I'm Javier from Spain, Got Tinnitus Recently, No Hearing Loss, Not Sure What Triggered Mine

[Javimaltes]

Hi!

My name is Javier and I'm from Spain. I' m 37 years old, and I have developed tinnitus one month and three weeks ago. I went to the audiologist and I do not have hearing loss. I don't know what triggered my tinnitus and guess it is bilateral, almost imperceptible in one ear and more noticeable in the other ear (overwhelming at night in silence).

That said, I want to thank those that are giving good advice and positive feedback. I want to advise also to those that come here for the first time: avoid reading negative commentaries! It's difficult enough to deal with tinnitus, sad stories are not going to help you. If you are having a psychological crisis or a rough time, just go to a psychologist and/or psychiatrist and, please, avoid reading too much about tinnitus and do not constantly check on your tinnitus.

Thanks everyone. I wish the best for all of you. Thank you again and sorry for my English.

 

[Joe Cuber]

Hey there Javier, welcome to the forum -

If you are having a psychological crisis or a rough time, just go to a psychologist and/or psychiatrist

I wish I knew this up front. I waited way too long before understanding that what I was dealing with was too much for me to handle on my own. I'm fortunately in a much better state psychologically speaking, but still have my tinnitus to deal with. I wanted to ask you: What you do to help you sleep at night?

 

[Javimaltes]

Hey there Javier, welcome to the forum -

I wish I knew this up front. I waited way too long before understanding that what I was dealing with was too much for me to handle on my own. I'm fortunately in a much better state psychologically speaking, but still have my tinnitus to deal with. I wanted to ask you: What you do to help you sleep at night?

Hi, Joe. Thanks for your reply!

For the first two weeks, I had no problems sleeping. It was after visiting the family doctor that I started to sleep really bad... she had no tact.

But I started to sleep again two weeks ago. I do not sleep as well as before having tinnitus, but I sleep 6 hours more or less every day and for the moment it is enough. What I do at the moment is the following:

1. I informed my boss of the problems that I was dealing with and asked for authorization to start my working days one hour later. This helped me to be more tranquil and not think too much about the clock alarm.

2. I sought psychological help.

3. I take two herbal infusions one hour before going to sleep and one fifteen minutes before. This relax me a lot.

4. I set a white noise sound thirty minutes before going to sleep. This let the brain to get used to the sound before going to bed.

5. I try to avoid thoughts aboute the future. Today I'm here, living, trying to enjoy life and living as happy as I can.


And for the moment, that is all. I hope this is of help.

 

[AnthonyMcDonald]

do not constantly check on your tinnitus.

If someone has to check for their tinnitus, it honestly isn't an issue.

 

[Albapv]

Hi, Javier. I'm from Spain, too.

Have you experienced an episode of stress or anxiety, or any episode that may have caused this even if you do not consider yourself to be anxious? I ask you because it can be a cause to take into account.

 

[Javimaltes]

someone has to check for their tinnitus, it honestly isn't an issue

Thanks for your reply.

Well, I'm struggling with English. What I wanted to say is that I do not see the point rating continually the level of our tinnitus.

 

[Javimaltes]

Have you experienced an episode of stress

Thanks for the comment, Albapv!

Yes, I was through an intense period of stress. But I prefer don't think too much about the causes, as even the doctors can not tell what caused it. I've thought too much about it already and it is not going to heal me. Now I'm just trying to move on. I know several people with this condition and they have managed to make their lives.

 

[Joe Cuber]

You have a positive attitude, Javi, I think it's serving you well. Getting to the point where you accept it and want to move on in under 2 months is pretty quick.

We have a bit in common. My tinnitus is also largely in one ear (my right) and happened suddenly almost 4 months ago. Like @Albapv mentioned, I had intense stress at work prior to onset, which likely triggered my onset.

Thanks for explaining how you were able to get sleep. You're the 2nd person to tell me about tea. I should give it a try. Sleep is something I'm trying to get better at. It's inconsistent for me. Most of the time nowadays I get about 5.5 - 6 hours a night, not including the time I wake up in the middle, which I do often.

 

[Javimaltes]

You're the 2nd person to tell me about tea. I should give it a try

Hi, Joe.

I was very sad the first two weeks -- crying all the time and feeling miserable. Now I feel a bit better. One of my colleagues in the law office has tinnitus and carries a normal life. I have a friend that also has tinnitus (noise-induced) and also carries a normal life. And I know most people with this condition have a normal life. We have to move on. Some day, helpfully, we will have a cure and we should be ready to pay for it -- it is going to be expensive. Until that moment, we have to try to have the better life that we can. Life is difficult, with and without tinnitus.

That said, tea has caffeine/theine. It is not appropiate to sleep. I drink herbal infusions (I don't know the exact name in English for this), like these ones:

https://www.shopalike.es/redirect/382865041

I wake up in the middle, which I do often

I wake up in the middle too. The important thing is to start to sleep and try to sleep at least 4 hours every night. Anxiety is what is causing in your case and also my case the insomnia.

 

[Albapv]

@Joe Cuber, if anxiety has caused your tinnitus, then therapy may help you (is helping me).

To sleep, it helped me to put lavender essence on the pillow, so, in darkness and silence, I could focus on sense of smell.

 

[GregCA]

But I prefer don't think too much about the causes, as even the doctors can not tell what caused it.

Have you gone down the Diagnostic Flowchart?

 

[Joe Cuber]

I was very sad the first two weeks -- crying all the time and feeling miserable. Now I feel a bit better. One of my colleagues in the law office has tinnitus and carries a normal life. I have a friend that also has tinnitus (noise-induced) and also carries a normal life. And I know most people with this condition have a normal life. We have to move on. Some day, helpfully, we will have a cure and we should be ready to pay for it -- it is going to be expensive. Until that moment, we have to try to have the better life that we can. Life is difficult, with and without tinnitus.

You have a healthy mindset, @Javimaltes. I have a couple of friends that have told me they have tinnitus, and they seem to be coping rather well. One has had it since he was a kid due to an accident. He says his tinnitus is like jet engines roaring in his ears. Another has had an onset in February. His is very similar to mine--it comes and goes daily (yesterday was very quiet the whole day, but today it's a loud hiss). Both are able to function well and do their work okay and even travel okay. I'm not quite there yet. I still need to build the resiliency to work or travel.

Thanks for the tea suggestion, I'll give it a shot.

@Joe Cuber, if anxiety has caused your tinnitus, then therapy may help you (is helping me).

To sleep, it helped me to put lavender essence on the pillow, so, in darkness and silence, I could focus on sense of smell.

Thanks @Albapv, I also have a therapist. I agree with you, therapy does help. I'm trying my best to work on my anxiety. That's a good idea about using scent, I'll have to give that a try, thanks.

 

[Ken219]

@Javimaltes, you have great points! Somehow your positivity and winning recommendations should be out and center for new sufferers!

 

[Javimaltes]

Have you gone down the Diagnostic Flowchart?

I didn't know this chart. Thank you very much.

 

[Javimaltes]

you have great points!

Hi, Ken. Thanks for your comment.

I think that new people coming here need some positivity - though not toxic positivity. Tinnitus is annoying, but I realized that some of the people in my environment have tinnitus and I didn't even know that they had. That gave me hope because they are normal people, like myself, living their lives, taking care of their families and enjoying their hobbies. Just what I want in life and I still can do even with tinnitus if I take care of my mental health.

By the way, since Monday evening the ringing of my right ear has subsided a little bit. It is still there, but it is less noticeable. There are some spikes, but most of the time it is more quiet that the week before. Might this mean a reduction of the tinnitus intensity in the long term in that ear?

 

[Javimaltes]

I have a couple of friends that have told me they have tinnitus, and they seem to be coping rather well

Yes, normally, people cope with tinnitus quite well, even when it is very annoying. They develop strategies for their lives and are able to cope with this ringing. We have to embrace the strategies that technology provides today. Imagine having tinnitus centuries ago... Rosseau had tinnitus and Darwin and they coped with this condition without technology. We can access white noises, music, etc to calm down and sleep.

I love reading and I used to read at night in silence. With tinnitus, I was afraid that it would not be possible anymore. But today we have lots of resources and I decided that if I cannot read in silence, I will listen to classical music or jazz while reading. In the beginning this thought disturbed me very much because I just wanted to read in complete silence, like before having tinnitus. But now I'm accepting that it is not that bad reading with some music as background. We have to set up our own strategies.

 

[Ken219]

@Javimaltes, your path is positive! It is a slow process. Take each day as it comes and keep your positivity!

 

[Javimaltes]

Update after 4 months.

I started my journey with tinnitus 4 months ago. For the first two months, I was very irked, crying every single day and hoping for a miracle. Well, I'm not cured, but I feel more and more comfortable every day. I can stand silent environments and develop my job as a lawyer and enjoy my favourite hobby: reading.

How did I become better, to the point that tinnitus is barely affecting my life? Easy, I sought psychological help and I started to focus less and less on the ringing in my ears.

I feel that I've not written yet my definitive story about overcoming tinnitus, it is too soon yet -- I positively think that in the coming months I will feel even more and more comfortable.

But I want to give now advice to everyone that faces this condition for the first time: do not panic, it will get better, and you will be more and more comfortable week after week. This is very bothersome in the beginning, but it is not the end of the world. There are other very terrible illnesses. Some people from my family have some of these horrific conditions that affect their movement and deteriorate their bodies day after day rapidly and without remission, until death -- without hope, without cure and without treatments.

So, my message to all of you is to seek help and move on, it is possible to overcome tinnitus. Tinnitus is annoying, but there are treatments, effective treatments. Habituation is not a cure but is similar to a cure and you can work on it. Think how fortunate you are, you have a future ahead. There are people that will change their illnesses for your tinnitus. Only 2 % of the world population are not able to overcome this condition, the other 98 % are able to live normal and healthy lives. Feel lucky, because this is not by far the worst that you can face and if you do not make your best to overcome the sad feeling that may be you are facing right now – whilst you are reading this post – you are letting down all that people that are fighting though they have literally 0 chances to survive. You, who are reading this post, have 98 % of success, but you have to put your will and work on it.

 

[Joe Cuber]

I'm glad to hear your approach is working for you @Javimaltes! I've still got mine, it's currently super loud right now, but I'm coping much better these days, much less anxious then before.

 

[Javimaltes]

I'm glad to hear your approach is working for you @Javimaltes!

Thanks, Joe! I'm glad that you are feeling better.

I think that there is not only one approach. The important thing is to make progress even if it takes a little longer. My tinnitus seems louder than in the beginning, but somehow my brain seems to focus less on it. I followed some of the pieces of advice from @Michael Leigh, such as having background noise in silent environments -- I think that my nervous system is much softer thanks to that particular advice.

Apart from that, now I'm trying Neurofeedback therapy to see if it helps me in any way. It is definitely not going to cure the ringing, but it might have some positive impact.

***
By the way, is my English understandable enough? I always have this doubt.

 

[Joe Cuber]

Thanks, Joe! I'm glad that you are feeling better.

I think that there is not only one approach. The important thing is to make progress even if it takes a little longer. My tinnitus seems louder than in the beginning, but somehow my brain seems to focus less on it. I followed some of the pieces of advice from @Michael Leigh, such as having background noise in silent environments -- I think that my nervous system is much softer thanks to that particular advice.

Apart from that, now I'm trying Neurofeedback therapy to see if it helps me in any way. It is definitely not going to cure the ringing, but it might have some positive impact.

***
By the way, is my English understandable enough? I always have this doubt.

Your English is quite good @Javimaltes. If you didn't say that it isn't your primary language, I would not have known.

I followed the same advice. I also have background noise playing all day and night. Mostly rain in the day and crickets at night.

You know, I recently did Neurofeedback. I don't think it had any effect on my tinnitus, but I do feel a little more grounded then before. I don't take things so seriously anymore and I'm less of a perfectionist. Keep us updated on your experience with it.