- Jul 21, 2019
- 14
- Tinnitus Since
- November 17th, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
I have had tinnitus since November 17th, 2017. I was 18 years old at the time. I remember the date exactly, because of the impact it had on me.
I was listening to very loud music with my earbuds, which is the worst thing I could have done, and all of the sudden I get this piercing ringing in both of my ears. I was convinced I have permanently damaged my hearing, and that this will never fade. But it was odd that other symptoms showed up as well. My ears itched horribly, there were feelings of fullness, swelling, and even sharp pains. After two weeks of this nonsense, I went to a nurse practitioner to see what was wrong. She took one look in my ears and told me there were large quantities of fluid trapped inside (Otitis Media) and that I did nothing to damage my hearing. She told me it would go away once the fluid did, and I was prescribed antibiotics for my ears.
During the next few weeks my tinnitus significantly decreases, but it is still there. I would still hear it quietly humming in the background whenever I focused on it, in my right ear. If I was in a quiet place, I would hear it. If I was trying to sleep or relax, same deal. But I wouldn't hear it as much when listening to soft music, ASMR (to help me sleep), or if I was focused on something else. Six months after that, I'm in the hospital due to an anxiety attack that I mistook for a heart attack. I mentioned my tinnitus, and after the doctor looks inside he told me he can still see "a little fluid" in my ears. Still, after so long? I'm now thinking that this can't possibly be an infection.
After that year passes, and I can finally afford to see another GP. This one looks in my ears and tells me that my ears are clean, and that my ringing comes from an "eustachian tube dysfunction" and chronic dermatitis. He prescribes me with a topical, which I've been using ever since. After my first episode of tinnitus, I've been adamant about keeping low volumes as often as possible. I regularly test my hearing, I put the prescriptions in my ears, and I always record signs of change. For a while, this seemed to be working, and there were even times when I could meditate and hear silence, just like when I was little. But now the ringing has gotten louder, they still itch like it's nobody's business, I still get ear fullness (which makes my tinnitus much worse until it fades), they're both swollen, and the sharp pains have gotten worse.
I think one thing has changed, I'm able to stop hearing it completely during very quick periods of silence, or whenever I truly am focused on something else. Silence, until I plug my ears or try to relax in any way. Then I hear it blaring like alarm bells.
>I've always had anxiety, I'm bad at managing stress.
>My drops work sometimes, but not during others.
>All the other symptoms, like the tinnitus, never fade for good.
>I hear silence sometimes, but not during others.
All I want is for it to stop, but there's a little part of me that believes it never will. I am somewhat convinced this is all noise-induced. I feel like it will never fade, and it is all my fault. Has anything similar happened to anyone else?
I was listening to very loud music with my earbuds, which is the worst thing I could have done, and all of the sudden I get this piercing ringing in both of my ears. I was convinced I have permanently damaged my hearing, and that this will never fade. But it was odd that other symptoms showed up as well. My ears itched horribly, there were feelings of fullness, swelling, and even sharp pains. After two weeks of this nonsense, I went to a nurse practitioner to see what was wrong. She took one look in my ears and told me there were large quantities of fluid trapped inside (Otitis Media) and that I did nothing to damage my hearing. She told me it would go away once the fluid did, and I was prescribed antibiotics for my ears.
During the next few weeks my tinnitus significantly decreases, but it is still there. I would still hear it quietly humming in the background whenever I focused on it, in my right ear. If I was in a quiet place, I would hear it. If I was trying to sleep or relax, same deal. But I wouldn't hear it as much when listening to soft music, ASMR (to help me sleep), or if I was focused on something else. Six months after that, I'm in the hospital due to an anxiety attack that I mistook for a heart attack. I mentioned my tinnitus, and after the doctor looks inside he told me he can still see "a little fluid" in my ears. Still, after so long? I'm now thinking that this can't possibly be an infection.
After that year passes, and I can finally afford to see another GP. This one looks in my ears and tells me that my ears are clean, and that my ringing comes from an "eustachian tube dysfunction" and chronic dermatitis. He prescribes me with a topical, which I've been using ever since. After my first episode of tinnitus, I've been adamant about keeping low volumes as often as possible. I regularly test my hearing, I put the prescriptions in my ears, and I always record signs of change. For a while, this seemed to be working, and there were even times when I could meditate and hear silence, just like when I was little. But now the ringing has gotten louder, they still itch like it's nobody's business, I still get ear fullness (which makes my tinnitus much worse until it fades), they're both swollen, and the sharp pains have gotten worse.
I think one thing has changed, I'm able to stop hearing it completely during very quick periods of silence, or whenever I truly am focused on something else. Silence, until I plug my ears or try to relax in any way. Then I hear it blaring like alarm bells.
>I've always had anxiety, I'm bad at managing stress.
>My drops work sometimes, but not during others.
>All the other symptoms, like the tinnitus, never fade for good.
>I hear silence sometimes, but not during others.
All I want is for it to stop, but there's a little part of me that believes it never will. I am somewhat convinced this is all noise-induced. I feel like it will never fade, and it is all my fault. Has anything similar happened to anyone else?
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