Feeling Lost With Lots of Questions

[Rhaegar]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jackie, from the UK, eighteen, and recently acquired T due to listening to music too loud- with my headphones in none the less. Yes, I know, not one of my greatest moves in life. After thinking (and listening to the multiple different tones in my head) I realised I've probably had mild T for a while now. But simply thought it was normal- as I only heard it when I was lying in bed. After years of listening to music though my headphones, at FULL volume my ears have finally given up on me.

I went to my GP(/Doctor) on the 28/02/2014 and was, as many of us are, given a steroid nasal spray and told to come back in four weeks time. Apparently my symptoms (fullness in the ears, slight pain in both ears, and the joyful ringing) were similar to a blocked eustachian tube- yet I lack any balance issues/fluid from my ears. I was told my ear canal and eardrum appears to be in good condition. I've been using the steroid spray every day, twice a day- so a total of four sprays in all. It hasn't had any effect on me. I'm a 100% my T is due to noise exposure, and therefore would prefer skip this step and move on to seeing an ENT- because lets be honest, GPs have too little knowledge of T(, as do most ENTs).

Anyway, basically, I have quite a few questions, and would really appreciate some help answering the following;

Is there a test I can take to see how damaged my auditory hair cells are?
I'd very much like to take a test, is one does exist, because in the event there is a cure in the future, I can brandish my test results and (hopefully) receive treatment. Plus, it would be nice to know the cause of my T, once and for all.

Will there ever be a cure (in my lifetime)?
So this is a question we've all asked at one point, because lets be honest, as much as we don't want to, we're all holding out for a cure. To hear silence again. We're really not asking for much, are we?

What type of earplugs should I invest in?
Probably the second most asked question there is when concerning T. I want to protect my ears as best as I can, but I don't want to be spending a fortune, because well, I'm not exactly rolling in the cash- sadly! Not bothered if they're bright orange, or anything of the sort; I'm fine looking strange.

What type of questions should I ask my ENT?
I honestly don't have a clue what to expect when I visit an ENT, and would like as much guidance as possible.

How do I get referred to a Tinnitus specialist?
I've seen a few people talk about T specialists, and I'm sat here thinking "where do I get me one of those?"! Can I simply asked to be refer to said specialist when seeing the ENT, or do I have to find them myself- anyone know how I go about this?

Will my T get worse?
For those who have had T since they were young, have you noticed your T get worse over the years? I dread mine becoming any worse than it already is, because it's already a high pitched accumulation of tones that I can hear pretty much all day long.

Hearing aids?
I've read quite a few people have hearing aids that play some sort of white noise to mask their T. Would that be an option I might want to take?

Well, I think that's all my questions for now. I appreciate all those who have read through this- it honestly means the world to me, being able to talk with other people with the same condition(/symptom)!

Many thanks,
Jackie.

 

[Johno]

1. Yes, try http://www.onlinetonegenerator.com/hearingtest.html - but it works only on Firefox and dont forget turn your volume down to barely hearing minimum (to avoid damage and of course, to test your hearing range)

2. Cure, i believe, than we are around 2-3 years from releasing AM101, wich looks very hopefull and i hope, it works in chronic cases too. Maybe 10-20 years from now we will be able to regenerate hair cells in the cochlea by genetherapy or stem cells therapy.

3. I use soft earplugs. But from now, avoid all noisy places, avoid pubs, concerts for all of your lifetime. This is best prevention.

4. I dont know. I found far more informations here on forum or on the internet. Check tinnitustalk.

5. Can not give an advice.

6. It is possible, than your T get better, and maybe it disappears completely in 3-6 months. But avoid noisy places and take vitamines (A, B, C, D, E) antioxidants, Magnesium, Zinc, maybe acetyl-cysteine...

7. Maybe you can, i dont know if it is possible in UK. You can use older analogue radio to listen white noise in home, like me

8. Sorry for my english, it is not my native language. I hope you uderstand.

 

[Grace]

Since you know yours is noise induced then thats a step you dont have to take figure out why you got T.. Then again some get it and never know why. The ent is gonna check your hearing thats about it and suggest turning a fan on to mask and use white noise or sounds. Ents are not very helpful the most they do is check your hearing.
1.there is a test out there that exists to check the hairs.. Where is it i dont know.. Ive heard someone talk about it on here.
2. Aut0063 and am101 looks promising in the next 5 to 7 years.. Will it work for chronic i dont know but possibly. I believe there will be a cure in our lifetime, or an effective treatment in the next 10-20 years.
3. 33 db foam ear plugs are good if you dont wanna spend alot but If T is gonna be with you for a while then invest in custom ones with the 25 db filter.. Thats what your ent will tell you.
4. Ask your ent any advice or treatments would be good in your case.. Otherwise there useless they dont know if your T will get better.
5. Google ent specialists in your area.. Thats what i did.. Or get a referrel from your gp.. I dont know why your gp didnt already do this.. Nasal spray or whatever he gave you wont do shit.
6. Your T could get better.. Depends on if you protect or not.. Or it could go away 3-6 monthes.
7. Hearing aids will help if you have hearing loss.. Or to mask. Ask your ent when you go.

 

[Balthazar]

3. I use soft earplugs. But from now, avoid all noisy places, avoid pubs, concerts for all of your lifetime. This is best prevention.

.[/QUOTE]

I think this is scaremongering a little bit. I would say take a break and avoid loud places for the moment, but this does not mean that you will have to be a hermit for the rest of your life. Some people are more sensitive to sound than others and you will have to work out your limits. Either way google 'safe levels of sound' to get an idea.

These earplugs are cheap, easy to fit and fairly discrete.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0033XVJKG/?tag=tinntalk-21

Good luck

 

[Karen]

Hi, Rhaegar,

I'm in the U.S., and I've found that some of the more knowledgeable people regarding tinnitus are audiologists. Instead of going to an ENT, I would suggest starting there. Many audiologists know a lot about tinnitus, and may be able to help you with some of your questions. They could also test you and tell you if a hearing aid would be right for you. You can try a hearing aid for 30 days at no cost to see if it works for you.

When my tinnitus started, I went to more than one ENT, who basically told me I'd have to live with it. A neurotologist I went to gave me nasal spray and steroids, but they didn't help at all.

Since you are 18 years old, I believe that there will be some sort of tinnitus cure, or breakthrough, during your lifetime. There is a lot of research being done right now, and you can read here on Tinnitus Talk about the clinical trials of a drug called AM-101. I think there will be something to help us within 10 years.

Best wishes and hugs to you!
Karen

 

[citigirl13]

Hi @Rhaegar

I am sorry to hear that you have T. You sound like you are doing very well despite the ringing. I too listen to my headphones a lot, but after getting T (from a cold leading to fluid in my ears) I am terrified to use them. After having this ringing in my ears I doubt I will use headphones except from running and long travel (I feel sick if I don't have music) and certainly not at high volume.

I cannot answer all your questions, but I will try:

Will there ever be a cure (in my lifetime)?

I do believe there will either be a cure or better treatment which would greatly cut down the volume of the noise. I think that even if there was something that could cut the volume down by 50% would be a godsend to many of us. I don't know how long it will take, but since you are eighteen I reckon there should be one in your lifetime. AIDS was basically a death sentence many years ago, but now people can live with it. Everyday there are doctors making breakthroughs, so I believe that there will be a cure/treatment in your lifetime.

Will my T get worse?
Unfortunately I am not entirely certain. As we age our hearing gets worse, and some people who don't even listen to music very often (or at all) get it, simply because our body is decaying. However, there are a lot of people (myself included) who say their T has gotten better over time. Many people learn to habitaute to T i.e. still have T but get used to the noise so they don't notice it. I have had T for nearly 2 months now and I am already noticing that if I am focussed on something else e.g. reading a book, I don't notice it, even if it is silent. Besides you have only had T for 17 days, so there is a good chance that it could go away, even if it is noise induced. My advice wouldbe not to listen to music through headphones - I'm not going to say that you can't listen to music at all, but don't put it on a high volume and not directly in your ears. I would not go to any clubs/cinemas/concerts at least for the time being, and if you do go to them take earplugs.

Be aware that if your T does go, it can take time. There are people who have had noise-induced T and it go after a few YEARS. Hopefully yours will go in a few months, but be prepared that it can take time.

You mentioned that you think you had mild T before. The increase in volume could be a spike caused by listening to too much music and, by giving your ears a break, it could go down again to the volume it was at before.

Hearing aids?

I don't think you will get hearing aids unless you actually have hearing loss. If your T is noise-induced it is likely that you will have some hearing loss, but you will need to take a hearing test from an ENT/audiologist to confirm it. I can't say for certain whether it would help you - just give them a try and see.

You mentioned that you are from the UK (so am I!). Did you know there is a tinnitus clinic in London? It might be best paying them a visit. I think there is a tinnitus helpline also, though you would have to look that up online. Thank God we live in the UK, right? For once it actually pays off! Unfortunately I am not sure whether it would be free or not.

One thing you should do is keep calm and not stress about it. The onset of T can be brought on by stress such as loss, grief, stressful job etc. It can also seem louder or be triggered by stress. You sound like you are calm about this which is a good start. I was a wreck the first week I had this, but after calming down I have gotten a lot better with handling it. It helps when you know the cause.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing!

 

[carlover]

Rhaegar ,knowing what i know now all i hope is you havent had it long so it may go on its own.

GPs are a waste of time ENTs are a waste of time The Neurotology Tinnitus clinic at the Royal national Ear nose and throat hospital in London is a waste of time (youve allready had their cutting edge product ie steroid nasal spray lol)

As I say before you get stuck in this pointless loop I hope it goes away on its own.

..........and that pointless loop includes every Alternative therapy you can possibly think of.Been there got the massive T shirt and an empty wallet

Sorry but its a fact,

EDITED
However just seen this http://www.tinnitus-study.info/uk-home for people with T for less than 12 months ......a drug thats been mentioned on here