One Month with Tinnitus

[KleerTone]

Hello,

Aprill 25,2018 tinnitus started in my right ear. Since March 2018 I've been dealing with cervical neck facet joint pain and a cervical neck ablation procedure with ongoing physical therapy. Could all this pain/ablation/stress triggered tinnitus, I don't know.

Both my regular physician and an ENT examined my ears, both saying my ears looked normal. The audiologist gave me a hearing test, the result was I have "the hearing of a 20 year old" (their words). I'm in my 60's. Go Figure!

The ENT gave me a sheet on "How to Live with Tinnitus" and sent me a hefty bill. He did not offer any tinnitus resources and/or websites I could research.

I HATE being uninformed on health issues. I felt very adrift and alone. So I did research online and found the American Tinnitus Association (ATA) website. I cried in relief reading through the site, it was very reassuring and informative. Through the site I found a local tinnitus support group, my first meeting is in June. My ENT made NO mention of the American Tinnitus Association (ATA).

As tinnitus appeared, so did my anxiety. It produced my feelings of being out of control, low self-esteem, sleepless nights and fear of my tinnitus worsening (or appearing in my left ear). I had previous cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety, so I try to utilize the CBT skills when tinnitus gets the best of me.

I still have trouble falling asleep, using a room air cleaner that produces white noise, this seems to help.

My tinnitus varies in sounds...a low whine, a wavering hiss. Randomly the volume goes up and down, makes no difference where I am (reading in a room, driving in a car with the air on and windows closed).

Wishing all of you positive thoughts. Thanks for reading the start of my uncharted journey!

 

[Michael Leigh]

HI @KleerTone

Welcome to the forum. Please read the post below and click on the links at the bottom of the page and read the posts, which you might find helpful.

Hope you start to feel better soon.
Michael

New to tinnitus what to do?

The onset of tinnitus can be difficult for a lot of people to cope with. It comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. When it is mild, moderate or occasionally heard in quiet surroundings it is usually not too bothersome and a person can go about their daily affairs quite happily and unperturbed by this anomaly. This type of tinnitus usually comes on gradually and in some cases it's associated with hearing loss, as we get older and the usual treatment is the wearing of hearing aid/s.

Tinnitus can be also be caused by an underlying medical problem, build up of ear wax (cerumen). Jaw problems. Some medications and even irregular blood flow through the body causing Pulsatile tinnitus. One of the most common causes is exposure to loud noise or music that has been played at high levels that can affect the cochlea in the ear. This type of tinnitus can be loud, intrusive and very debilitating. Often leaving a person at a loss and not knowing which way to turn to escape the noise. I fully understand how difficult it can be for someone new to this condition to take this in and believe it to be factual.

If you are having difficulty sleeping you might have been advised to try a nighttime sedation or an ant-depressant to help cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies tinnitus. These medications can be helpful especially in the early stages and they don't have to be taken long term, so it's something to consider. They can act as a safety net so you don't become too down.

A referral to ENT will usually be recommended. In the mean time try to keep occupied with something you like doing, as it helps to distract the brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Avoiding quiet rooms during the day by playing low-level non-intrusive music such as classical in the background can be helpful.

At night a sound machine placed by the bedside playing nature sounds or listening to favourite mp3 tracks or Cds are good. Keeping the volume just below the tinnitus is ideal and set to play throughout the night until morning. It takes time to get used to sound therapy so please stay with it. Whilst in a deep sleep it supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background helping to make its perception less noticeable during waking hours.

In the early stages of tinnitus, if one chooses not to use sound enrichment sleeping can sometimes be difficult and there is also the chance of the tinnitus becoming more intrusive as sleeping in a quiet room can allow the brain to increase it's own background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it more intrusive during waking hours.

There is a tendency for newbies to try and cure their tinnitus which is quite understandable. There are many remedies, treatments and concoctions out there. Some affordable others quite expensive. I am not averse to trying to help myself but want to say, there are charlatans and con artists eager to relieve someone in distress of their money so please be careful. Even tried and tested treatments I wouldn't recommend a person try until they have been seen at ENT. Often a person after been seen at ENT is advised to wait a while.

Many people habituate to tinnitus within six months sometimes a little longer and it has been known to go away. The ear is a very delicate organ and many Doctors prefer to wait before investigating further and then suggesting a treatment. If other problems are experienced such as: pain in the ears, deafness, dizziness or balance problems this is of more concern and a person will usually been seen quicker.

It is best to have a word with your GP if you're feeling stressed or depressed in any way, as previously mentioned there are treatments available. Leaving things alone until your ENT advises you of the next step is the best thing to do in my opinion. Don't try to fix anything or throw large sums of money at treatments that you have no way of knowing whether you'll get any relief.

I advise not to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume especially if the tinnitus was "noise induced" and keep away from loud sounds. By all means go out but anywhere that plays loud music then wearing noise-reducing earplugs, the type that has attenuation filters would be a good idea. 18 to 30 decibels reduction should suffice. While reducing external sound they will not impair sound quality.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

 

[Bill Bauer]

In the post below, I summarized what I learned after reading this forum for over a year.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@KleerTone

Hello,

Aprill 25,2018 tinnitus started in my right ear. Since March 2018 I've been dealing with cervical neck facet joint pain and a cervical neck ablation procedure with ongoing physical therapy. Could all this pain/ablation/stress triggered tinnitus, I don't know.

Both my regular physician and an ENT examined my ears, both saying my ears looked normal. The audiologist gave me a hearing test, the result was I have "the hearing of a 20 year old" (their words). I'm in my 60's. Go Figure!

My tinnitus varies in sounds...a low whine, a wavering hiss. Randomly the volume goes up and down, makes no difference where I am (reading in a room, driving in a car with the air on and windows closed).

Wishing all of you positive thoughts. Thanks for reading the start of my uncharted journey!

You probably have joint hypertrophy and facet arthritis in the mid and distal cervical spine with some narrowing at the lower disc levels. Your soft tissues are probably within normal limits.

The question is was this brought on by a life of wear and tear, bad posture - too much bending head forward or upwards ---- or----- did you have severe muscle spasms in neck, shoulders and back from an activity of extensive head, neck, and back movements just before your neck pain? An injury to the neck could had happened as long as fifteen years ago that has increased problems in your neck over the years. This would also bring up a question if your c spine has straighten.

Have you had 4 series X Rays? If you have arthritis in the neck and/or a straighten c spine you don't want to have therapy against total resistance when turning neck. Looking up techniques is better for a straighten c spine. Therapy must be carefully planned after a X Ray of neck and then a CT may be needed.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@KleerTone Since your hearing is close too normal, your tinnitus is probably caused by your spinal accessory nerve. This would also relate to your T going randomly up and down. This involves both your trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The scalenes and suboccipital muscles may be tensed as well. The pulling technique of the sternocleidomastoids as seen in a video on this site or You Tube may help. Gently relaxing the shoulders - massage of the trapezius muscle is a good way to start therapy.

 

[New Guy]

@KleerTone

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you're here. For many t is the worst when you first get it. Your body gets used to it or it gets lower with time. Give your t time.

I'm impressed your ENT had a sheet about tinnitus. Mine swept me out of the office as quick as he could and recommended a supplement for t. He did have a hefty bill for me too. That was it.

You're in good hands on this site.