Disrupted by Tinnitus After Allergy Congestion

[Capstan]

Hi Dr. Nagler

Thank you for giving your time to this forum. I was reading your prior questions trying to figure out what happened to me. I've had tinnitus for 5 years and was managing it well. Was it ever "not there", no, but there were times where I forgot about it and I just lived. Is this what you would call habituated?

Unfortunately this was only true until about 2 weeks ago. I was exposed to Oak pollen for a full day, by the end of the day my ears were full and ringing. We were sitting looking at the stars when I said wow this is a beautiful night, wow tinnitus really screwed me from enjoying this more.

Over the next two days my tinnitus flared. My ears were popping - and I started wondering if my activities that day (which included building a bird feeder with a small hammer and finishing nails) had caused trauma to my fragile ears. Is it possible the hammering, albeit lite, could caused damage to hair cells? Or is this all just a spike due to my congestion

Through that week my congestion continued to build and my research into this forum fully bloomed. I had all sorts of new thoughts. Today I came across a 2014 message where you mentioned that after clearing congestion your brain may have latched on to tinnitus and letting it go might not be as simple as ABC. Well, I think that might be where I am. I'm now fully panicked and latched on to listening to it. I've lightly used Xanax for the anxiety, so far mostly its made me sleepy. The drowsiness was nice because I've slept little in two weeks.

So this is a little bit about where I am today. I am looking for tips to solving what my ABC is so that I can start providing for my family again. I'm not sure if I need TRT to break the fear loop or if it will occur naturally. I didn't have this fear when initially diagnosed 5 years ago. The fear my tinnitus has forever worsened is powerful. Is it possible to get back to my prior emotional status without professional help? Also, if I do need help, are there any facilities in the Orlando, FL / Tampa area that are recommended? My trip to the ENT recommended that I just find some soothing pink noise on youtube and see him in a year. I was a bit disappointed.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and point me in a better direction.

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Thank you for giving your time to this forum.

Glad to help any way I can.

I was reading your prior questions trying to figure out what happened to me.

Not to change the subject, @Capstan, but if you have been reading through my prior posts, somewhere I suspect you encountered the following words: "The first step to overcoming you tinnitus is when you have finally figured out that you can't figure it out." Yet that's what you are doing - trying to figure it out. I'm not yanking you around here. Really I'm not. It's a stage we all go through. I was certainly no exception in that regard. I am merely pointing out what is obvious to me - but what might not yet be obvious to you!

I've had tinnitus for 5 years and was managing it well. Was it ever "not there", no, but there were times where I forgot about it and I just lived. Is this what you would call habituated?

I would call it a good description of what happens during the process of habituation. I really do not prefer the phrase "habituated" (even though I sometimes catch myself using it!), because saying that you have habituated implies that habituation is some sort of state. To my way of thinking, habituation is a never-ending process with inevitable hills and valleys along the way. I'm not talking here about hills and valleys in tinnitus volume; I'm talking about hills and valleys in the degree to which you care regardless of what that volume might be!

Unfortunately this was only true until about 2 weeks ago. I was exposed to Oak pollen for a full day, by the end of the day my ears were full and ringing.

Sure, you developed sinus congestion due to your allergies, the congestion resulted in a temporary partial conductive hearing loss, and as a result the volume of your tinnitus increased. That's exactly what is supposed to happen. There is even a medical term for it, and that medical term is … NORMAL.

We were sitting looking at the stars when I said wow this is a beautiful night, wow tinnitus really screwed me from enjoying this more.

Of course it prevented you from enjoying the night as much as you would have had your tinnitus not increased in volume. There are around a gazillion things that can prevent a person from enjoying something as much as he or she might have otherwise. My wife and I went to the opera yesterday, and the couple behind me kept whispering to each other. The result was that I did not enjoy the opera as much as I would have otherwise. But I still enjoyed it. Again, I am not yanking you around. All I am doing is pointing out that you might be giving your tinnitus more power than it deserves. (Which eventually I hope you will come to realize is ZERO.)

Over the next two days my tinnitus flared. My ears were popping - and I started wondering if my activities that day (which included building a bird feeder with a small hammer and finishing nails) had caused trauma to my fragile ears. Is it possible the hammering, albeit lite, could caused damage to hair cells? Or is this all just a spike due to my congestion

The hammering you describe could not possibly have caused hair cell damage. Your increase in tinnitus volume was likely caused by the mechanism I described above.

Through that week my congestion continued to build and my research into this forum fully bloomed. I had all sorts of new thoughts.

I understand. And I hope you understand that while most of those new thoughts make good sense, that does not necessarily mean they are the product of good information.

Today I came across a 2014 message where you mentioned that after clearing congestion your brain may have latched on to tinnitus and letting it go might not be as simple as ABC.

Right. You cannot just decide one day that you are no longer going to feel bad. Sometimes it takes a bit of work. In fact, sometimes it takes a lot of work.

Well, I think that might be where I am. I'm now fully panicked and latched on to listening to it.

Well, as I see it, that puts you way way ahead of the game – because you understand what's going on and are looking for practical ways to right your ship. Bravo!

So this is a little bit about where I am today. I am looking for tips to solving what my ABC is so that I can start providing for my family again.

I suspect that you can provide for your family just fine. Right now you might not get as much pleasure out of doing so that you used to, but nothing that you have written above tells me that you cannot function. You might be miserable. You might be frightened. You might be frustrated. I totally understand all that. But unless I am very mistaken, you can provide for your family. Moreover, thinking in terms of not being able to provide for your family when indeed you can serves only to make you feel worse than you already feel!

I'm not sure if I need TRT to break the fear loop or if it will occur naturally. I didn't have this fear when initially diagnosed 5 years ago. The fear my tinnitus has forever worsened is powerful. Is it possible to get back to my prior emotional status without professional help?

I'm not sure that you need TRT at all. What you need, in my opinion, is good information, some reassurance, and a little tincture of time. Perhaps start with the three articles I am attaching to this response.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and point me in a better direction.

You are most welcome. All the best with it.

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.