Will My Tinnitus Spike Decrease After Being Sick?

Had T for over two years now. Extremely hard at first but after about 6 weeks I was used to it and it wasnt a bother anymore. A couple weeks ago I came down with a cold followed by the flue. My T has gradually increased to the point that nothing will drown it out. High pitch accompanied by a kettle boiling sound. It began when my sinuses became congested. The last two days prior to today I spent on the couch nursing my flue. Today I felt better and went to work. I've used my nedi pot and have been taking some Sudafed from the pharmacist. My head feels mostly clear now yet my ears are screaming.

Is this normal? How long can I expect this?

 

@suncityguy

Yes, ...these spikes that result from colds, a virus or the flu are temporary in the majority of cases. Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for a person's T level to return to their previous base level. I've experienced the same thing myself. Here's another Forum member that recently commented on the same situation:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/cold-and-temporary-tinnitus-increase.7348/

 

Yes, respiratory system and middle ear are connected, so when my sinuses, or my nose is badly congested the T is more noticeable.

And even if you feel better and have no more headaches or something like that, your nose is maybe still full of mucus, so it can affect your ears.

If think you have nothing to worry about it will return to normal. But blow your nose.

 

Thanks guys and thank you Jim very much for sharing that thread. Our cases are virtually identical which is giving me optimism that this will go back to normal.

I just picked up a script for Nasonex . I've read that it can help clear things up. Fingers crossed.

 

Hi, I know this post is old but I recently got a sinus infection also and it seems to have spiked my tinnitus. Did your t eventually settle back after you got well?

 

it always gets worse when I am sick and it has always gotten better afterwards, though if I get very sick there can be a lag. I think as long as you don't actually have a severe ear infection you don't have too much to worry about.

 

Hi linear, I'm sure is just sinus. I had a doctor look at my ear and he said it looks fine. I just happen to wake up Friday with it ringing and then over the weekend I felt pressure like you would get from a sinus infection and started coughing up some mucus. Not. Much, but I started taking mucinex. It's five days past bow and I still feel pressure but I'm hoping once I get better it will settle back down... So you think I should. Be fine once I do get better?

 

Yes, I would imagine so. One time I made the mistake of getting on a plane in that condition which made everything seem really horrid for about a week and a half, but it didn't last longer than that...

 

Okay good.. Yeah because I haven't been around loud noises or anything. It's been good for as long as I have had it and I got it through loud noises so no sickness or anything. But it just spiked recently. So I have been worried all weekend. But mostly I read that it spikes when you get sick. So hopefully mine gets better! What's the longest you have had a spike? Also I am very congested and stuff. @linearb

 

my worst spikes have been all tangled up in benzo withdrawal and protracted anxiety states, so that doesn't seem very applicable. The worst that an illness has bugged out my T outside of those circumstances is 2-3 weeks.

 

Okay, well I'm hoping to see some decrease by the weekend at best! I'm not losing hope. It does feel like my ear is a but stuffy. But it also doesn't seem like it's as bad as when it started...

 

Hi, I'm Robin and I'm new here, I'm 34 years old and I've suffered from T for over 10 years. I know this post is old, but I had to comment. I recently got bronchitis and sinus infection. I got put on steroids and antibiotics, I'm still on them. My ears are full of fluid, I can hear too well from that, and the worst part is my T got worse too. Usually the steroid will clear out the fluid in my ears pretty quick, but it's not working this time. I have suffered from T for years, but it's been easy to deal with and it only gets loud when I get sick and my ears fill up with fluid. What's going on here? I've had tubes in my ears a couple times in my past when I was a teen and I'm 34 years old. How long does this take to clear up? I've been suffering for close to a week now since I've been sick.

 

I recently got over a cold.
It made my tinnitus spike.
However I didnt take any thing for it.
Seems to be ok now 2 weeks later.

 

Same here first time having cold after having T and T increased.

I even placed a poll if cold increase your T.

 

I'm having sinus issues and my T spiked after 1 year. I could hear it only at nights, now it's louder and not as pleasant. Do you think it will be back to baseline? I'm really scared. Having two finals on monday and wednesday and can't study at all, im too worried.
Thanks

 

Hi JSalvatore, I know all too well about sinus issues since I seem to constantly suffer from them, the past few days I've had a sinus infection and once again my tinnitus is louder/aggravated, last night the T was screaming at me! But once the sinuses clear any T increase should return to baseline.

 

Get some goldenseal and echinacea which are natural antibiotics and are not ototoxic.

 

Mine has spiked. I went on zoloft, but I seemed to have had a reaction to it, got really bad sore throat and cough. Have only taken two, but no more. Today has been hell, and my T is the loudest it's ever been. I didn't get any sleep last night, and am only drinking water again properly now, so I guess my system is all screwed.