"Can Only Hear Tinnitus in Quiet Rooms"

[Yuuls]

I have seen this quite a few times on here and I have a question for all the folks here who suffer with a ringing they haven't gotten used to.

I work a 9-5. Work is manageable, but as soon as I get home and step foot in my house, it's all downhill. For some reason my ears feel even more clogged up, and there is this weird sensation in my ears that is hard to describe (not a vibration or a pulsation - but these would be the terms I could best use to describe the feeling) and the ringing just gets louder and louder. It's as if my ear is physically reacting to the silence and feels overly full.

Could this be linked to congestion? I have been super sensitive to noises and my ear feels full, but it also feels just as full when there aren't any noises. Both ears in particular feel very clogged, but the left one especially and this is the ear I had water stuck in 3 days before I got tinnitus (my ENT didn't see any fluid when he checked)

How do you guys not go crazy? Maybe I just have more down time than the usual person, but that time period in between coming home from work and going to bed has literally been driving me crazy. I am single and don't have kids, and I am usually the first to come home (I have roommates).

I used to just come home and throw on some headphones and listen to music or watch a movie and browse the internet (hello Reddit and online shopping).

I have my TV on currently, plus some ambient nose on Spotify (waves) and I can still hear and notice the tinnitus (it's currently going OFF in my left ear)

Any tips on dealing with this? Same with weekends when you have no plans.
I have had this for 4 weeks now and it changes daily. I have not worn headphones since I got it.

 

[Zud]

I was going to say if your ears or head feel "clogged" then there could be a wax blockage in your ears which a professional could clear, but it sounds like you've already gone down this route. 4 weeks is still very early in the scheme of things so give yourself time, it could go away. Keep experimenting with masking, there are many different apps and utilities - in my experience tinnitusnotch.com gives me relief. Also don't throw away the things that you like or relax to, if you like browsing the internet in your spare time that's still okay - it sucks if it's less enjoyable, but it's better than going crazy.

 

[billie48]

Any tips on dealing with this? Same with weekends when you have no plans.

Welcome to the forum. In my initial days, I found that too coming home or even just getting into my car my tinnitus seems louder. It either has to do with the closed, smaller space or that we become less distracted and more focused on tinnitus once we are not distracted with things outside. Masking is a good way to get your attention away. Perhaps engage in something meaningful or interesting when you are home, such as chatting with people on the phone, or playing computer games will help distract you. So distraction can help quite a bit. Sometimes, a short walk can also help. For me I just go fishing or stay outdoor to get busy. To each their own.

 

[AfroSnowman]

Work is manageable, but as soon as I get home and step foot in my house, it's all downhill.

My ENT suggested that certain places are more acoustically challenging than others. He was specifically referencing closed, echoey rooms. sound waves bounce around, come from different directions, get distorted and can put extra stress on the ears.

Maybe your home has some of these characteristics? He suggested opening windows as on approach, not so great in the middle of winter. But you know putting stuff up on bare walls so that they aren't so bare and sound reflective.

 

[Yuuls]

My ENT suggested that certain places are more acoustically challenging than others. He was specifically referencing closed, echoey rooms. sound waves bounce around, come from different directions, get distorted and can put extra stress on the ears.

Maybe your home has some of these characteristics? He suggested opening windows as on approach, not so great in the middle of winter. But you know putting stuff up on bare walls so that they aren't so bare and sound reflective.

Hello there, that would make sense! My room isn't very big but my TV isn't exactly small and is on the older side (from 2010 or so) so that could be an explanation

My tinnitus goes CRAZZZY though if I told turn on some sounds asap. I'm literally afraid of silence now.

 

[Yuuls]

Welcome to the forum. In my initial days, I found that too coming home or even just getting into my car my tinnitus seems louder. It either has to do with the closed, smaller space or that we become less distracted and more focused on tinnitus once we are not distracted with things outside. Masking is a good way to get your attention away. Perhaps engage in something meaningful or interesting when you are home, such as chatting with people on the phone, or playing computer games will help distract you. So distraction can help quite a bit. Sometimes, a short walk can also help. For me I just go fishing or stay outdoor to get busy. To each their own.

I try to turn on my TV or some background noise on my phone on Spotify asap. It doesn't help that it gets dark at like 4:30 PM now, and I don't really live in a place where I could feel safe to go on an enjoyable walk (San Francisco here).

 

[Yuuls]

I was going to say if your ears or head feel "clogged" then there could be a wax blockage in your ears which a professional could clear, but it sounds like you've already gone down this route. 4 weeks is still very early in the scheme of things so give yourself time, it could go away. Keep experimenting with masking, there are many different apps and utilities - in my experience tinnitusnotch.com gives me relief. Also don't throw away the things that you like or relax to, if you like browsing the internet in your spare time that's still okay - it sucks if it's less enjoyable, but it's better than going crazy.

I wonder if it's possible there's wax that he missed that's deeper down? I've been using ear plugs to sleep in for almost 2 years now, I'm sure that did some damage.

I also got tinnitus shortly after a bad cold, and getting water stuck in my ear. I wonder if I have some fluid somewhere that the doctor missed?

 

[emily-anne]

Hey @Yuuls

It's been the same for me, but it has gotten easier. I used to dread getting in my car alone, or sitting in my office by myself because the silence made the ringing seem louder. I'm still not doing great with it, but partial masking has helped a lot. Basically just putting on fractal tones (meaning tones that are not predictable) like leaves rustling and tropical forest sounds at a volume that doesn't completely mask the tinnitus but is slightly lower than it. So they exist together and you can still hear the tinnitus, but it's less loud because there is a bed of sound.