- Apr 24, 2025
- 1
- Tinnitus Since
- 10/14/17
- Cause of Tinnitus
- started after homecoming dance
Hey everyone,
I'm 24, and I've been holding this in for too long.
I started experiencing pulsatile tinnitus, a heartbeat sound near my left ear and head, about a year ago, right after I finished taking the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). I had studied for it intensely, in a way that was not healthy, and I was under massive stress.
Before that, my mom had a serious accident right after I graduated from college. I had to stop studying for the DAT and take care of her. After her surgery and over a year of therapy, she finally started doing better. When she did, I jumped back into studying with everything I had.
Then, after I took the exam, the heartbeat sound started.
I didn't want to do anything invasive. I kept hoping it would just go away on its own. But it has now been a year. I saw an ENT who found a small granulation and said it could possibly be treated with a stent. He described it as a safe and short procedure, but honestly, I'm terrified.
Not just of the procedure, but of everything:
Could stress or trauma have triggered it?
Has anyone had pulsatile tinnitus treated with a stent and actually found relief?
I'm scared. I feel hopeless.
And I really do not want this to get even worse eight years from now.
If you've been through anything similar, or if you just understand what I am describing, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
It was too much to write all at once, so I had AI help me organize my thoughts. Thank you. Life has been brutal lately. This really sucks. It's all too much.
I'm 24, and I've been holding this in for too long.
I started experiencing pulsatile tinnitus, a heartbeat sound near my left ear and head, about a year ago, right after I finished taking the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). I had studied for it intensely, in a way that was not healthy, and I was under massive stress.
Before that, my mom had a serious accident right after I graduated from college. I had to stop studying for the DAT and take care of her. After her surgery and over a year of therapy, she finally started doing better. When she did, I jumped back into studying with everything I had.
Then, after I took the exam, the heartbeat sound started.
I didn't want to do anything invasive. I kept hoping it would just go away on its own. But it has now been a year. I saw an ENT who found a small granulation and said it could possibly be treated with a stent. He described it as a safe and short procedure, but honestly, I'm terrified.
Not just of the procedure, but of everything:
- I already had regular tinnitus since 2017 after a school dance, and now I feel like I have added this new type on top of it.
- I can't sleep properly.
- I've had to put my entire career on hold.
- I no longer want to go to dental school, because this whole experience feels like trauma. I feel like I lost a part of myself along the way.
Could stress or trauma have triggered it?
Has anyone had pulsatile tinnitus treated with a stent and actually found relief?
I'm scared. I feel hopeless.
And I really do not want this to get even worse eight years from now.
If you've been through anything similar, or if you just understand what I am describing, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
It was too much to write all at once, so I had AI help me organize my thoughts. Thank you. Life has been brutal lately. This really sucks. It's all too much.
