Hi everyone,
After a low few days, I decided to do some reseach and came across this forum. I'm hoping I'll feel better after getting some of this of my chest and reading about your experiences too.
I had a nasty inner-ear infection back in February and my life has been turned upside down ever since. Some of you in the UK might be aware that GPs are very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics at the moment (see news stories here and here). Unfortunately I didn't recieve antibiotics until three weeks into my infection by which point I had begun to suffer violent and unpredictable epsidoes of vertigo.
At first, I found these episdodes terrifying and it was also unsettling for my family and friends. At it's worst I was bed-bound for a week. I couldn't move without fainting or vomiting. I was also unlucky enough to collapse in my bathroom - I hit my head on the sink and was taken to hospital with concussion. As well as the vertigo, I also experienced pressure/pain in my ears, sensitivity to noise and some minor 'ringing'.
This went on for the best part of four months, with varying degrees of severity. I had an MRI scan (all clear, thank goodness) and managed in hang in there until my long awaiting ENT appointment. I had a hearing test and was informed that everything was in normal range (therefore not Menieres Disease).
The consultant said that, whilst the infection was long gone, it had 'short circuited' my system and that in order to 'rewire' everything, I would have to put myself through a programme of rehabilitation exercises. To my relief, the exercises had an immediate effect and within a week the vertigo that I had suffered with for months had disappeared. It was a game-changer and I thought that I could finally get back to normal!
Things were going well until the beginning of July. My fiance bought us tickets to see Fleetwood Mac as a birthday present - whilst the concert was loud, we were sat at the very back of the arena and I didn't experience any discomfort or pain at the time. When I got home, I noticed that my ears were ringing. Not uncommon after a gig, I told myself, but they haven't stopped ringing since and the pain/pressure in my ears has also returned.
The tinnitus presents itself in both ears but is more noticable on the left. I would describe it as ringing/white noise. On a good day, I seem able to tune into other everyday noises (traffic, typing, television etc) until the evening. It's when I'm in a quiet room that it really comes to the fore. I've had a lot of trouble sleeping but have found that playing nature noises has helped me to drift off.
On bad days (like the last few days), I can't sleep, I'm in constant pain and can't even bear to be in the kitchen whilst the kettle boils because my ears are so senstive to sound. I get so frustrated and feel very low at times. It's such an invisible condition and it's easy for those around you to presume you feel well when in fact you feel far from it. I'm struggling to find coping mechanisms and it's having a real impact on my quality of life.
I started a new job in June (I have an office-based job in the arts) and most days I don't feel able to perform to my best. I'm 27 and used to have an active social lifeand now I can't even go to the cinema or for a drink with friends without making my tinnitus worse. Myself and my fiance are planning our wedding and all I can worry about is the effect the honeymoon flight might have on my ears (sounds silly, I know).
I'm due another ENT appointment any day now but understanding my symptons and getting any kind of diagnosis feels like a long, ardouous process. I'm lucky that I've not had to take lots of time off work (yet) but I've been told that, after 12 months, I should consider registering my condition as a disability to enable my employers to best support me and make reasonable allowances I may need.
I appreciate there are no definitive answers but felt the need to share. If you think there are some threads on the forum that I might find useful to read, do point me in the right direction! Thanks in anticipation
After a low few days, I decided to do some reseach and came across this forum. I'm hoping I'll feel better after getting some of this of my chest and reading about your experiences too.
I had a nasty inner-ear infection back in February and my life has been turned upside down ever since. Some of you in the UK might be aware that GPs are very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics at the moment (see news stories here and here). Unfortunately I didn't recieve antibiotics until three weeks into my infection by which point I had begun to suffer violent and unpredictable epsidoes of vertigo.
At first, I found these episdodes terrifying and it was also unsettling for my family and friends. At it's worst I was bed-bound for a week. I couldn't move without fainting or vomiting. I was also unlucky enough to collapse in my bathroom - I hit my head on the sink and was taken to hospital with concussion. As well as the vertigo, I also experienced pressure/pain in my ears, sensitivity to noise and some minor 'ringing'.
This went on for the best part of four months, with varying degrees of severity. I had an MRI scan (all clear, thank goodness) and managed in hang in there until my long awaiting ENT appointment. I had a hearing test and was informed that everything was in normal range (therefore not Menieres Disease).
The consultant said that, whilst the infection was long gone, it had 'short circuited' my system and that in order to 'rewire' everything, I would have to put myself through a programme of rehabilitation exercises. To my relief, the exercises had an immediate effect and within a week the vertigo that I had suffered with for months had disappeared. It was a game-changer and I thought that I could finally get back to normal!
Things were going well until the beginning of July. My fiance bought us tickets to see Fleetwood Mac as a birthday present - whilst the concert was loud, we were sat at the very back of the arena and I didn't experience any discomfort or pain at the time. When I got home, I noticed that my ears were ringing. Not uncommon after a gig, I told myself, but they haven't stopped ringing since and the pain/pressure in my ears has also returned.
The tinnitus presents itself in both ears but is more noticable on the left. I would describe it as ringing/white noise. On a good day, I seem able to tune into other everyday noises (traffic, typing, television etc) until the evening. It's when I'm in a quiet room that it really comes to the fore. I've had a lot of trouble sleeping but have found that playing nature noises has helped me to drift off.
On bad days (like the last few days), I can't sleep, I'm in constant pain and can't even bear to be in the kitchen whilst the kettle boils because my ears are so senstive to sound. I get so frustrated and feel very low at times. It's such an invisible condition and it's easy for those around you to presume you feel well when in fact you feel far from it. I'm struggling to find coping mechanisms and it's having a real impact on my quality of life.
I started a new job in June (I have an office-based job in the arts) and most days I don't feel able to perform to my best. I'm 27 and used to have an active social lifeand now I can't even go to the cinema or for a drink with friends without making my tinnitus worse. Myself and my fiance are planning our wedding and all I can worry about is the effect the honeymoon flight might have on my ears (sounds silly, I know).
I'm due another ENT appointment any day now but understanding my symptons and getting any kind of diagnosis feels like a long, ardouous process. I'm lucky that I've not had to take lots of time off work (yet) but I've been told that, after 12 months, I should consider registering my condition as a disability to enable my employers to best support me and make reasonable allowances I may need.
I appreciate there are no definitive answers but felt the need to share. If you think there are some threads on the forum that I might find useful to read, do point me in the right direction! Thanks in anticipation
Member
