Cat and Mouse Game with Tinnitus

[GMD]

My tinnitus changes. One ear, then the other. Different sounds. Sometimes goes away completely, like after a hot bath, or if I massage my cheek.

The most frustrating thing is that I can't tie my tinnitus to anything objective that could be producing these changes. Just when I think I found something that may be causing it--salt, stress, diet, tiredness, emotions, etc., it fools me. Nothing seems to be positively correlated to it. So, I don't know how to change things in my life to help reduce my tinnitus. It has a mind if it's own.

In AA, they say alcohol is cunning and baffling. My tinnitus is the same. I am just going to accept that and give up trying to figure it out.

 

[Michael B]

It sounds like you found two things that sometimes work for you, a hot bath & a massage. While some things are known to make tinnitus worse, in my opinion the only predictable thing about tinnitus is its unpredictability.

 

[fishbone]

My tinnitus changes. One ear, then the other. Different sounds. Sometimes goes away completely, like after a hot bath, or if I massage my cheek.

The most frustrating thing is that I can't tie my tinnitus to anything objective that could be producing these changes. Just when I think I found something that may be causing it--salt, stress, diet, tiredness, emotions, etc., it fools me. Nothing seems to be positively correlated to it. So, I don't know how to change things in my life to help reduce my tinnitus. It has a mind if it's own.

In AA, they say alcohol is cunning and baffling. My tinnitus is the same. I am just going to accept that and give up trying to figure it out.

If your tinnitus can go away and you hear silence, then that is a blessing. You have listed quite a few things that can make tinnitus worst. Why not try to balance it all out and reduce the bad stuff or try to get rid of them bad habits and just increase the good habits.

Tinnitus has a reason to be here. Something is keeping it in your life, it will not just exist for no reason. I suggest that you keep a diary and write down your routines and try to improve on bad habits and keep up with good ones. I can tell you why my tinnitus is the way it is.

 

[illegalmonkey77]

the only predictable thing about tinnitus is its unpredictability.

This is why I've just learned each day to say, "It is what it is.", and move on. You gotta recognize not all days or minutes are going to be "good". If you notice a pattern of the T lessening over time though, even if you still get bad days it'll give you hope that it can improve even further.