I Don't Know What Else to Do. Tinnitus Getting Gradually Worse.

E

Emanuel Lourenco

Member
Author
May 29, 2017
169
Tinnitus Since
2016
Cause of Tinnitus
Noise exposure
#1
I've had tinnitus for more than two years now and it just gradually gets worse, now it's at the point where i can no longer zone out of it even when I'm occupied and I don't know what to do. I have been super careful with noises but it has still become worse.

Every time it got worse, it never got better and this is getting to a nightmare level.

What can I do, how do people cope when it gets this bad. How am I supposed to just keep living like this?
 
#2
I think I've had it just about as long as you. All I can tell you is to wait a bit. I know it's hard but try to think of things that are more important to you than T. For me it's getting good grades, spending time with family, etc. I feel like it's the least important thing of my life because it doesn't deserve a reaction. We've all been jealous of friends that get to do activities without worrying about there hearing but in all honesty, other than that, what's stopping you? Most of my problems are solved by just plugging my ears.
Above all else we are people and you should write out a list of things you look forward to besides t. Also write different descriptions of your life in order from most important to least important.
Ex
Me (my overall health. Am I dying?)
My family
My school
My friends
My job

(Funny story) when I first got T my dad got tired of me crying all the time so he signed me up for Krav Maga. I'm 110, 5'4 and there were no rules that stayed that gender/weight/height put you into different categories. I live in Vegas so there are tons of MMA/UFC hopefuls that go to my gym. Getting the crap beat out of me every night and being sore in the morning overshadowed my thoughts about t. Instead of thinking "how will my t get worse" all day, I'd be thinking "how am I gonna get the shit beaten out of me today?"
Sometimes you have to throw yourself into new and exciting situations to forget about t, but that's the same with all stress.
Also my T is almost as loud as my car sometimes. So it's kinda towards a 7-9 range
 
#4
katri said:
I think I've had it just about as long as you. All I can tell you is to wait a bit. I know it's hard but try to think of things that are more important to you than T. For me it's getting good grades, spending time with family, etc. I feel like it's the least important thing of my life because it doesn't deserve a reaction. We've all been jealous of friends that get to do activities without worrying about there hearing but in all honesty, other than that, what's stopping you? Most of my problems are solved by just plugging my ears.
Above all else we are people and you should write out a list of things you look forward to besides t. Also write different descriptions of your life in order from most important to least important.
Ex
Me (my overall health. Am I dying?)
My family
My school
My friends
My job

(Funny story) when I first got T my dad got tired of me crying all the time so he signed me up for Krav Maga. I'm 110, 5'4 and there were no rules that stayed that gender/weight/height put you into different categories. I live in Vegas so there are tons of MMA/UFC hopefuls that go to my gym. Getting the crap beat out of me every night and being sore in the morning overshadowed my thoughts about t. Instead of thinking "how will my t get worse" all day, I'd be thinking "how am I gonna get the shit beaten out of me today?"
Sometimes you have to throw yourself into new and exciting situations to forget about t, but that's the same with all stress.
Also my T is almost as loud as my car sometimes. So it's kinda towards a 7-9 range
Click to expand...

Just wanted to start by saying thank you for your awesome reply. It's just i feel in agony every minute now because its so f ing bad that i feel this sharp thing in my head, i try to do activities and not think about it but it gets harder the worse the T gets and I feel like I'm reaching my limit and there's nothing anyway can do to help
 
#6
Emanuel Lourenco said:
I've had tinnitus for more than two years now and it just gradually gets worse, now it's at the point where i can no longer zone out of it even when I'm occupied and I don't know what to do. I have been super careful with noises but it has still become worse.

Every time it got worse, it never got better and this is getting to a nightmare level.

What can I do, how do people cope when it gets this bad. How am I supposed to just keep living like this?
Click to expand...

Emanuel - this is such a horrible thing to happen to anybody.
I know.
I was a professional jazz trombonist for over 50 years, until a few months ago.
It was my life, my passion, pretty well my everything.
That all disappeared in a moment of aggressive stupidity by a 'fellow' musician 'friend' of mine four years ago.

It also took away my composure, my delicious peace and quiet, my silence.

Unfortunately I do not have any magical cure,
but I have found this:
When I meditate I hear my sounds undiluted.
It is not very pleasant at all.
But I persevere, allowing myself to hear it without concentrating on it.

I remind myself that 'my peace runs deeper.'

I drift away in an atmosphere of peace and comfort.
Learning to do meditation when you have "T" is not that easy, but it can be done.
If you wish I can pm my method sometime.
Best wishes
Try to keep calm
love
Dave x
Jazzer
 
#7
Emanuel Lourenco said:
Just wanted to start by saying thank you for your awesome reply. It's just i feel in agony every minute now because its so f ing bad that i feel this sharp thing in my head, i try to do activities and not think about it but it gets harder the worse the T gets and I feel like I'm reaching my limit and there's nothing anyway can do to help
Click to expand...
I can completely understand that. I'm up late tonight not because of tinnitus but because of my braids. Most people with T find a way to blame themselves or they constantly ask "why me?", especially those with dams he from loud noises (like me). Whenever you feel like that and you have difficulty sleeping, just write a list. You can throw 20 things on there as simple as brush your teeth, or watch new show. As you get through the list, just check them off. Eventually you'll start to get through it. Also, make a habit out of treating yourself like "man my t is loud but this new Spider-Man game is worth the hype".
I try to think of all of my mundane tasks as accomplishments. Going to the library and not thinking about T once is amazing. Staying off of this website is an accomplishment too. Try a day, then two, then so on. Trust me the worst part passes right after you stop looking on this site for validation. You're going to find some sense of normalcy in your own life but you also have to ask yourself what is normal. What is the baseline for health? Pain is completely relative because there are some people who choose not to make time for negative thoughts, so why can't it be you? Why can't you be the guy on this website that says "my t is blaring loud but comic con is tomorrow, so idc." Keep it moving cause the world won't stop for you on a bad day, so why would you stop for T?
 
#8
katri said:
I can completely understand that. I'm up late tonight not because of tinnitus but because of my braids. Most people with T find a way to blame themselves or they constantly ask "why me?", especially those with dams he from loud noises (like me). Whenever you feel like that and you have difficulty sleeping, just write a list. You can throw 20 things on there as simple as brush your teeth, or watch new show. As you get through the list, just check them off. Eventually you'll start to get through it. Also, make a habit out of treating yourself like "man my t is loud but this new Spider-Man game is worth the hype".
I try to think of all of my mundane tasks as accomplishments. Going to the library and not thinking about T once is amazing. Staying off of this website is an accomplishment too. Try a day, then two, then so on. Trust me the worst part passes right after you stop looking on this site for validation. You're going to find some sense of normalcy in your own life but you also have to ask yourself what is normal. What is the baseline for health? Pain is completely relative because there are some people who choose not to make time for negative thoughts, so why can't it be you? Why can't you be the guy on this website that says "my t is blaring loud but comic con is tomorrow, so idc." Keep it moving cause the world won't stop for you on a bad day, so why would you stop for T?
Click to expand...

Your posts sound very similar to mine. Your mentality is kinda like mine. Keep that way of thinking and positivity, it can work wonders in your life...even when afflicted with tinnitus.
 
#9
Emanuel Lourenco said:
I've had tinnitus for more than two years now and it just gradually gets worse, now it's at the point where i can no longer zone out of it even when I'm occupied and I don't know what to do. I have been super careful with noises but it has still become worse.

Every time it got worse, it never got better and this is getting to a nightmare level.

What can I do, how do people cope when it gets this bad. How am I supposed to just keep living like this?
Click to expand...

I have lived with tinnitus over 30 years. Tinnitus has a reason to get annoyed (majority of the time).

Colds/illnesses/medication/physical issues (neck/back/tmj)/stress/Loud noises - These are the usual culprits that can possibly make your tinnitus louder.

Even if we do everything in our power to protect our hearing, our tinnitus can possibly get louder. We need to make adjustment to out lives when afflicted with tinnitus. You can still live a good life, even when the ears are ringing. I have intrusive/LOUD tinnitus and severe hearing loss. That does not stop me from being in the gym 6 days a week and doing my martial arts 4 days a week. I use ear plugs and get on with my life. Having a positive mentality is what I always preach in my posts. Gain tons of support when you are afflicted in life. Friends, family, possibly a therapist. Talk it out, express your issues.

Distract/relax the mind. Do stuff that takes your mind/thoughts away from the ringing. I have garbage level ringing and it's impossible to not hear it. When I am doing my exercises, I get so tired at the end that my mind has no energy to think or care about the ringing. Do something that will shift the focus away from the sound.

You CAN live a good life, even if you have tinnitus. It just takes some adjusting and lots of LOVING yourself and accepting that your ears ring and that you are GOING TO BE OK!

Bless....
 
#10
fishbone said:
I have lived with tinnitus over 30 years. Tinnitus has a reason to get annoyed (majority of the time).

Colds/illnesses/medication/physical issues (neck/back/tmj)/stress/Loud noises - These are the usual culprits that can possibly make your tinnitus louder.

Even if we do everything in our power to protect our hearing, our tinnitus can possibly get louder. We need to make adjustment to out lives when afflicted with tinnitus. You can still live a good life, even when the ears are ringing. I have intrusive/LOUD tinnitus and severe hearing loss. That does not stop me from being in the gym 6 days a week and doing my martial arts 4 days a week. I use ear plugs and get on with my life. Having a positive mentality is what I always preach in my posts. Gain tons of support when you are afflicted in life. Friends, family, possibly a therapist. Talk it out, express your issues.

Distract/relax the mind. Do stuff that takes your mind/thoughts away from the ringing. I have garbage level ringing and it's impossible to not hear it. When I am doing my exercises, I get so tired at the end that my mind has no energy to think or care about the ringing. Do something that will shift the focus away from the sound.

You CAN live a good life, even if you have tinnitus. It just takes some adjusting and lots of LOVING yourself and accepting that your ears ring and that you are GOING TO BE OK!

Bless....
Click to expand...
That's the thing I'm more careful than ever I try as much as possibly to not be exposed to loud noises and yet I'm worse and worse to the point I don't know what to think anymore. My baby sister screamed yesterday and i couldnt protect my ears and now it's this constant fear that it will get worse just like it has so many times, I don't know what to think of this anymore
 
#11
Emanuel Lourenco said:
That's the thing I'm more careful than ever I try as much as possibly to not be exposed to loud noises and yet I'm worse and worse to the point I don't know what to think anymore. My baby sister screamed yesterday and i couldnt protect my ears and now it's this constant fear that it will get worse just like it has so many times, I don't know what to think of this anymore
Click to expand...

Look, i'll be very blunt with you. Life will happen, noise will happen. We cannot and SHOULD not keep score on everything that happens to us. I have been through so so many noise induced accidents in the past few months. I have stepped on air packets (used for shipping products), I have had mack truck unload their cargo. I have had cars honking at me. I have accidentally blasted my bose speakers at max volume. I have broken dishes. Things happen my friend.

Even though I had these accidents, I kept my emotions and did not let the noise scare me or give me more stress. It's called life. I never wanted any of these things to happen, but it's not always in our control. It's unfortunate that tinnitus can cause so much fear in us. I totally get it. I try to do my best in my life to protect my ears and not increase the ringing of my tinnitus.

I try my best to avoid situations and places that could possibly increase my ringing. That's the best I can do and we can do. We still have to remain strong and live our lives. I do not think forward and think of all the stuff that "MIGHT" happen today , tomorrow or next year. I think/focus on what I CAN DO TODAY, to make my life better.

HOW CAN I move forward today and achieve something that I didn't achieve yesterday/last week/last month. That's how Fish thinks.......

Bless......
 
#14
Emanuel Lourenco said:
That's the thing I'm more careful than ever I try as much as possibly to not be exposed to loud noises and yet I'm worse and worse to the point I don't know what to think anymore. My baby sister screamed yesterday and i couldnt protect my ears and now it's this constant fear that it will get worse just like it has so many times, I don't know what to think of this anymore
Click to expand...
Maybe this is the problem? Avoiding all noise might not be right for you? When my Tinnitus worsened in 2016 i exposed myself to (normal) noise after about 3 months and was very successful because the Tinnitus was supressed and became more silent over time.

With my recent worsening that does not work that well though. One has to try different approaches.
 
#15
Emanuel Lourenco said:
I've had tinnitus for more than two years now and it just gradually gets worse, now it's at the point where i can no longer zone out of it even when I'm occupied and I don't know what to do. I have been super careful with noises but it has still become worse.

Every time it got worse, it never got better and this is getting to a nightmare level.

What can I do, how do people cope when it gets this bad. How am I supposed to just keep living like this?
Click to expand...

What tests have you done to root cause your T? (and what were the results)
 
#17
Start reading recently published medical journals and educate yourself about molecular biology and try and figure how to cure yourself. That's what I'm doing.
 
#18
TLion said:
Maybe this is the problem? Avoiding all noise might not be right for you? When my Tinnitus worsened in 2016 i exposed myself to (normal) noise after about 3 months and was very successful because the Tinnitus was supressed and became more silent over time.

With my recent worsening that does not work that well though. One has to try different approaches.
Click to expand...

I'm just so scared to try it now that i can't anymore, I honestly don't know what approach to take anymore, I've tried exposing myself to every day thing like it was nothing, it didn't work, I've tried to protect myself as much as I could and it didn't work either so I'm just back against a wall
 
#19
GregCA said:
What tests have you done to root cause your T? (and what were the results)
Click to expand...
I've been to 2 different ENT's, did some brain scans too, both hearing tests I did, the doc said it was normal but, I do know the root is noise exposure, but ever since this appeared I've been way more careful but it didn't stop the T from getting much MUCH worse, I wish i could have it as good as I did, I'd embrace that T happily, but here I am so I can't even listen to music anymore I can't even enjoy it. It used to be the thing I loved the most in this world
 
#20
Emanuel Lourenco said:
I've had tinnitus for more than two years now and it just gradually gets worse, now it's at the point where i can no longer zone out of it even when I'm occupied and I don't know what to do. I have been super careful with noises but it has still become worse.

Every time it got worse, it never got better and this is getting to a nightmare level.

What can I do, how do people cope when it gets this bad. How am I supposed to just keep living like this?
Click to expand...

How are you protecting yourself? You may have to take it to the next level. Do you just wear ear plugs when you go out? Do you were ear muffs when you go out. I realized early on that I had to wear ear plugs and ear muffs just to step out side my door because if a car drove by or someone had their window air conditioner running, it would get worse. I got over being self conscious about my ear muffs cause my sanity is more important than what other people think. Ironically I was ordering UberEats and went out to get my food and the guy asked me if was gaming. haha. But yeah, you need to do what you can to prevent it from getting worse so you can at least give yourself time to habituate. If you don't, it will keep getting worse and you cant keep up with it to habituate. Also you may have to stay home for a while. Some of us are home bound to prevent our T from getting worse. Its life altering for sure, but thats what it takes for some of us to prevent further damage until there is either a cure or it stabilizes on its own. I've been home bound for 3 years now but my T has stabilized a little. Like I can handle a refrigerator now without spiking. So think long and hard what you need to do to not make it worse if you aren't able to handle it.

And I relate about not listening to music. My guitar collects dust on my wall and I have gone to extremes to trying to listen to music like using toothpick and paper cone pressed against a record. Now I'm trying to figure out how to hear analog notched music. But I'm sure eventually you will be able to listen to music again but you gotta take care of your ears for now. You're 2 years in, but you haven't been protecting yourself at a level you need to be. Im 3 years and I'm still seeing improvement so protection can work. Just gotta change your life style as best you can.
 
#22
Emanuel Lourenco said:
Its pretty much impossible if you have to keep a job or university
Click to expand...

I understand. I had to change jobs and learn from home. You just have to do what you need to do to keep yourself together. If you can't hold it together and continue to go out and make your T worse, then you wont be able to go to university or a on site job anyways. So there would be no point in making your T worse for nothing. So if you can handle it then great, if not then you need to change your lifestyle. Your sanity is important.

You said its at nightmare level. You asked how you can live like this. You need to ask yourself can you handle making it worse or not and be absolutely sure. Because once you do, its hard to undo. I just want to make sure you are sure and dont regret it.
 
#25
TLion said:
Maybe this is the problem? Avoiding all noise might not be right for you? When my Tinnitus worsened in 2016 i exposed myself to (normal) noise after about 3 months and was very successful because the Tinnitus was supressed and became more silent over time.

With my recent worsening that does not work that well though. One has to try different approaches.
Click to expand...
I too have wondered if some noise exposure is good. Like it exercises damaged nerves. I honestly have no clue.
 

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