Hey! New Here — I Had COVID-19 in March and Developed Pulsatile Tinnitus in June

[Rizrtse]

Hello everyone. Short story intro... 50 something in good health.

I had COVID-19 mildly in March, developed pulsatile tinnitus in left ear only in June...

In early October woke up to a steady humming in what I feel is left ear but might be both - hard to tell.

I have had 4 MRIs/MRAs. Audiologist punted me to ENT who referred me to neurologist who sent me back to another ENT... comical... no relief.

Managing with some masking techniques/hearing aids. I have read so much on the subject I feel I can teach a class on it. A lot of great information hear as well --- thanks to everyone. I hold out hope that it might reverse itself as quick as it came on. Hearing test shows normal hearing loss, all scans show no abnormalities, no spine issues. This is a bizarre condition.

I am trying anything and everything right now. Vitamins, physical therapy on neck, diet etc. so maybe I'm getting healthier while I search for answers

Strangely I wake up to very low humming and it modulates up as day progresses. Plugging right ear mutes humming altogether.

Best to all,
Rizrtse

 

[billie48]

n early October woke up to a steady humming in what I feel is left ear but might be both - hard to tell.

Welcome to the forum. I also have a humming in my left ear which suffered profound sudden hearing loss. Mine is loud roaring humming tinnitus. But in some strange way, like you said, plugging the right ear seems to stop the humming too on the left. Coincidence or just the way it works for the ears. Lol. Good that you are having something to mask your humming. I find airplane sound seems to have that masking effect on the humming. What have you found to be helpful for masking?

Anyways, welcome and take good care. God bless.

 

[Rizrtse]

Billie, each day is a new challenge. Thankfully I have ambient noise around me most of the time but winter months are a killer as now I'm inside more and hear my tinnitus all the time... it's hard to pump music in quiet times so I use my hearing aids with TV and try to think this isn't the worst thing in life and try no to think about it. I fear it getting worse but then again, anything can come along and derail life.

I wish I knew what caused this but COVID-19 is a likely candidate.

I wish there were more success stories of people who have cured themselves... or at least the damn medical community come up with something to mitigate the noise... no such luck despite thousands of posts on various things that can help. For me it's trial an error right now... vitamins, physical therapy on neck, diet, etc... everything but residing to zombie benzos... I'm listening, reading and now on the forum to search for maybe a solution...

 

[star-affinity]

How is it now?

I also woke up to this similar "hum" after a night with some beers (was quite drunk when I feel asleep, but not too bad) and my old "can barely hear it, only if I listen for it" which is more of a higher pitched tone in the right ear was elevated. Been three months now... The old higher pitched tinnitus actually went away for some time around new year and that was such a relief, but it has come back. Hum has been around all along, but good thing is gets "masked out" when outside or near fans and similar noise.

Since I felt bad for several days with a headache and brain fog lasting more than a week some people suggested I might have had COVID-19. I have to go and take that antibody test I've been thinking about...

I have wondered many times if it would have helped if I drank less or not at all. I rarely drink, so this time it was a little more than usual. But I never heard of people getting tinnitus after a night out, especially not a relatively light one.