I Woke Up to Tinnitus / Hyperacusis After Suffering from Clogged Ears for Over a Year

[laniha]

Hi Everyone,

I've had a clogged ear for over a year (I think I had post nasal drip), for which I've tried decongestants, nasal sprays, allergy medications, and nothing really got completely rid of it. I just lived with it. In December I had the same post nasal drip issue that after a few weeks clogged both ears again. I was prescribed Prednisone and antibiotics which seemed to help, but again didn't get rid of the clogged ear.

Last week Tuesday, I woke up one night to loud buzzing in my ears and I couldn't go back to sleep. I noticed at work that certain high-pitched sounds stood out and really irritated me.

A couple of days ago, I figured out that most sounds are loud now.

I've been sad, scared, anxious, trying to figure this out. I've had break downs when I couldn't stop crying. I'm alone, but my family has tried to be supportive, but I know they don't understand how I feel. I know from what I've read that anxiety doesn't help but I can't stop the worrying thoughts. That's just how I am. I have a hard time sleeping; Melatonin and other medicines haven't helped.

I have a hearing test on Wednesday. I'm scared of what it'll show and what it won't show.

I'm a private person who's never shared anything like this online. This just shows how much this has affected me in less than two weeks. I'm just hoping I get through this.

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum. You are not alone here as many of us have been where you are, suffering much at the onset of a new intrusive tinnitus. So we understand what you are going through and have deep empathy for what you are experiencing.

Sleeplessness is very common. I had to depend on sleep medications too when tinnitus first hit me. If Melatonin doesn't work for you, have you tried Remeron? I am not a doctor but I have read a thread on sleep here in which many people mention using Remeron.

For the clogged ears, have you tried another opinion from other ENTs? It may be ETD. Perhaps try some of the techniques on draining the blockage of Eustachian Tube as shared on YouTube, especially the ones posted by doctors. You can search "draining Eustachian Tube" on YouTube and see many instruction videos.

For anxiety, try deep abdominal breathing, leisurely walking, yoga exercises and mindfulness meditation. There are natural supplements to help calm the nerves, such as lemon balm and chamomile teas.

Don't worry too much as most people will find improvement after a few months. I have been very scared and sleepless too when my ultra high pitch tinnitus first hit me. But now I live a normal and enjoyable life. I share some helpful strategies in my success story "From Darkness to Light...". Link is provided below. Hope you can read it to find some help.

All the best. Take good care. God bless your recovery.

From Darkness to Light, How I Recovered from Tinnitus & Hyperacusis

 

[laniha]

Thank you so much for the reply. I haven't tried Remeron, but will look into it.

I haven't had a second opinion. I'll be the first to admit that I need to be a better advocate for myself. It took me so long to get an ENT referral and the treatments have revolved around saline irrigation and medications. I know the clogged ear adds to my irritation.

I'm trying to be hopeful about finding joy in life again.

I feel like right now it's the tinnitus I'm struggling with. It's not constant, but at times can be very loud. I feel like I'm at odds where I need quiet, but in the quiet I hear the tinnitus. Is this a common occurrence?

 

[ECP]

@laniha, how did your hearing test go on Wednesday?

I think I speak for many of us when I say that it's very natural to want a silent environment but then feel dismayed by the sound of the tinnitus being more noticeable. I have not figured out how to resolve that paradox except to keep my mind occupied as best as I can, and to find a background noise that can mask the tinnitus without aggravating the hyperacusis. Some people use masking sounds for most of their waking hours and even during the night when they sleep, but my approach has been to use masking only occasionally. We all have to figure out what works best for us.

I hope you get some more answers soon.

 

[billie48]

Some people use masking sounds for most of their waking hours and even during the night when they sleep, but my approach has been to use masking only occasionally. We all have to figure out what works best for us.

This is so true. I also find from my experience that during the initial months, when I panicked by the new tinnitus, I had to mask everywhere with an iPod. I would sleep either by the shower with the shower on (luckily we pay a flat fee for water), or with the iPod and earbuds.

But gradually as my brain got more hardened to the ringing, I only masked occasionally.

Now I don't need masking much, even with a loud jet-engine like tinnitus on the left ear and a dentist drill like tinnitus on the right ear. It is amazing how the body can harden to the ringing over time. It allows habituation to slowly kick in and eventually people can ignore the ringing.

 

[laniha]

The hearing test went much as I expected. My hearing is in the normal range. My left ear was a little worse. I was a little surprised because it's my right ear which is the ear that gets the feeling of fullness. I spoke with the ENT on the phone (I live in a somewhat rural area) and the suggestions were what I expected: sound therapy, CBT, etc. I almost feel as if I diagnosed myself.

I'm still trying to figure out what works for me. I'm always worrying now about further harming my ears, but I also don't want to avoid sounds that I can handle. I'm worried about listening to my tablets/phone too much and am trying to go by how my ear feels. I'm so grateful for the sound of rain outside.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I cannot wait for habituation to happen.

 

[billie48]

If rain sound helps, you can install free apps of tinnitus therapy or masking sounds of nature, such as gentle rain, heavy rain, fountains, wind, waves etc. Play them with a Bluetooth speaker. Then you don't have to wait for outside rain to soothe your tinnitus.

 

[laniha]

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm grateful just to get advice from those who understand this condition.

I'm trying to figure out my next steps. I don't know if I want to do sound therapy now or let my ears rest more. I'm still so early in this that I don't know if there is something else I should try. Not doing anything doesn't seem right either.