Hard Time Getting Dr's to Take Me Seriously

[Lian]

Hi all.. i've been suffering from my ear problem for a year now.. all started with a bad cold when I was heavily pregnant back in January..

Mine is mainly in my left ear and I get a low power hum, fullness, ear ache/pain and when its quiet at night the humming then triggers a extra loud hum, that feels like its buzzing right on my ear drum.
I can actually stop that vibrating hum with sound, So I have to listen to white noise at night to get that hum to stop.
Also, if I shake my head side to side, the humming gets louder with the head shaking.

This seems to go in a cycle of approx two weeks of it flared up, then two weeks of it being fine..

I've seen 4 GP's and I finally got my ENT appointment last week which was no help at all.. as my appointment (after the hospital cancelled it twice) was on a day when my ear was not playing up.. so I got no answers.

Just getting fed up with it.. I feel I have some bacteria or mucus, trapped in my left ear, from the cold I had and it inflames my middle ear, then my immune system deals with it and of course I have a period of time where its not so bad at all, then obviously it flares up again.. but do you think I can get any DR to take me seriously... NO.. one Dr said to me if I had an ear infection for that long, I would be in ICU.. not impressed..

I now have headaches and slight dizziness, although I do not feel off balance..
At the ENT she looked in my ears, said nothing is wrong, I had a hearing test which was fine, ear pressure test which was fine.

One GP I saw back in the summer looked in my left ear and said he saw some slight redness and gave me some spray to put up my nose, I've been using it but its not helping.
Just at my wits end now!!

 

[MikeGreen]

I was about to post the same thing !


Dont you find it despicable when doctors laugh or smile when you are with them? Why cant they control themselves?

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi Lian,

If I were you, I would not stop until I got the answers I was seeking.

Tinnitus is an invisible ailment, unlike some other visible sign of trauma on the body. Therefore, most physicians innately think to themselves "if I can't see it, it can't be that bad". However, there are at least two doctors on this site with tinnitus, one of whom is an ENT(!) , so they understand how others on here deal with it, aside from the textbook training they received in medical school.

 

[Lian]

yes and they make you feel like you are wasting their time!!

I was about to post the same thing !


Dont you find it despicable when doctors laugh or smile when you are with them? Why cant they control themselves?

 

[Lian]

oh yes, I wont be stopping.. I was wondering whether a grommet in the ear drum would be any help to me?

Hi Lian,

If I were you, I would not stop until I got the answers I was seeking.

Tinnitus is an invisible ailment, unlike some other visible sign of trauma on the body. Therefore, most physicians innately think to themselves "if I can't see it, it can't be that bad". However, there are at least two doctors on this site with tinnitus, one of whom is an ENT(!) , so they understand how others on here deal with it, aside from the textbook training they received in medical school.

 

[MikeGreen]

I see not much difference between a robot and (some) doctors.

 

[glynis]

Hi Lian,
Welcome to tinnitus talk.
Pregnancy can cause tinnitus with hormone change for lots of people and take a year after for hormones settle back down and longer if breast feed...
Your could could just be coincidence...lots of love glynis

 

[valeri]

Hi all.. i've been suffering from my ear problem for a year now.. all started with a bad cold when I was heavily pregnant back in January..

Mine is mainly in my left ear and I get a low power hum, fullness, ear ache/pain and when its quiet at night the humming then triggers a extra loud hum, that feels like its buzzing right on my ear drum.
I can actually stop that vibrating hum with sound, So I have to listen to white noise at night to get that hum to stop.
Also, if I shake my head side to side, the humming gets louder with the head shaking.

This seems to go in a cycle of approx two weeks of it flared up, then two weeks of it being fine..

I've seen 4 GP's and I finally got my ENT appointment last week which was no help at all.. as my appointment (after the hospital cancelled it twice) was on a day when my ear was not playing up.. so I got no answers.

Just getting fed up with it.. I feel I have some bacteria or mucus, trapped in my left ear, from the cold I had and it inflames my middle ear, then my immune system deals with it and of course I have a period of time where its not so bad at all, then obviously it flares up again.. but do you think I can get any DR to take me seriously... NO.. one Dr said to me if I had an ear infection for that long, I would be in ICU.. not impressed..

I now have headaches and slight dizziness, although I do not feel off balance..
At the ENT she looked in my ears, said nothing is wrong, I had a hearing test which was fine, ear pressure test which was fine.

One GP I saw back in the summer looked in my left ear and said he saw some slight redness and gave me some spray to put up my nose, I've been using it but its not helping.
Just at my wits end now!!

I developed tinnitus, the same hum/drone noise, during a cold (minus pregnancy), it's been nearly 6 years now.
Low frequency is very disturbing indeed.

 

[Lian]

I did wonder about the hormones, but its been nearly 10 months now and i feel my hormones are pretty much back as they were.. the low hum is so annoying, what i struggle with is when i have the flare up the extra hum on top of that (so I have two hums in one ear) just feels like its buzzing my ear drum and its so much louder...

 

[volsung37]

Yes low hums are disturbing especially at night. They seem to be quite common. Mine seems to vary in intensity for some reason.

 

[DaveO]

Hi Lian
How are you doing? I have had the exact same problem like you for about 8 month. Your description of it is spot on.

 

[Anthonyr]

A&E aside. The NHS is the worst healthcare in any first world country if you have anything neurological or something not easily diagnosed. It's usually something like 3 months of bugging your gp to see a specialist, then another 3 months to actually see the specialist and then another 3 months for tests, scans and results.

Took me over a year just to have get a MRI.

 

[Michael Leigh]

The NHS is the worst healthcare in any first world country if you have anything neurological or something not easily diagnosed. It's usually something like 3 months of bugging your gp to see a specialist, then another 3 months to actually see the specialist and then another 3 months for tests, scans and results.

Took me over a year just to have get a MRI.

@Anthonyr

There is a perfectly good reason why it should take up to 6 months to see an ENT doctor on the NHS or any other healthcare system. Treating tinnitus too early can actually make the condition worse. The best treatment for tinnitus in the early stages is to leave the ears alone. Providing the patient doesn't experience the following: Dizziness, deafness, continuous pain in the ears, balance problems. if any of the symptoms are present, in addition to the tinnitus a person will usually be seen a lot quicker. Please read the post below.

New to tinnitus what to do?

The onset of loud intrusive tinnitus can be very traumatic for most people. I use the words loud and intrusive, because tinnitus comes in many forms and intensities. When it is mild, moderate or occasionally heard in quiet surroundings it is usually not too bothersome and a person can go about their daily affairs quite happily and unperturbed by this anomaly. This type of tinnitus usually comes on gradually and in some cases it's associated with hearing loss, as we get older and the usual treatment is the wearing of hearing aid/s.

Tinnitus can be caused by other things: an underlining medical problem, build up of ear wax (cerumen). Jaw problems. Some medications and even irregular blood flow through the body causing Pulsatile tinnitus. There are a plethora of other conditions that can be responsible. However, the most common cause is exposure to loud noise or music that has been played at high levels causing some damage to the cochlear in the inner ear.

This type of tinnitus can be loud, intrusive and very debilitating. Often leaving a person at a loss and not knowing which way to turn to escape the nightmare that has suddenly come upon them. Your Dr has probably told you, it's tinnitus and nothing can be done, you'll just have to learn to live with it. I remember those words as if it were yesterday resonating through my mind and thinking, live with this for the rest of my life, impossible. So I fully understand how difficult it can be for someone new to this condition to take this in and believe it to be factual.

If you are having difficulty sleeping you might have been advised to try a night time sedation or an ant-depressant to help cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies tinnitus. These medications can be helpful especially in the early stages and they don't have to be taken long term, so it's something to consider. They can act as a safety net so you don't become too down.

A referral to ENT will usually be recommended. In the mean time try to keep occupied with something you like doing, as it helps to distract the brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Avoiding quiet rooms during the day by playing low level non intrusive music such as classical in the background can be helpful.

At night a sound machine placed by the bedside playing nature sounds or listening to favourite mp3 tracks or Cds are good. Keeping the volume just below the tinnitus is ideal and set to play throughout the night until morning. It takes time to get used to sound therapy so please stay with it. Whilst in a deep sleep it supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background helping to make its perception less noticeable during waking hours.

In the early stages of tinnitus, if one chooses not to use sound enrichment sleeping can sometimes be difficult and there's also the chance of the tinnitus becoming more intrusive as sleeping in a quiet room can allow the brain to increase it's own background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it more intrusive during waking hours.

There is a tendency for newbies to try and cure their tinnitus which is quite understandable. There are many remedies, treatments and concoctions out there. Some affordable others quite expensive. I am not adverse to trying to help myself but want to say, there are charlatans and con artists eager to relieve someone in distress of their money so please be careful. Even tried and tested treatments I wouldn't recommend a person try until they have been seen at ENT. Often a person after been seen at ENT is advised to wait a while.

The reason being. Many people habituate to tinnitus within six months sometimes a little longer and it has been known to go away. The ear is a very delicate organ and many Drs prefer to wait before investigating further and then suggesting a treatment. If other problems are experienced such as: pain in the ears, deafness, dizziness or balance problems this is of more concern and a person will usually been seen quicker.

It is best to have a word with your GP if you're feeling stressed or depressed in any way, as previously mentioned there are treatments available. Leaving things alone until ENT advise you of the next step is the best thing to do in my opinion. Don't try to fix anything or throw large sums of money at treatments that you have no way of knowing whether you'll get any relief.

It is not advisable to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume and keep away from loud sounds. By all means go out but anywhere that plays loud music then wear noise reducing earplugs.
Take things slowly and one day at a time. Read some of the positivity threads and ask other members for advice. Many people eventually habituate to their tinnitus and go on to lead a happy and fulfilling life even though it may take a little time.

Michael