Tinnitus (from Radiation Therapy) Gone in a Matter of Days

[RobertRamoni]

Hi, I learnt a lot from Tinnitus Talk and I am sharing my story here, in the hope that it may help others. My tinnitus started 4 months ago during radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer. After the radiation therapy, my ears felt clogged up and I couldn't hear well. I started avoiding people as it was difficult to hear them speak. It felt like the end of the world.

Googling didn't help much as there are many many articles which say that this could be permanent. Many fatalistic comments like you should be prepared for the worst and focus on managing it, e.g. getting hearing aids. I was in a really dark place. Today, I can hear well and the tinnitus is gone. YES, YOU WILL GET BETTER.

I am not a doctor and I do not know what had certainly helped in getting rid of the tinnitus. What I can share here is what I did:

1. I stopped using the Neti pot (and any nasal irrigation device). Previously, I was irrigating my nose twice daily with saline water. My (unproven) theory is that stopping the nasal irrigation stopped the irritation of the Eustachian tubes.
2. I used the Nasonex nose spray both upwards and perpendicular to the face.
3. Two days after I did the above, I pinched my nose, took a deep breath, closed my mouth, and blew gently to inflate my cheeks. (Doing this before I took the above two actions didn't help previously.) Suddenly, my ears popped and the world sounded beautiful again. That high-pitch tinnitus in both ears were all of a sudden, gone.
4. I then got a doctor's help to remove the earwax. That also helped to improve my hearing.

Again, I am not sure if the above has a direct link with me getting better. I hope this helps someone. At the very least, know that there is hope. A quick note that I think Step 3 should be done very gently, to avoid injury.

 

[Lane]

Today, I can hear well and the tinnitus is gone. YES, YOU WILL GET BETTER.

Hi @RobertRamoni -- Congratulations on your proactive approach to your tinnitus situation, and your eventual success in overcoming it! -- However... each case of tinnitus is somewhat different, and yours seems to be in a category that appears to be a small percentage. Thus, your success is not going to be easily replicated by most others with tinnitus. That's just reality.