Scored 100% on My Hearing Tests — Still Have Ringing (and Lots of Questions)

[Dee Willikers]

Dear All,

Thank you for having me. I understand in the grand scheme of things, my issue seems minor compared to a lot of others situations, but I have no obvious cause for this AND I still have tinnitus going on a week now.

My tinnitus is:

• Very high pitched and constant like being next to an old school computer monitor. right next to it.
• Again, it's one sustained note -- with only very infrequent lower notes that only last 10 minutes or so in my left ear.
• Loud enough to hear while watching tv at normal volume. heck, while doing anything, it's there.
• Varies in strength -- it's much worse at night or during day when I haven't slept -- and that has happened because of this
• Isn't due to hearing loss/damage as far as the ENT can tell
• Sounds like its in both ears, or the left ears -- still can't tell
• Ringing came on gradually (took me a day to realize i was in trouble) but once my denial ended...
• No pain in ears whatsoever
• Went away once for 10 minutes when I had a massive flare up of pressure/clogging in my ears, but as soon as that was gone, I was right back in the driver's seat to misery
• Is annoying as hell and has me introducing myself on this forum looking for answers and camaraderie.

I went to a great ENT where I live and he said:

• I have slight inflammation that could be causing this -- but it's so minor, could this actually be the reason?
• It'll go away in 4-6 weeks, or likely soon, just wait (sure, sure)
• Prescribed Flonase, which I haven't taken, for my nose inflammation (but am considering other whole system steroids as one person on here recommended prednisone)
• He has seen a 70% recovery rate for those with similar symptoms (which doesn't give me the mojo lift I need right now)
• Scored 100% for both ears on a full auditory exam (taken yesterday) but 30% of people still return for his help

About me:

• I'm a woman approaching 40
• Have no history of tinnitus, blood pressure, neck pain, car issues, military service, or other auditory or health issues (hereditary of from experience) that might be clear causes
• Have never listened to loud music or concerts (I was the one who always had the earplugs)
• Don't have any loud incidents that might explain the ring
• Have never had anything like this
• Have some fear noise cancelling headphones started this (though the more I read, the less I see this being a cause for those who have never had tinnitus)
• Am scared, tired, lost my appetite, have trouble concentrating, and am looking for solid answers
• I haven't given up hope that this will resolve yet

One day before the ringing:

• I felt my ears were "off" and turned off anything irritating in the house (oven exhaust fan, heater that blows air into house)

One day after the ringing:

• Massive onset of clogging in left ear episode that has mostly gone away but is still minor and some of that clogging in right ear as well, with minor flare ups in both during day
• Very minor eustachian tube pain off and on, again during the week but it's been so minor I had to pause and say, "is this it?"
• Only very minor sinus pressure/pain a few days ago with slight disorientation
• I don't feel sick otherwise

So here are my questions:

• If you've been in this situation where there's not major explanation for how you got the ringing, how long did it take to go away?
• How the hell can minor inflammation cause this nightmare?
• How could you tell it was going away -- did it just disappear or you got gradual bursts of peace and quiet?
• How did you remain calm while you waited to see if it resolved?
• If you are dealing with your tinnitus that's never gone away -- how long does it take to really not hear it anymore?
• What steps should I be taking right away to get better?

Thank you so much for your feedback. Not happy to be here but happy to be here, if that makes sense.
Wishing all of us a cure for this issue sooner than later.

Best,
Dee

 

[FGG]

Since you mentioned your tinnitus is high pitched especially, it might be worth getting an extended audiogram (above 8000 Hz) to confirm whether or not you have hearing damage.

My hearing damage is only evident from 12000 Hz on and is *highly* abnormal for my age (I'm about your age).

I would do this ASAP in case steroids could help you. If I had an extended audiogram to start with instead of months later my ENT would have given me steroids.

 

[Contrast]

these things really are uncertain and still unknown.

But with all the scientific talk on hidden hearing loss and how inner ear nerve damage doesn't show up on normal hearing test and frequencies above 8k, you'd have to assume it's probably hearing related.

 

[FGG]

these things really are uncertain and still unknown.

But with all the scientific talk on hidden hearing loss and how inner ear nerve damage doesn't show up on normal hearing test and frequencies above 8k, you'd have to assume it's probably hearing related.

True! I should have rephrased it as easily detectable "hearing damage you could convince an ENT to give you steroids with"

 

[Dee Willikers]

Dear All,

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, my audiogram only went to 8 kHz. In the last week, I've seen some improvement but it has been a coaster of sorts. I had my best day yesterday, but today it feels like I am back to where I was before that improvement. I've read elsewhere that tinnitus going away can be one step forward one step back, two steps forward, one step back... and on and on.

I am hoping that my improvements continue, but it's gone down enough that, for instance, I only heard it at bedtime yesterday. I didn't take the steroids as they can reduce immune response and this could be caused by a virus. I did get some Chinese herbs that I just started today. If I don't see an improvement by the end of week two, I will consult a homeopath and consider the steroids so that permanent damage isn't done. I think that's possible, again from what I have read on this site.

I have had periods of near-silence, but not total silence --- again, I hope this is a sign that I may fully recover. I am not sure why I would have hearing damage for any reason. I have never been around machinery, tech stuff, loud music, or concerts. So my guess is this is viral that inflamed my ear tubes/sinuses. I could recover fully if no major damage was done. That could take weeks of course to see.

Again, thank you for your feedback. I will keep you posted on my progress. I still have hope that this will get better.

-- Dee. W.

 

[Liza1989]

Hi Dee,
I feel like I have pretty similar symptoms to yours, though mine are in both ears. My hearing test was also normal. I had some inflammation of my sinuses and my eustachian tubes are inflammed as well and dysfunctioning a bit. I had some other symptoms resembling silent reflux and the acid that was getting into my sinuses and causing inflammation and lots of mucus. I only had minor sinus pressure as well. I'm fairly confident my reflux and the inflammation is the cause since the tinnitus and related ear/sinus pressure started happening around the same time. My ENT prescribed Nasonex steroid nasal spray which has helped with the inflammation and my T has gone down significantly since I started it a couple weeks ago. I still have some times it bothers me but it's so quiet that right now the sound of my fiance's snoring is enough to mask it. Hopefully once your inflammation goes down, whatever the cause may be, your T will start to calm down as well. I feel like my fight will be a long one since I need to get my reflux under control before any of this completely goes away.

 

[Deniseh]

Hi @Liza1989

My ENT consultant also said she thought my tinnitus was caused by acid reflux, the tests she performed showed my larynx was affected as well and I also had b12 deficiency. I've had tinnitus since late July last year but to date it has reduced significantly but is still there. When I first got it, it was only in my left ear, I also had ET popping/cracking and intense pressure around my ear/ left eye and nose thankfully this has more or less cleared. Was told at the time once the reflux under control it should eventually clear but could be months. 6 months later and still have it but has significantly gotten better

When was your reflux diagnosed?
Did you have tinnitus before or after?
We're you given medication for reflux?


All the best

Denise x

 

[Liza1989]

@Deniseh,

I was diagnosed at the beginning of my December with LPR. The tinnitus came about 4 weeks after. I was about 2 weeks in when I started pantoprazole. I tried it for a couple weeks but I didn't like the way I felt and also didnt notice that it was doing anything at all and I also noticed this was around when the T started, so I got off it. I thought maybe the drug caused the tinnitus but my ENT didnt think it was likely and it was probably the reflux. I have real bad post nasal drip so that was a clue that my sinuses and nasal passages were inflamed and putting mucus production into overdrive.

Right now I am just keeping on the nasal steroids and trying to watch what I eat. My diet wasnt the best before all this started so I am hoping a few months of eating right will help turn it around. I also dont eat at least 3 hours before bed and sleep on an incline. If all that doesn't work, I'll go to the doctor again and see what else I can try! My fiance suffered from really bad gerd in 2018 and it took him 6-7 weeks of basically totally resetting his diet for him to feel better.

 

[Deniseh]

@Liza1989

Thank you for your reply

I was also given the drug Omeprazole for my reflux but like yourself I didnt take it and have tried changing diet etc, this has kept my reflux at bay as far as I can tell.

Like you I have quite a postnatal drip and my ETs also get blocked causing aural fullness Do you get this as well?

Also I used to get pressure around my sinus, behind my left eye and down the side of my face on the left (that's the ear I have tinnitus in). Have you experienced this? Thankfully this has more or less cleared up.

Sometimes I feel I am looking for a needle in a haystack just so I can say ' This is what definitely caused it'

As I said I my 1st post I am nearly 6 months in and still have tinnitus although it is definitely much better than it was so, the only advise I can offer is give it time, time and more time and hopefully it will resolve itself

Denise x

ps my consultant said she has seen before when mucus from Eustachian tubes were tested they showed acid so feels it's plausible that this is causing inflammation and resulting in the tinnitus with myself xx

 

[Liza1989]

@Deniseh

Yes my ETs get blocked and I get the aural fullness. I actually find that more annoying than the tinnitus at times! The severity of that comes and goes.

My GP is referring me to a gastroenterologist as well as I seem to have GERD along with the LPR. My stomach burns pretty often especially if I dont eat for a few hours. Maybe he will have some answers. Do you take anything to help with symptoms? I tried Tums but I found that makes my T spike. Gaviscon appears to be ok though

 

[Dee Willikers]

Wow! I had no idea that digestive issues could cause the inflammation that could lead to our issues, but it makes sense as everything in our bodies, and I mean everything, is connected. Sometimes this is "for the better," but when you're sick, it's for "the worse."

Personally, I don't have any digestion issues now, but reading your replies makes it clear how even slight inflammation can cause decently loud tinnitus. I'm no longer in denial or unpleasantly surprised that a cold/bug I picked up about 1.5 weeks ago that had no other symptoms could be the culprit. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of illness to get where we are with the ear ringing, it just has to be in the wrong place.

I hope you all continue to improve and I am glad to hear that some of the meds you've been prescribed are lessening the symptoms. Any portion of relief we can claim, is key. To me, the lessening of the ringing you are hearing is a very good sign. Your ringing might not be gone right now, but inflammation (Gerd/reflux) and NOT some permanent damage to your ears, is the cause. I hope this brings some comfort to know.

Once your digestion issues on gone, so should go the tinnitus. Also, B12 shortage can be a cause, so I hope you got some B12 vitamins

UPDATE: I felt like hell this morning and my ears were clanging up a storm, but didnt get enough sleep last night and that's a trigger. I feel ok now. It's the afternoon and I'm at work. Right now, I can't hear it unless I zoom in and focus on the ringing -- so that's progress.

The best I have felt since this **** show started was last night; the coaster was at a good level. This morning was a set back, another hill to climb and go down again, but I am getting used to this up and down ride to the finish line called "cured." During my recovery, I've had ear pressure flare ups, weird sustained tones, loud tones that felt like my ears were resetting, total silence like temporary deafness, more tones, the constant ring (loud and soft) always comes back, but its getting quieter. You name it, I've felt it and tinnitus was the giver.

This coaster we're on is not a boring one, that's for sure. Boring doesn't mean fun, don't get me wrong. It just means each day is a different experience in my ears.

After a little over a week with this condition, I can fully say, tinnitus keeps you on your toes!
Wishing you all a speedy recovery!

-- Dee W.

 

[Deniseh]

@Liza1989

Sorry for the late reply :/

I try to stay away from medication and have concentrated on diet/excercise more which seems to be helping although over Christmas was a struggle.
It's funny how your GP is sending you for tests and yet mine sent me away with a more or less 'deal with it' (I'm in Scotland and paid to go private)
The one thing I have learned is tha time is definitely a healer, I'm not there yet but compared to how I was a couple of months ago I'm much better and heading in the right direction

I wish you all the best and keep in touch with your progress

Denise

 

[Deniseh]

@Dee Willikers

I had no idea that acid reflux/LPR could cause so many things either. My consultant said this along with b12 deficiency was the cause of my ET problems and therefore my tinnitus , she was hopeful that it would resolve itself (no guarantees though) but advised could take a long time

Nearly 6 months later........

However I am much better than I was and like yourself my sleep pattern greatly affects my tinnitus. Have slept great the last week and it was really low, had a crap night last night where I woke every couple of hours and a now have a cacophony if sounds in my head .....go figure

There are a few threads on here dedicated to that subject that you might want to read

Your are very new to tinnitus and may I say you sound as if your coping fantastically well. I hope everything keeps heading in the right direction for you as I'm sure it will, keep staying positive


All the best


Denise x

 

[Dee Willikers]

Dear All
Thank you for all of your info Denise & Liza.

I appreciate your support and your stories. So I'm at week three and I still have random pressure builds from time to time and just had some random pain in my right ear today so I am getting steroids tomorrow. I can't wait any longer for my nuclear option to try to fix what seems like an ear infection of some type. Why the hell they couldn't see this when I was at the ENT two weeks ago astounds me. But hey, he didn't seem too concerned. Just said, it'll definitely go away.

Since the visit, I've had some great days and some bad days. They seem to kind of switch back and forth. This past Monday I had no ringing at all for the first half o the day. of course, by the time I got tired at 3 Pm, it came back and gradually kept building until it peaked at 10 Pm and then went to "bedtime loudness". Then it got better. The next day it was damn near gone. WTF. can't it just go away and stay away? or go to a low volume? Then I could manage it.

• Here is what has played out:
• Monday -- very quiet
• Tuesday -- still quiet
• Wed -- a little louder
• Thursday -- damn it's not better but its been worse
• Friday -- fairly annoying -- why cant i get well and stay well
• Saturday -- day from hell. loud af.
• Sunday -- yay it's gone (til the night) I can function.
• Monday -- holy crap im healed
• Tuesday -- no, im not
• Wednesday, Im better (until the night tonight. it starts to peak at 3PM)
• And that brings us to tomorrow and what tomorrow will bring.

I think my job is so tiring and stressful, that by the end of the week there is no way for me to be strong enough to handle what's going on with my ears. I need out of my gig asap. That's also part of my plans

I have read on here that when you're getting better, you have periods where it goes away, but some folks who have had this nonsense forever say they have good and bad days. how the hell can i tell the difference?
And the new feelings of pain in my ear cant be a good sign. Time to get some roids doing. I will talk to my dr tomorrow. hopefully, he will show more concern than he did during my visit.
For a lot of folks, this doesn't just disappear.

how are you all doing? any reply is greatly welcomed.

Dee W.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Your poll is going to be biased, as those whose tinnitus had completely gone away are probably not reading this forum. Also, too bad you haven't included a category "Can now hear tinnitus only in quiet rooms", as this outcome is likely more common than the "tinnitus had completely gone away" outcome...

 

[Bill Bauer]

Then it got better. The next day it was damn near gone. WTF. can't it just go away and stay away? or go to a low volume? Then I could manage it.

• Here is what has played out:
• Monday -- very quiet
• Tuesday -- still quiet
• Wed -- a little louder
• Thursday -- damn it's not better but its been worse
• Friday -- fairly annoying -- why cant i get well and stay well
• Saturday -- day from hell. loud af.
• Sunday -- yay it's gone (til the night) I can function.
• Monday -- holy crap im healed
• Tuesday -- no, im not
• Wednesday, Im better (until the night tonight. it starts to peak at 3PM)

If you are getting quiet periods so early after the onset, it ought to continue to improve and within a year or two it will be either gone or in the "can hear it only in quiet rooms" stage.

 

[Dee Willikers]

Dear All,
Again, I appreciate all the feedback.
My new theory is that the air so dry in my new place I just moved to in January, it has caused inflammation within my entire ENT system which has led to my eustachian tubes going haywire and that in turn led to the tinnitus I have had for 3 weeks.

I finally went with a modified western med approach (not Flonase that I was rxd 2 weeks ago because I was worried about damaging my sense of smell) and I just started taking:
Nasacort OTC allergy 24 hr.
I already feel better. Ringing is down in my left ear (which was doing the more annoying lower steady tone that was akin to a high dial tone ring) and minimal in my right. Very livable volume right now. Maybe 5 percent of my hearing. At my worst moments, the ringing was 50% of what I was hearing. It really sucked. I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't sleep. I wanted to cry all day. Sometimes I did cry. I couldn't concentrate on my work. I was desperate for some relief.

So I will continue on the Nasacort as directed. The good news is if you're feeling your ears are plugged and you've got the crackling sound when you open your jaw and that's leading to the tinnitus (& you have no other symptoms and no hearing loss), something OTC (over the counter) might even be able to reduce inflammation and your T symptoms. It's worth a try. I also recommend everyone get a humidifier and run it constantly in dry, winter months. Our entire ENT system is suffering because it's dried out and inflamed. That leads to the pissed off ringing.

Before the tinnitus started 3 weeks ago, I would blow my nose and it would be scabs and blood. Really gross stuff. So I am finally, after hundreds of dollars on medical stuff, making a link as to what caused my issues for me (most likely.)

Now I know my ringing will come and go, even if I have found a cure. Tinnitus isn't an overnight "its cured, voila, magic genie" thing. But last night I was pretty much ring free and I slept well. I couldn't really hear anything til I got up fully in the morning. So I was ring free for a good 10 minutes after really being awake. To me, that is incredible progress. Again, the ring I have now is 5% ish of my hearing profile.

Nighttime, before that point, has/had been the worst/loudest time of day for me. So this improvement was very noticed and it came after one spray last night. Just one. I also haven't lost my sense of smell. Also a good sign.

The ring I have now I could deal with/habituate easily. I don't want to have to do that, but where I am at now is a far cry better than where I started. Another blessing.

I wish all of you ring free days in the future & a cure for this malicious condition for all of us. And I hope something as simple as Nasacort which you can get OTC can offer much-needed relief.

Best,
Dee W.

 

[Dee Willikers]

Dear Bill,
Thanks for the positive news! I feel I am improving little by little each day with fewer set backs overall. I hope to be well rid of this in a few months time. If it takes a year, and it still happens, I am fine with that as well.
Best,
Dee w.

 

[Deniseh]

Hi @Dee Willikers

Glad to hear you are having success with your tinnitus and that it's reducing, hope this continues going forward xx

Funnily you mentioned blowing your nose and it being bloody and scabs because I have the same problem where every single morning the good Lord sends I have to blow my nose and there's normally blood in it and also (sorry if it's TMI) hard bits that looks like bits of hard skin

Might try the nasal spray that you mentioned as well because I'll be flying abroad in February and it's my 1st time since the tinnitus/ETD problems and I've heard this along with antihistamine can help keep tubes unblocked.

Keep me updated on your progress.

Denise x

 

[Dee Willikers]

Hi Denise!

Yes, dry noses seem to be a particular cause of T -- for me esp. It makes sense since the whole ENT system is connected and inflammation spreads from one part to the next. A dry nose leads to inflammed sinuses and the whole system just falls like dominoes after that.

The good news is my ringing is damn near totally gone right now. I just took my 3rd Nasacort spray/dose and its definitely working.

Now, I don't think the T/ringing totally over, and I'm not counting my blessing before they hatch, but the interesting this:

• I've had no left ear ringing at all today -- a first
• As soon as my ringing started to peak in my right ear, once it got to an annoying level my ear cut it out. To me, it felt like my right ear was resetting and after a reset, the ringing would go away totally. By reset I mean: a temporary feeling of not being able to hear anything/temporary deafness replaced by normal hearing and no ringing. I call this phenom the "reset." I've had a couple resets in my right ear today. If anyone is experiencing this "reset," it's a good sign, in my opinion. It means the ear and brain are realizing that the loud ringing is unnecessary and are able to expel it/reset.

So I highly recommend anyone who has T and extra dry nose symptoms, like bleeding and scabs when you blow your nose, do a daily saline spray or a Nasacort/ allergy spray. There are a ton of allergy sprays that are all OTC now in the states and aren't too expensive. For those who don't want to go the drug route, I recommend the saline as its clean and won't have any drug interactions and is a cheaper, more sustainable solution that won't affect your sense of smell. Saline spray also won't flood your eustachian tubes like a neti pot would -- any flooding can cause more eustachian tube issues.

TLDR: Nasacort hastened my recovery from inflammation and my ringing is damn near gone. I think by the end of the week, I won't have to worry about it coming back. Right now I'm on edge a bit, but I am trying to relax and enjoy this very reduced ringing and the brief periods of silence I am getting more and more frequently. My ears still both feel blocked and I imagine my ringing won't be gone until they have cleared up.

I just wanted to share this in case anyone else might find relief this way.

Denise, if you try the nose sprays can you tell me if they work for you? Hope they help!

Best,
Dee W.

 

[Liza1989]

@Deniseh

An update on my situation. Went for some blood work and turns out I tested positive for celiac. My GP ran the test on a hunch. I had had some digestive issues for a a couple months but just attributed that to the acid reflux... little did I know acid reflux is a symptom of celiac! I still have to go for a confirmatory endoscopy, but given that its predominate in my family I suspect that's it. I also have B12 deficiency so hopefully get an injection for that. Hopefully once I get on a gluten free diet the reflux will go away and in turn same with the tinnitus.... and hopefully with the b12 my energy levels will rise again.

 

[Deniseh]

@Liza1989

Oh Wow that's interesting

Funnily enough I was tested for celiac disease as well but was ok. Our symptoms definitely sound similar.

I'm now just past the 6 month mark and I must admit I am sooo much better, my high pitched tinnitus is nearly gone and is intermittent. I only hear it when it's really quiet but not always, the low hum is still there but feels to be more in the background and sometimes not there at all.

I've also been doing neck and shoulder stretches which I think have helped.
Interestingly this morning I woke with the low hummmmmmmmm so I moved onto my right side, stretched my neck and forced my shoulders down and within 30 seconds all the sounds in my head had stopped (unfortunately they did come back).

So you think this is related?

Anyway hopefully your B12 helps with your tinnitus and I'm sure it will through time.

Very best of wishes.

Keep me updated

Denise x

 

[volt]

Since you mentioned your tinnitus is high pitched especially, it might be worth getting an extended audiogram (above 8000 Hz) to confirm whether or not you have hearing damage.

My hearing damage is only evident from 12000 Hz on and is *highly* abnormal for my age (I'm about your age).

I would do this ASAP in case steroids could help you. If I had an extended audiogram to start with instead of months later my ENT would have given me steroids.

Hi, I have had ringing in my ears for 3 and half weeks now, my ENT did audiogram only up to 8000 Hz and everything was fine. Am I already too late to take steroids if I have hearing damage above 8000 Hz or could I still give it a try?

 

[FGG]

Hi, I have had ringing in my ears for 3 and half weeks now, my ENT did audiogram only up to 8000 Hz and everything was fine. Am I already too late to take steroids if I have hearing damage above 8000 Hz or could I still give it a try?

Oral steroids probably but intratympanically you may still have time. I would get referral to an Otologist (ENT subspecialist) ASAP.