cause?

There are close links between the chewing muscles, the ligaments of the jaw, and the nerve supply of the temporomandibular joint with the parts of the brain that process and interpret sound. Your doctor or dentist can help you with the TMJ disorder. If moving your jaw changes the pitch or frequency of your tinnitus, I would suspect TMJ is causing the tinnitus. You need to take care of that problem first. It's certainly possible that your tinnitus will go away.

The hyperacusis might be related to oversensitivity to sound due to anxiety that the tinnitus will get worse.

 

thanks, my jaw doesn't change the pitch or frequency so I'm leaning to hyperacusis. I'm going to try TRT