How Can You Study with Tinnitus?

[Kriszti]

I'm new to this.I've been having a vibrating low buzzing, humming sound in my ear (head?) for a week. I used to have something like this 3 years ago, but it went away.

I'm at law school in Eastern Europe. We have to do a lot of cramming, so thousands of pages to remember and give back by heart. I've been struggling and depressed about school for a long, long time. I'm at a point when it's all or nothing. I could flunk out if I can't pass a class this semester. And now this annoying, very irritating vibration...

I would like to ask how do students here with tinnitus cope with studying? Right now it feels impossible, but then I would throw my whole life out of the window.

 

[MRItechssuck]

Have you tried a fan or background noise? I woke up at 0400 this morning with my head screaming and I sleep right next to a loud fan... still not enough. During the day maybe some background will help you?

All the best.

 

[Kriszti]

I haven't tried yet, because it's quite cold here now. The buzzing and vibrating is so bad that I can't mask it with loud radio music either. I'm so very afraid that I'm gonna go crazy. I haven't slept in a week.

 

[MRItechssuck]

So I had my first tinnitus about 15 years ago...it gradually habituated to where I would give a million dollars to have that level back. My ears scream every morning now....day 5 since a MRI, and I was naive of the noise.

Advice is easy to give....I'm sorry you are going through this. Try to logically tell yourself that the anxiety is just a feeling of not knowing if this will go away or not. Anxiety seems like half the battle. Just like a broken leg takes time to heal, so will this.

Can you tune between radio stations to get static or white noise? If you can get distracted with studying it might actually help. Right now, like me, you probably are focusing on the tinnitus. Do your best to do something else.

Take care.

 

[Kriszti]

Thank you. I'm trying my best.
All the best for you too.

 

[Lilah]

My ears scream every morning now....day 5 since a MRI, and I was naive of the noise.

Did you wear ear plugs and headphones with loud music during the MRI? If I get one next time, I am going to wear plugs with ear muffs instead and put up with the machine noise.

 

[MRItechssuck]

Hi,
Unfortunately not realizing how loud the MRI would be I only had their cheesy headphones on. I found out after that earplugs were 10 feet away in the room.

I had no panic button as stuck holding the headphones as tight as I could against my head for 30 minutes.

I'd avoid an MRI at all costs, and then use double/triple protection and research the new models of MRIs that are quieter and use an open MRI.

I lecture every doc and nurse I see now to tell people how loud an MRI is. My primary doc confessed he never has had an MRI....ugh.

I'm praying this gets better.

 

[MRItechssuck]

The music was not loud at all, the buzzing was.

I will never get another MRI. My normal tinnitus got really loud last night, jumped an octave and went to my other ear.

I can now understand what I had initially was minimal compared to,what is debilitating... I could hardly drive last night. Tinnitus was in my dreams... (for the 3 hours I slept)

 

[oceanofsound26]

Hi @Kriszti - I have been out of graduate school for just over a year but have two Masters Degrees and work in science which requires a lot of fieldwork at sea (which drives my tinnitus bonkers), reading and annotating papers, giving presentations and talks, and publishing as much as possible. For me, I find ocean sounds calming and use those when trying to read, annotate, or work on writing papers. Since my tinnitus onset in July, the added stress my tinnitus has caused me has really showed me how unhappy I am in my current position and how pointless the never-ending paper chase of science and academia is.

Also, after spending a week on the US East Coast on "vacation" visiting friends, my tinnitus was much lower than its normal background, but revved back up after returning work. I am convinced my tinnitus is ultimately caused by some musculoskeletal misalignment with my neck and jaw, but stress definitely magnifies during busy periods at work. I am looking at transitioning into a teaching position at a junior college for the 2020-2021 school year next fall, and have already started the process to do this.

In your case, you might want to look into a leave of absence from your university for a semester to try to get your tinnitus under control. I did this when working on second Masters and it really helped me. Maybe try to step away for a week or two to see if removing yourself from your current circumstances helps your tinnitus as well. Even if the latter does not, removing yourself from your studies for a short while may help you recharge and refocus and help with dealing your tinnitus. I know how stressful postgraduate studies can be, but taking steps to relax and de-stress enroute to your degree will help improve your mental and physical health along the way.

Best of luck finishing up your studies and I hope find some relief from your tinnitus in the future.

 

[Jewel0311]

I listen to ambience videos on Youtube and have them play in the background as I study!
I watched them way before I got tinnitus, but I find them more helpful now than ever.
My favorites are Harry Potter themed ones, but there are a lot to choose from it's essentially white noise videos with various themes and sounds.

 

[Kriszti]

Thank you. My issue is that I don't like what I study, but I have been struggling with it way too long, and already had concentration issues. I need to finish the university, because I (and mostly my parents) paid a lot of money for it. I can't take a semester off unfortunately.

 

[Gabriel5050]

For more background you can check my previous post:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/my-tinnitus-keeps-getting-worse-no-matter-what-i-do.37142/

It's been 8 days since then, but it feels like forever. Am I doing any better? No.

So I try to be a normal student, minus wearing ear protection, but every single hour is a struggle. I can't concentrate properly. My tinnitus doesn't give me any breaks, only getting worse.

I'm thinking I should just give up university, but how am I even supposed to afford even the most basic living?

There aren't working from home opportunities in my town in Romania and certainly none without a degree. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If anyone thinks they can offer advice, please do. I'd do anything to see the way out.

P.S: Yes, I know this post is negative, but that's how I feel at the end of the day.

 

[Kriszti]

I really don't have anything wise to say, but I really feel for you, and I'm in almost the same situation. (I'm a bit luckier, because the loudness faded since the onset a bit, touching wood)

Have you considered what others in this thread kindly suggested? Maybe take a semester off? I don't know if it's possible in Romania, but in my country it's possible to change the program from going to the university every day to a type when you only have to go on the weekends or for one week in a month.

Now, I'm trying to use classical music, white noise, ambient sounds when I study. Not totally covering the sounds in my head, but below the loudness. It's still awfully hard to concentrate, but maybe a bit better. I took up the habit to take notes of everything, because it gives me something to do instead of just plainly reading and highlighting.

Please, try not to give up on university just yet.

 

[Gabriel5050]

@Kriszti I won't give up just yet, it's just what my thoughts were leaning towards. Hopefully things go our way, If it gets worse I can't torture myself like that, I am not that strong. No normal person has to deal with this.
Also, initially, what I posted was a thread, but I think an admin must have turned it into a reply here.

 

[OnceUponaTime]

I've been having a vibrating low buzzing, humming sound in my ear (head?)

I've had this since 2014. What helps me is having other low humming appliances running in the background.
Ex. Air purifiers, fish tanks, air humidifier and de-humidifiers (change according to season) fans, low humming air conditioners.

Hope this helps. Dont give up on your studies. You are almost there!

 

[Kriszti]

Thank you, OnceUponaTime. Very kind of you. I'm trying to mask it somehow. It's actually been a lot more quiet recently, but I'm dreading the time it comes back full range.

 

[oceanofsound26]

Hi @Kriszti - By no means give up on your studies especially if you are finishing up your degree. This will hopefully provide better opportunities for you in the future for employments and advanced degrees depending on what you want to pursue. Sorry to hear you are not too happy with what you are studying, but hopefully, it will provide a means to an end. I have three degrees (one BSc and two MSc) in three different fields of science, and I have still not found something I am happy doing everyday.

I agree with everyone that trying to mask your tinnitus is something to try. Also, meditation and deep-breathing will probably do you some good as well. Take steps to relax and de-stress. Maintain good posture and treat muscle tension in the jaw, neck, shoulders, and back seriously. Massage and stretching to treat those will help as well. Finally, do not ignore your mental and physical health while studying. I largely did that for 8 years between my undergraduate and graduate studies, and now I am dealing with the fallout. Be proactive and not reactive on this front.

Good luck with the studies and I hope your tinnitus starts to fade and improve in the future.

 

[Kriszti]

Thank you very much, oceanofsound26, I appreciate it.

I hope that all of us here will have some relief soon, or at least quiet days.

I'll try to change my attitude towards my studies and be well mentally and physically.