Is This My Life from Now On?

[ScouseLibra]

Hi there everyone, so this noise started about a week ago after a restless night with limited sleep. I carried on and played tennis and couldn't understand quite what I was experiencing. A high pitched whistle and not sure which ear or if both! Worse the next day, and of course at night.

I have slowly accepted that this is going on, but of course it is so depressing. I went for acupuncture last week, not sure how that will work, but I did feel relaxed. Finally went to the Doctor who is referring me to an ENT specialist, so let's see. I am actually rushing out now for another session of acupuncture, but living in London it is very expensive.

Yesterday was a bad day, I played tennis (I play three times a week) but I could hear it above the puffing and panting of my physical exertion !

Today, after a slightly better sleep I can cope slightly better, though to be honest this morning I really felt like crying my eyes out, I can't stand it!!!!!

It sometimes sounds different with different head movements, and when I open my jaw really huge, it's more whistley! So I am officially going bonkers!! Help!!!

 

[Markku]

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk!

It sometimes sounds different with different head movements, and when I open my jaw really huge, it's more whistley! So I am officially going bonkers!! Help!!!

It's common to be able to modulate one's tinnitus by jaw and head movements, see this thread:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/somatic-tinnitus.812/

Overall, I think you are doing things just as one should. Seen a doctor, got referred to ENT, and not giving up on the daily activities. It's awesome you play tennis.

You are very much in the acute phase of tinnitus, and there's a good chance yours could still go away or improve.

What I wholeheartedly recommend is to stay active, keep busy, trying to avoid analyzing the tinnitus sound ("is this now a bit louder? or quieter? how about now?" etc...)

At nighttime if the quietness of the ambient surroundings make it hard to sleep, put on some rain sounds in the background or any sounds you like.

Finally, am not sure if this is too much to ask, but I would be very grateful if you put a note in your calendar two months from now; "Visit Tinnitus Talk to update people on my situation". So many people join our forum, then they get better and never come around again. It would be very encouraging for "newbies" to have more positive stories, and I have a gut feeling yours will be one. I hope I'm right.

Best wishes!

Markku

 

[Pleasure_Paulie]

Everything @Markku said x1000!!!

 

[Kelvin]

Hi there everyone, so this noise started about a week ago after a restless night with limited sleep. I carried on and played tennis and couldn't understand quite what I was experiencing. A high pitched whistle and not sure which ear or if both! Worse the next day, and of course at night.

I have slowly accepted that this is going on, but of course it is so depressing. I went for acupuncture last week, not sure how that will work, but I did feel relaxed. Finally went to the Doctor who is referring me to an ENT specialist, so let's see. I am actually rushing out now for another session of acupuncture, but living in London it is very expensive.

Yesterday was a bad day, I played tennis (I play three times a week) but I could hear it above the puffing and panting of my physical exertion !

Today, after a slightly better sleep I can cope slightly better, though to be honest this morning I really felt like crying my eyes out, I can't stand it!!!!!

It sometimes sounds different with different head movements, and when I open my jaw really huge, it's more whistley! So I am officially going bonkers!! Help!!!

@Markku is spot on.
Lots of people can change their T with strange jaw movements, head slaps, and the odd trace element.
There never seems to be a reason that one things works or doesn't... so don't try and analyse it.
Whatever you do don't fixate on it or obsesses about it.
Stay away from the internet as soon as you are calm about it.
Then pray it goes away.
Wishing you ear and head peace soon....X

 

[ScouseLibra]

Thanks, I can't wait to not look at anything tinnitus related ever again!

 

[MikeL1972]

Hi ScouseLibra,

Welcome aboard.

You will be fine! Hopefully, the tinnitus will abate or go away completely for you. And when you go to the ENT, make sure you ask for a comprehensive hearing test as well following ear/sinus cavity inspection.

 

[BLane]

Mine must be somatic as well, It doubles with a jaw clench. I wonder if there is any validity to this, "...maneuvers that increase tinnitus loudness may seem to be ones that should be avoided in developing a treatment strategy for tinnitus, some reports suggest that repetitive movements that increase tinnitus loudness may actually lead to a reduction in the severity of tinnitus."

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2633109/

Maybe I should start jaw clenching all the time?

 

[ScouseLibra]

It's so weird, it's settled a bit, but is definitely still there driving me mad!

 

[linearb]

No, today is not the rest of your life, regardless of whether the sound stays, goes, gets better, gets worse -- the way you experience it is going to change. Most people seem to report that they gradually (or suddenly) get better at screening it out, others are less fortunate.

My own experience is that you have some degree of agency in dictating what happens to your life as a result of unwanted head noise. The best thing to do is to identify the behaviors and experiences which you can impact, put all your energy there, and try to not worry about the rest of it.

 

[ScouseLibra]

Thank you, it's so comforting to know you are all out there!!

 

[just1morething]

Good luck @ScouseLibra! If you only had noise a week I wouldn't panic yet. I use to play tennis years ago with no tinnitus.... memories. Try to avoid long term tinnitus at all costs. Maybe in your case in could be neck related from tennis?

 

[claudiacardiff]

Now have pulsating tinnitus in one ear from using Seroquel for sleep- never had any tinnitus before starting this medication- Had my hearing tested and I have perfect hearing. I tried decreasing the med, quitting alcohol, stopping vitamins, and changing anything and everything but nothing makes it go away for good. It comes on when my blood pressure rises ( I have normal or low blood pressure) upon exertion or anxiety about anything that is normal. I guess I can try to ignore it, but it appears late at night and when you are laying your head down. Anyone else have this happen?

 

[coldroses]

Hi ScouseLibra

I know it's very hard, but don't panic - there are so many causes and some of them are temporary, so it's early days yet. You're going through the right process: doctor, ENT, hearing test etc. If that all turns up nothing, I'd give serious consideration to seeing a neuromuscular dentist to see if you have TMJ or a jaw joint issue.

For now though, do whatever you can to help yourself - there's lots of great apps to provide sound masking to help with sleep, do meditation or yoga (with said sound masker app in the background if need be), chat to a trusted friend or family member, keep busy and go about your normal routine. Best of luck, and keep us posted.

 

[Candy]

@claudiacardiff - are u talking about subjective pulsating t or objective pulsatile t?