I've Been Hearing Sounds in My Ear for Over Three Weeks Now... (And I'm Only 22!)

[eeyore_fan121]

Hello everyone!

I've been hearing these sounds in my right ear for over three weeks now. Today it's gotten so much worse and it's really affecting my mood. I feel so sorry for anyone who suffers with this regularly. I still have not been properly diagnosed with this, or obviously it hasn't been long enough for it to be chronic, but I am still very worried this wont ever go away.

So here's the story, I was just sitting on my couch watching tv when I noticed this sound. It would just come and go once in a while, but it didn't bother me too much. At first, it was exclusively when I was downstairs on the couch watching TV. But now, it's become more frequent and louder.

The only way I can describe the sound is like if you've ever watched a video that was recorded when the wind was blowing. It's like this pulsing, rustling, whooshing sound. Sometimes that will go away and it will be replaced with a high pitched ringing sound. It's never constant, it's always come and gone. Except for today it seems to have come more than gone.

I went to my doctor over a week ago and she took a look at my ear. She was very puzzled to find a red spot on my eardrum. She says it looks like I poked something into my ear and caused trauma to the ear drum, but I haven't done anything like that. So she diagnosed it as an odd infection and gave me some antibiotics. I just finished the antibiotics a few days ago and they didn't help with my sounds at all, and now it seems to have gotten worse. My doctor did say after I finish the antibiotics I should come back to her office so she can have a look at my ear again, but with all the COVID-19 stuff going on, and with many cases in my area, I'm afraid to go back to the doctor right now because I don't want to get it. I'm just feeling so defeated.

I've searched all over the internet for clues on what could be causing it, but nothing seems to fit me. I'm a 22 year old female, I've never listened to music excessively loud or have been a frequent concert goer. I haven't been poking anything into my ear or anything. It just appeared one day, and now it seems to be getting worse. It's been making me more irritable. A couple weeks ago it was acting up during once of my university lectures and I think I missed half the lecture because I couldn't hear him talking over the windy sound (and my thoughts about it).

Also, sometimes when my Mom starts talking to me, my ears start feeling weird like she is talking way too loud, even though she is talking at a normal volume? It seems like its getting worse when my Mom wants to talk to me about something, and I promise that's not an excuse for her to stop talking!

The only way I have found to cope with these sounds is to plug my ear. I got an earplug so I could stop sticking my finger in my ear. It eliminates the windy sound, but it gets replaced with a high pitched ringing. It seems like I can't win.

I don't really know what I want to get out of this post. It might be nice to hear if other people have gone through something similar and that I'm not crazy. I really feel for you if you've gone through this for much longer than I have because it's really been annoying to deal with over these past few weeks!

 

[Yas]

Hello everyone!

I've been hearing these sounds in my right ear for over three weeks now. Today its gotten so much worse and it's really affecting my mood. I feel so sorry for anyone who suffers with this regularily. I still have not been properly diagnosed with this, or obviously it hasn't been long enough for it to be chronic, but I am still very worried this wont ever go away.

So heres the story, I was just sitting on my couch watching tv when I noticed this sound. It would just come and go once in awhile, but it didn't bother me too much. At first, it was exclusively when I was downstairs on the couch watching TV. But now, its become more frequent and louder.

The only way I can describe the sound is like if you've ever watched a video that was recorded when the wind was blowing. Its like this pulsing, rustling, wooshing sound. Sometimes that will go away and it will be replaced with a high pitched ringing sound. It's never constant, it's always come and gone. Except for today it seems to have come more than gone.

I went to my doctor over a week ago and she took a look at my ear. She was very puzzled to find a red spot on my eardrum. She says it looks like I poked something into my ear and caused trauma to the ear drum, but I haven't done anything like that. So she diagnosed it as an odd infection and gave me some antibiotics. I just finished the antibiotics a few days ago and they didnt help with my sounds at all, and now it seems to have gotten worse. My doctor did say after I finish the antibiotics I should come back to her office so she can have a look at my ear again, but with all the covid-19 stuff going on, and with many cases in my area, I'm afraid to go back to the doctor right now because I don't want to get it. I'm just feeling so defeated.

I've searched all over the internet for clues on what could be causing it, but nothing seems to fit me. I'm a 22 year old female, I've never listened to music excessively loud or have been a frequent concert goer. I haven't been poking anything into my ear or anything. It just appeared one day, and now it seems to be getting worse. It's been making me more irritable. A couple weeks ago it was acting up during once of my university lectures and I think I missed half the lecture because I couldn't hear him talking over the windy sound (and my thoughts about it).

Also, sometimes when my Mom starts talking to me, my ears start feeling weird like she is talking way too loud, even though she is talking at a normal volume? It seems like its getting worse when my Mom wants to talk to me about something, and I promise thats not an excuse for her to stop talking!

The only way I have found to cope with these sounds is to plug my ear. I got an earplug so I could stop sticking my finger in my ear. It eliminates the windy sound, but it gets replaced with a high pitched ringing. It seems like I can't win.

I don't really know what I want to get out of this post. It might be nice to hear if other people have gone through something similar and that I'm not crazy. I really feel for you if you've gone through this for much longer than I have because it's really been annoying to deal with over these past few weeks!

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's so tough.

I'm really not sure what's going on with your ear but I can give a bit of advice based on my own experience.

It's a horrible and scary time to be going to the doctors, but with ears and tinnitus the earlier you get it checked, the better. I'd recommend going again, the doctor will probably refer you to an ENT (ear nose and throat) specialist if they can't find the cause.

The feeling of it being too loud when your mum talks sounds like 'hyperacusis' which usually goes hand in hand with tinnitus. It is sensitivity to sound. I have this too and it feels as though my eardrum flutters/vibrates and it sometimes clicks. My advice with hyperacusis would be to not overprotect you're ears which means, don't over use earplugs. You shouldnt really use earplugs unless you're exposed to loud noises/music. Maybe get a headband or hat to help with the wind noise instead?

As for the tinnitus itself, I'm genuinely sorry you're going through this. I really hope it is temporary for you and it does go away, you have a good chance it will. Tinnitus doesn't seem to care about age - I'm only 24

sleeping well is really important - a lack of sleep can make it worse. Trying to remain calm is also important - anxiety is one of the worst triggers.

For now, it might be useful to put on some calming music or something like white noise to distract you. Try meditation to help relax/sleep, it helps. Don't focus on the sound, don't listen to it. Keep yourself busy, I know it's hard to do right now with the virus and being cooped up at home.


good luck, keep this thread updated!

 

[eeyore_fan121]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's so tough.

I'm really not sure what's going on with your ear but I can give a bit of advice based on my own experience.

It's a horrible and scary time to be going to the doctors, but with ears and tinnitus the earlier you get it checked, the better. I'd recommend going again, the doctor will probably refer you to an ENT (ear nose and throat) specialist if they can't find the cause.

The feeling of it being too loud when your mum talks sounds like 'hyperacusis' which usually goes hand in hand with tinnitus. It is sensitivity to sound. I have this too and it feels as though my eardrum flutters/vibrates and it sometimes clicks. My advice with hyperacusis would be to not overprotect you're ears which means, don't over use earplugs. You shouldnt really use earplugs unless you're exposed to loud noises/music. Maybe get a headband or hat to help with the wind noise instead?

As for the tinnitus itself, I'm genuinely sorry you're going through this. I really hope it is temporary for you and it does go away, you have a good chance it will. Tinnitus doesn't seem to care about age - I'm only 24

sleeping well is really important - a lack of sleep can make it worse. Trying to remain calm is also important - anxiety is one of the worst triggers.

For now, it might be useful to put on some calming music or something like white noise to distract you. Try meditation to help relax/sleep, it helps. Don't focus on the sound, don't listen to it. Keep yourself busy, I know it's hard to do right now with the virus and being cooped up at home.


good luck, keep this thread updated!

Thank you so much! You're right that I need to work on managing my anxiety. I've been having a lot of health related anxiety lately, not only with my ear and this virus going around, but I've had a lot of other small annoyances (ingrown toenails, canker sores, etc). Thats probably been making it worse. As well, since I've been at home all day today I've been focusing on the weird sounds more and getting frustrated with them.

I'm going to try calling the doctor tomorrow and see if they can get me in, and I'll ask if they think it's okay to go because of all the covid-19 stuff. My boyfriend has encouraged me to go back to the doctor because they will always have patients they need to see so they will need to keep the place safe and clean for them. I'll keep it updated if the doctor finds anything (or not).

Finding this page has really helped me because it's nice to see people my age have had the same issue. Everything online refers to people getting it in their 60s. I feel less alone and crazy now

 

[aot]

Everything online refers to people getting it in their 60s. I feel less alone and crazy now

I'm 21. Trust me, you're far from alone.

 

[Tybs]

Thank you so much! You're right that I need to work on managing my anxiety. I've been having a lot of health related anxiety lately, not only with my ear and this virus going around, but I've had a lot of other small annoyances (ingrown toenails, canker sores, etc). Thats probably been making it worse. As well, since I've been at home all day today I've been focusing on the weird sounds more and getting frustrated with them.

Do you happen to have any neck complaints? Pain, stiffness, other issues? Some of my sounds relate exactly to your description, and my T came from neck trauma.

 

[eeyore_fan121]

Do you happen to have any neck complaints? Pain, stiffness, other issues? Some of my sounds relate exactly to your description, and my T came from neck trauma.

No I dont think so. Sometimes I get neck/shoulder pain but I think thats because I'm a student so I do a lot of slouching at computers and desks.

 

[Syd Barrett]

I'm 21. Trust me, you're far from alone.

I first acquired tinnitus at the age of 18 in early 90s. At that time very few people seemed to have heard of tinnitus and there were very few resources for help. Fast-forward to 2020 and there are a huge number of resources out there to help you and people in general seem much more aware what tinnitus is.

 

[JohnFox]

Also, sometimes when my Mom starts talking to me, my ears start feeling weird like she is talking way too loud, even though she is talking at a normal volume?

The only way I have found to cope with these sounds is to plug my ear. I got an earplug so I could stop sticking my finger in my ear. It eliminates the windy sound, but it gets replaced with a high pitched ringing. It seems like I can't win.

I guess others have hit on this, but It sounds like you are experiencing a case of (Hyperacusis with a degree of reactive Tinnitus.)

Tinnitus is like fingerprints. No two people are exactly alike IMHO. But having said that,...we DO know what you are going through, and it can be quite distressing, especially in the beginning. There's a lot of help in here if you can avoid the truly negative posts.

I actually have three different uninvited sounds having their way with my brain. Two of them are constant,...a ringing and a chirping squeaky noise, and then the big kahuna,...a loud hissing static noise on my right side. Fortunately that last one is "reactive", meaning that it's volume goes up or down according to the worldly noises I am hearing from my left good ear. (right ear went deaf). So like you, I sometimes have to plug my good ear to bring the volume down. The positive of this is that at night when in a quiet bedroom, my main T noise subsides enough to allow me to get to sleep. But then I do notice the ringing and the chirping noises more because they are constant, but fortunately they are not exceedingly loud.

I tell people like yourself some of my experience so you know that we can relate with you, and also so you know that there are people out there going on with life with serious Tinnitus issues. Not gonna sugarcoat it, it is a bummer and I would not wish this on anyone. But,...time is your friend. Right now is most likely the worst you will feel about this. It's new, you are scared, and you feel helpless. Going forward, theres a good chance the actual symptoms will have some improvement or completely go away. Or they may not, in which case time is still your friend. Take my word on that. It is amazing what the brain can learn to cope and live with.

Sorry you are experiencing this. Stay in touch. We are always here to talk about it. J

 

[Juan]

I'm going to try calling the doctor tomorrow and see if they can get me in, and I'll ask if they think it's okay to go because of all the covid-19 stuff. My boyfriend has encouraged me to go back to the doctor because they will always have patients they need to see so they will need to keep the place safe and clean for them. I'll keep it updated if the doctor finds anything (or not).

Bad idea, forget about doctors. They wont be able to fix tinnitus. Try to relax, do some exercise, eat healthy, if due to the COVID-19 you are confined at home try to do activities that take your focus off sounds, and use this time to give your ears a rest. Time usually helps, and for many people tinnitus or hyperacusis settle or fade a bit. If they decide to stay, no doctor is going to fix it anyway.

Best of luck!

 

[Charburchar]

Hello everyone!

I've been hearing these sounds in my right ear for over three weeks now. Today it's gotten so much worse and it's really affecting my mood. I feel so sorry for anyone who suffers with this regularly. I still have not been properly diagnosed with this, or obviously it hasn't been long enough for it to be chronic, but I am still very worried this wont ever go away.

So here's the story, I was just sitting on my couch watching tv when I noticed this sound. It would just come and go once in a while, but it didn't bother me too much. At first, it was exclusively when I was downstairs on the couch watching TV. But now, it's become more frequent and louder.

The only way I can describe the sound is like if you've ever watched a video that was recorded when the wind was blowing. It's like this pulsing, rustling, whooshing sound. Sometimes that will go away and it will be replaced with a high pitched ringing sound. It's never constant, it's always come and gone. Except for today it seems to have come more than gone.

I went to my doctor over a week ago and she took a look at my ear. She was very puzzled to find a red spot on my eardrum. She says it looks like I poked something into my ear and caused trauma to the ear drum, but I haven't done anything like that. So she diagnosed it as an odd infection and gave me some antibiotics. I just finished the antibiotics a few days ago and they didn't help with my sounds at all, and now it seems to have gotten worse. My doctor did say after I finish the antibiotics I should come back to her office so she can have a look at my ear again, but with all the COVID-19 stuff going on, and with many cases in my area, I'm afraid to go back to the doctor right now because I don't want to get it. I'm just feeling so defeated.

I've searched all over the internet for clues on what could be causing it, but nothing seems to fit me. I'm a 22 year old female, I've never listened to music excessively loud or have been a frequent concert goer. I haven't been poking anything into my ear or anything. It just appeared one day, and now it seems to be getting worse. It's been making me more irritable. A couple weeks ago it was acting up during once of my university lectures and I think I missed half the lecture because I couldn't hear him talking over the windy sound (and my thoughts about it).

Also, sometimes when my Mom starts talking to me, my ears start feeling weird like she is talking way too loud, even though she is talking at a normal volume? It seems like its getting worse when my Mom wants to talk to me about something, and I promise that's not an excuse for her to stop talking!

The only way I have found to cope with these sounds is to plug my ear. I got an earplug so I could stop sticking my finger in my ear. It eliminates the windy sound, but it gets replaced with a high pitched ringing. It seems like I can't win.

I don't really know what I want to get out of this post. It might be nice to hear if other people have gone through something similar and that I'm not crazy. I really feel for you if you've gone through this for much longer than I have because it's really been annoying to deal with over these past few weeks!

I've also recently developed tinnitus at a young age (28). I'm sorry to hear you're going through this, I hope it gets better for you.

 

[eeyore_fan121]

Bad idea, forget about doctors. They wont be able to fix tinnitus. Try to relax, do some exercise, eat healthy, if due to the COVID-19 you are confined at home try to do activities that take your focus off sounds, and use this time to give your ears a rest. Time usually helps, and for many people tinnitus or hyperacusis settle or fade a bit. If they decide to stay, no doctor is going to fix it anyway.

Best of luck!

Yeah I know :/ But I called my doctor anyways, and apparently they're screening people pretty good. Tomorrow I have a phone call appointment with my doctor - which wont do anything because she would actually have to look in my ear to see if its better. Then based on this phone call my doctor will decide if I should come in or perhaps she will just refer me to the ENT. They're not accepting COVID-19 patients at my doctor and with this screening process I hope it will be safer there. Since she did see something wrong with my ear I still have hope she (or another doctor) might find something helpful to me.

 

[Capstan]

@JohnFox while two individual's tinnitus is never identical. You described my tinnitus / hyperacusis very accurately. Mine is also severe. I have the similar 3 tones, the big kahuna is the static hiss and is reactive. I am struggling with living with this and they are in both ears evenly. Do you have any tips? I'm 43 with small kids. It's a struggle to even sleep an hour at night.

 

[eeyore_fan121]

Hello everyone! I wanted to provide an update.

So I've had this tinnitus for about 2.5 months now. And as I've had it for some time I'm better able to describe my symptoms. Now, I have pretty much constant background ringing. It doesn't really bother me too much. It's easily drowned out with background noise and I only really notice it when there is complete 'silence'. The symptom that bothers me is this pulsing/throbbing in my right ear. It is not constant. Sometimes its reactive. For example, sounds such as cutting vegetables, clapping, putting an object on a table, my dog barking, causes a pulse like sensation in my ear. Almost like my eardrum is spasming. I get one single pulse per chop/clap/etc. Other times it just seems like a random spasm to nothing. Some days are better than others. Its not painful, it's mostly annoying and disturbing.

I've tried multiple antibiotics and even a nose spray and nothing yet. Finally went to an ENT and he thinks its my stapedius muscle malfunctioning. He says most cases clear up within 4-6 months on it own. But surgery could be used to fix it, but I am unsure if I would want that yet because severing this tendon would make loud sounds louder, according to the ENT.

It's been a lot more manageable lately, though I'm not sure if maybe I'm just getting used to it. But like I said, some days are better than others. If I'm paying attention its a lot worse, so I'm working hard on not thinking about it.

 

[Tybs]

The symptom that bothers me is this pulsing/throbbing in my right ear. It is not constant. Sometimes its reactive. For example, sounds such as cutting vegetables, clapping, putting an object on a table, my dog barking, causes a pulse like sensation in my ear. Almost like my eardrum is spasming. I get one single pulse per chop/clap/etc. Other times it just seems like a random spasm to nothing. Some days are better than others. Its not painful, it's mostly annoying and disturbing.

One of my sounds was like that: and it was the one that frustrated me the most. Usually it went like "EEEeeeeee.... EEEeeeeee... EEEeeeeee...", all day long, without any break. Sometimes it would get some random variation, and often it would "resonate" with external sounds, getting worse by the minute, until eventually it settled back to baseline in about an hour once I got back to a silent area. As far as you could call it a baseline, that is.

The good news? After eight months, it finally started fading. Haven't heard it since two months now, and I don't miss it one bit.

 

[Bill Arsenault]

Hey Man.
I sympathize for you.

It's extremely frightening when you first think or know you have tinnitus.
Not to mention the emotional roller coaster.

You need to try to stay calm and let this play out for a bit.

I hate to add to your burden- but "I" WOULD NOT take those anti-biotics unless I was positive I had an infection.

Those drugs have caused many cases of tinnitus- that's a fact.

I realize your too young to have to be dealing with this insanity.

Also- there's not really too much anyone can say to you to keep you from worrying too much about it.

I can tell you that you are going to be alright.

So don't stress yourself out.

All that stuff that's running through your head is not reality- it's panic.

Seriously- just take it easy and stay positive.

Keep living your life- it's not like you have a choice.

And no- you can't really win with the earplugs - unless you using them to protect your healing ears from over-exposure to loud noise.

Anyway- Like I said - don't believe all the crazy thoughts your having.

And don't spend too much time on this forum right now-
There are a lot of people who are also panicking and having crazy thoughts-
So a lot of what they say is not going to be realistic or useful to you.

Keep your head up- and do whatever it takes to get through these tough times with as much positivity as possible.

Maybe even crack a smile occasionally.

Things are going to work out man.

Best wishes.