MemberI have had tinnitus for years now, and I'm not really sure when it began or when I first noticed it. My ears have always had a lot of wax buildup and I suspect that the primary cause for my T was a misguided attempt at the health clinic I went to for ear wax removal back in the 80's. The nurse loaded up a big syringe full of water and started blasting away. Now I realize what damage could be caused by doing that, but back then all I wanted was an unclogged ear.
Over the years I now have substantial hearing loss. There was always a belief in my mind that any odd noises I were hearing were just part and parcel of the situation with my ears. There was a constant low level hissing, but low enough for it to be easy to just push the sound out of my mind. Three weeks ago it changed. Or maybe my acceptance of it changed. The low level hiss became a buzz that I could feel across the base of my neck. My only relief was sleep. Waking hours were spent fighting away panic attacks, as I fixated on the buzzing.
I then went through visits with an ENT specialist, a neurologist, and my GP. My GP found my blood pressure was through the roof (180+/80+). The stress of the buzzing was creating the perfect feedback loop for high BP. I had never had high BP before, but was given a prescription for medicines (BP and a Beta Blocker) to get the BP under control. She also prescribed Xanax for the panic attacks. The Xanax enabled me to get some sleep, and a bit of a control feeling over the panic attacks. The BP medicine has gotten my BP down to around 140/80, and the buzz is gone from the base of my neck. With exercise and diet, I hope to be back in the 120/70 range I used to be in.
Being here has given me additional insights and avenues for exploration. Things like no more earbuds, avoiding ototoxic medicines (the list seems endless), looking at the root cause of my stress, getting better hearing aids, etc. There is no cure, but I know I can adapt and cope.
Thanks for listening.
Dan
Over the years I now have substantial hearing loss. There was always a belief in my mind that any odd noises I were hearing were just part and parcel of the situation with my ears. There was a constant low level hissing, but low enough for it to be easy to just push the sound out of my mind. Three weeks ago it changed. Or maybe my acceptance of it changed. The low level hiss became a buzz that I could feel across the base of my neck. My only relief was sleep. Waking hours were spent fighting away panic attacks, as I fixated on the buzzing.
I then went through visits with an ENT specialist, a neurologist, and my GP. My GP found my blood pressure was through the roof (180+/80+). The stress of the buzzing was creating the perfect feedback loop for high BP. I had never had high BP before, but was given a prescription for medicines (BP and a Beta Blocker) to get the BP under control. She also prescribed Xanax for the panic attacks. The Xanax enabled me to get some sleep, and a bit of a control feeling over the panic attacks. The BP medicine has gotten my BP down to around 140/80, and the buzz is gone from the base of my neck. With exercise and diet, I hope to be back in the 120/70 range I used to be in.
Being here has given me additional insights and avenues for exploration. Things like no more earbuds, avoiding ototoxic medicines (the list seems endless), looking at the root cause of my stress, getting better hearing aids, etc. There is no cure, but I know I can adapt and cope.
Thanks for listening.
Dan
