I'm 29, I've had Tinnitus for around 6-7 years.
For me, my condition is most noticeable during nighttime when I go to bed. As soon as I put my head on the pillow and all is quiet, then tha'ts when the noise kicks in.
So what noises do I hear exactly... well, it can vary but the most common sound is a high pitched ring, and sometimes other tones can add to the mix, annoyingly.
The story of how my tinnitus came about is a very vivid memory which I can remember like it was yesterday. I came down with flu and a nasty throat infection. I was completely blocked up and had sore ears, throat and just generally very run down. I can remember one morning lying up in my bed, looking out of my window at the blue skies all calm and quiet and then all of a sudden the 'eeeeeeeee' noise just happened, just like that.
I freaked out and started poking at my ear, panicking and wondering what the hell was happening. I called up my Mum up in a panic and she did the typical Mum thing of calming me down and explaining that in my condition (having flu) it was not uncommon to have this, which it isn't.. so I held out for a few days with this ringing in my ear with the hope that it would hopefully die down as soon as the flu had subsided.
....6 years later. Yep, still ringing.
Some people suffer terribly and hear loud ringing all throughout the day but for me every day sounds mask the noise however every night I can count on hearing the noises in my head.
I appreciate there are some out there who suffer a lot worse, some so bad they've contemplated ending their lives just to be free of the torturous noise that interferes with their every day lives. It's really very upsetting in some cases.
There are methods to try to temporarily relieve the noises and I've tried them all but for me, these methods haven't worked.
How I deal with my Tinnitus is really the only solution I can foresee for as long as I have it, which is, to ignore it.
I've had it now for around 6 years which for me is a long enough time to be able to accept my Tinnitus as 'normal'. There are definitely nights where I lie there and think 'Oh hello ringing...I forgot you were there, FML!' but then I could go days, even weeks and totally blank it out.
By the time I hit the pillow I am usually at the point where I've either already fallen asleep on the sofa or I am tired enough to instantly crash. And I think for any Tinnitus sufferer you will agree that it's probably a good idea to go to bed when you know you're actually going to fall asleep, not just lie there and try to fall asleep, because then you'll start listening to the not-so sweet sounds ringing in your inner ear.
I do find since having Tinnitus my ears are extremely sensitive to noise, so I don't really like loud noises really ever but I will deal with certain situations like being out in noisy atmospheres or gigs etc if I have to.
My advice to anyone who has Tinnitus or has recently caught onto the condition, is that YES it is incredibly frustrating at the thought that there is no cure or long term relief for this is quite scary and upsetting but DO NOT allow it to take over you, your emotions and your every day life. You can still see a specialist and get information to help relief or lessen the noise.
We all get affected by Tinnitus in different ways but I promise things will get better in time and the more you learn to accept it and live with Tinnitus then the more you will understand how YOU will be able to cope with it in your own way, every day.
I would love to hear how you cope with the condition.
I've found reading or listening to other peoples conditions and how they've learnt to cope with things has been one of the the best types of relief for me!
Today I made an appt with the doctor and I'm hoping it leads to a referral so that I can see a specialist as it has become more noticeable in the last couple of months, there are also other problems areas surrounding tinnitus that I should get checked up, but I won't go into all that now as I've already written an essay here!
I made a video on my story - watch my video:
'
Helen x
For me, my condition is most noticeable during nighttime when I go to bed. As soon as I put my head on the pillow and all is quiet, then tha'ts when the noise kicks in.
So what noises do I hear exactly... well, it can vary but the most common sound is a high pitched ring, and sometimes other tones can add to the mix, annoyingly.
The story of how my tinnitus came about is a very vivid memory which I can remember like it was yesterday. I came down with flu and a nasty throat infection. I was completely blocked up and had sore ears, throat and just generally very run down. I can remember one morning lying up in my bed, looking out of my window at the blue skies all calm and quiet and then all of a sudden the 'eeeeeeeee' noise just happened, just like that.
I freaked out and started poking at my ear, panicking and wondering what the hell was happening. I called up my Mum up in a panic and she did the typical Mum thing of calming me down and explaining that in my condition (having flu) it was not uncommon to have this, which it isn't.. so I held out for a few days with this ringing in my ear with the hope that it would hopefully die down as soon as the flu had subsided.
....6 years later. Yep, still ringing.
Some people suffer terribly and hear loud ringing all throughout the day but for me every day sounds mask the noise however every night I can count on hearing the noises in my head.
I appreciate there are some out there who suffer a lot worse, some so bad they've contemplated ending their lives just to be free of the torturous noise that interferes with their every day lives. It's really very upsetting in some cases.
There are methods to try to temporarily relieve the noises and I've tried them all but for me, these methods haven't worked.
How I deal with my Tinnitus is really the only solution I can foresee for as long as I have it, which is, to ignore it.
I've had it now for around 6 years which for me is a long enough time to be able to accept my Tinnitus as 'normal'. There are definitely nights where I lie there and think 'Oh hello ringing...I forgot you were there, FML!' but then I could go days, even weeks and totally blank it out.
By the time I hit the pillow I am usually at the point where I've either already fallen asleep on the sofa or I am tired enough to instantly crash. And I think for any Tinnitus sufferer you will agree that it's probably a good idea to go to bed when you know you're actually going to fall asleep, not just lie there and try to fall asleep, because then you'll start listening to the not-so sweet sounds ringing in your inner ear.
I do find since having Tinnitus my ears are extremely sensitive to noise, so I don't really like loud noises really ever but I will deal with certain situations like being out in noisy atmospheres or gigs etc if I have to.
My advice to anyone who has Tinnitus or has recently caught onto the condition, is that YES it is incredibly frustrating at the thought that there is no cure or long term relief for this is quite scary and upsetting but DO NOT allow it to take over you, your emotions and your every day life. You can still see a specialist and get information to help relief or lessen the noise.
We all get affected by Tinnitus in different ways but I promise things will get better in time and the more you learn to accept it and live with Tinnitus then the more you will understand how YOU will be able to cope with it in your own way, every day.
I would love to hear how you cope with the condition.
I've found reading or listening to other peoples conditions and how they've learnt to cope with things has been one of the the best types of relief for me!
Today I made an appt with the doctor and I'm hoping it leads to a referral so that I can see a specialist as it has become more noticeable in the last couple of months, there are also other problems areas surrounding tinnitus that I should get checked up, but I won't go into all that now as I've already written an essay here!
I made a video on my story - watch my video:
'
Helen x
Member
!! I needed to read a positive t story today, so thank you! And I loved your video 
!!
