I Have Severe Anxiety and My Tinnitus Is Driving Me Mad. Please Help :-( :-(

[Jess]

Hi everyone
I've had tinnitus since around April/May I got diognosed professionally 2weeks ago although I already new I had it through Google. I suffer with severe chronic anxiety and a phobia of vomit (crazy I know) and for the last year the anxiety has been so horrific it's caused this tinnitus and it's another stress on my shoulders I can't handle. It comes and goes and it focuses on my right ear but travels to both and through my head I find when I'm really stressed or been crying or the time of the month my ears are worse does anyone else have it like this?
It gets so bad sometimes I actually get fluid in my ears which is 100x worse, so today I was just sitting on my phone and my head literally starts rumbling I can't really explain it other than its like thunder starting in my right ear and going through my head and it lasts about 10seconds and then my right ear is boiling hot and red. Now me being me and the worrier I am I do worry it may be something to do with my brain however it does start in my ear it literally feels like thunder shaking my head is this normal?
The normal symptoms I get are the high pitched ringing between ears, cracking sounds, silence hurts my ears and makes the sounds in my ears louder and every time I swallow they pop. I also get dizzy or un steady and just do t feel 'normal' or 'well' I'm praying this is normal for tinnitus sufferers otherwise I'll keep panicking and worrying more. I always find doctors are just so busy they don't have time to go in depth which is understandable but I just really need to know this is ok because I'm panicking so much. My right ear is currently on fire and I just don't feel right, I didn't sleep well last night and have bee tired today could this be a trigger because my ears were Ok yesterday they are never perfect but they didn't feel like they do today.
Someone please help me I'm so scared I'll have an aneurism or something terrible happen to me I'm hoping it's just my tinnitus.
Thank you so much and sorry for the long winded essay It's harder writing it all x

 

[eric peterson]

@Jess , It's perfectly normal to feel anxiety at the onset of tinnitus. It's a very distressing disorder. The symptoms that you are talking about... popping and crackling in your ears, dizziness, tinnitus, etc., sound like some kind of inner ear disorder such as Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). Basically, it sounds like your tubes between your nose and ears aren't opening properly and fluid is probably getting trapped in them. What causes this? For most people, it's chronic sinusitis, allergies, etc. I'd visit your GP (or and ENT if you can) and get a full work up. Things that people generally use to clear up ETD are things like anti-histamines, nasal steroids (like Flonase), neti-potting (sinus washes), and allergy shots. You might want to talk to your doctor about some, or all of these solutions. This ETD could be causing your T, and fixing the problems with your ET, might fix your T. Now, let's talk about if it doesn't. As for tinnitus, let's first talk about facts. Many millions of people live with tinnitus. There is, unfortunately, no cure. There are also currently no known treatments for ringing in the ears that has any medically proven data to back it up. There are some things that some people use (e.g. Ginko Beloba) that has anecdotal evidence for helping people. However, the vast majority of people with tinnitus do not suffer from it in the long term. Most habituate to the sound over the course of about 18 months. And most feel a great deal better after a period of just a few months. It's probably hard now to believe that you'll just get used to this sound in your head... but there's a really good chance that you will. In short, go see a doctor and see if there's something you can do about your T. And if there isn't, try and get on with your life as best you can, and know that there are better days ahead. If you need anything else, let me know.

Eric

 

[billie48]

The normal symptoms I get are the high pitched ringing between ears, cracking sounds, silence hurts my ears and makes the sounds in my ears louder and every time I swallow they pop. I also get dizzy or un steady and just do t feel 'normal' or 'well' I'm praying this is normal for tinnitus sufferers otherwise I'll keep panicking and worrying more. I always find doctors are just so busy they don't have time to go in depth which is understandable but I just really need to know this is ok because I'm panicking so much. My right ear is currently on fire and I just don't feel right, I didn't sleep well last night and have bee tired today could this be a trigger because my ears were Ok yesterday they are never perfect but they didn't feel like they do today.
Someone please help me I'm so scared I'll have an aneurism or something terrible happen to me I'm hoping it's just my tinnitus.

Eric has given you excellent advice. I can only add that if your are feeling dizzy, it may be related to anxiety or symptom of vertigo or even Meniere's. Do tell these symptoms to the ENT and ask for referral to see a specialist about vertigo or Meniere disease. If you are worrying about aneurism, you should go check with the doctor about this to rule this out, so that you will not be as anxious as you are now. Try your very best to be calm as anxiety and stress tend to aggravate T. Yes sleep deprivation is also another trigger to fire up T. So if you have trouble sleeping, you may want to use some masking at bed time, such as a sound machine, sound pillow, or even just getting the TT audio player with its masking tracks playing on PC.

You can also try natural alternatives for sleep such as Camomile tea, Hops, Valerian tablets, Melatonin etc. Check out this site on using natural herbs for sleep problem:

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/articles-on-herbs-and-health/herbs-and-natural-remedies-for-insomnia/

Don't panic and worry too much. Try read up as many success stories as possible. Many people have gotten better even with severe T & H initially. I was one of those with ultra high pitch T & severe H. I suffered much initially but now I am living a normal and enjoyable life. I have listed some important points to help me turn around. If you are interested to read them, for brevity please read it up here:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/from-darkness-to-light-how-i-recovered-from-tinnitus-hyperacusis.3148/

 

[Jess]

Thank you both for replying I've been refreshing this page hoping to see responses my ear is currently on fire and annoying me. I've seen the ENT specialist he did a hearing test and then looked in them I told him my symptoms and he said it was tinnitus and maybe slight vertigo but not a severe vertigo. I think I'm most worried about it today because when my tinnitus flares up I normally know why it's usually when I've had a really anxious period or I've been crying a lot which the ENT specialist said he also said I need to learn to de stress my life because the anxiety will make it worse but it's also caused me to have this annoying problem. I just get totally freaked out when it does that 'rumble' that's the only way I can describe it I hear it a bit have to sit down and shut my eyes and it get louder and almost takes me out of my body but I don't know whether that's also the panic attack I start feeling but it literally feels like it's shaking my head for a few second then it goes and I can hear again but I'm so freaked out by it all it happened today and last week. I haven't had it severe and constant for a month or so now just the odd rumble i still can't sleep comfortably on my right side because it makes my right ear throb. I explained it all the the ENT doctor and he literally stuck with tinnitus he also did this thing where he sat me on the bed and moved me quickly sideways holding my head to check for vertigo but he said my eyes stayed ok I may just have it slightly in certain positions looking down is always hard for me or moving to quickly. He said my brain should get used to the tinnitus and there is no cure just look after myself it's just this rumbling and off feeling I get it scares me so much it's hard thinking I'm only 25 I'll probably have this for my life here and there I'm so stressed still as I have been for the past year I can't see it clearing up just yet. Does this rumbling feeling/sound I randomly get seem normal for tinnitus or should I be worried like I am?
Thank you so much again!

 

[glynis]

Hi Jess,
You have had excellent advice already so let's see if I can help you too.

Are you on any medication for Anxiety and stress ?
Have you had any talking therapy like CBT to support you with unwanted emotions ?....lots of love glynis

 

[eric peterson]

@Jess , When you say that your 'ear is on fire', are you referring to the T getting very loud? Or do you literally mean that your ear is getting warm relative to the rest of your head? Did the doctor not offer you any possible solutions to lessen your symptoms? If your ear is literally 'on fire' this might actually suggest some kind of infection. I'd suggest seeing a second ENT and discussing all of your symptoms with him/her, and getting some possible solutions for your non T symptoms. It's possible that your T isn't caused by (what sounds like) issues with your sinuses. Do you have or think you have issues with allergies or sinusitis? Do you have a lot of mucus or facial pressure/headaches? Runny nose, etc?

As for the T and the anxiety, I completely understand, and it's entirely normal. I've had T since my late 20's, and I've managed to get along just fine. Some things that people try are things like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and mindfulness meditation. They can be great for helping to lessen stress/anxiety. There are (of course) medical routes you can go to lessen stress. Since I'm not a doctor, I'm not entirely comfortable saying that you should consider things like anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds. But they are options that you might want to discuss with an MD. Let me know if there is anything else I can do.

Eric

 

[Blackbird26]

At onset my ears were on fire too. Could be ETD, or anything mentioned above. TMJD, especially if you suffer severe anxiety (which is horrible enough)

Not much you can do but follow advise from above and if you suffer chronic headaches, jaw pain, pain after eating, get your tmj looked at.

Good Luck.

 

[glynis]

Hi Jess ,
I don't know what what country you live in but if you live in the UK you can contact MIND.

MIND council people with depression and also Anxiety.
You don't need a doctors referral and can phone them yourself.
You can have 10 fifty minute sessions and are really lovely and will really help you....take care duck and im always happy to talk with you just send me a PM..lots of love glynis

 

[Robert44]

Hi, There's nothing I can add except that your not alone. I feel your pain. My eyes teared up reading your post. Take care of your ears. I cut out all caffeine, Advil , salt, Aspirin and less sweets. I'm doing better right now. Hope you feel better.

 

[I who love music]

@Jess , It's perfectly normal to feel anxiety at the onset of tinnitus. It's a very distressing disorder. The symptoms that you are talking about... popping and crackling in your ears, dizziness, tinnitus, etc., sound like some kind of inner ear disorder such as Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). Basically, it sounds like your tubes between your nose and ears aren't opening properly and fluid is probably getting trapped in them. What causes this? For most people, it's chronic sinusitis, allergies, etc. I'd visit your GP (or and ENT if you can) and get a full work up. Things that people generally use to clear up ETD are things like anti-histamines, nasal steroids (like Flonase), neti-potting (sinus washes), and allergy shots. You might want to talk to your doctor about some, or all of these solutions. This ETD could be causing your T, and fixing the problems with your ET, might fix your T. Now, let's talk about if it doesn't. As for tinnitus, let's first talk about facts. Many millions of people live with tinnitus. There is, unfortunately, no cure. There are also currently no known treatments for ringing in the ears that has any medically proven data to back it up. There are some things that some people use (e.g. Ginko Beloba) that has anecdotal evidence for helping people. However, the vast majority of people with tinnitus do not suffer from it in the long term. Most habituate to the sound over the course of about 18 months. And most feel a great deal better after a period of just a few months. It's probably hard now to believe that you'll just get used to this sound in your head... but there's a really good chance that you will. In short, go see a doctor and see if there's something you can do about your T. And if there isn't, try and get on with your life as best you can, and know that there are better days ahead. If you need anything else, let me know.

Eric

Hi Jess,
I could not live without my Flosnase. It's an over the counter med now, at a pretty good price.
It doesn't do much for my T sound, but it keeps my throat, eustachian tubes, eyes and nose clear. Even after allergy tests, nothing much shows up, but something bothers me and I don't know what. I've had some rumbling sounds and that awful full feeling, plus a nasty bunch of just plain junk that only Flonase could heal.
The title of your post caught my eye because you're stating your feeling about T. This is the first step of the Back To Silence method....
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/