Tinnitus from Sinus Infection (?) — Barely Holding It Together Emotionally Right Now

[FakeBeans]

Hi @FakeBeans,

Sorry for the late reply.

What I would personally do is keep busy during the day - you have already highlighted how much better it is when around other people and preoccupied.

For sleep you could try having multiple sources of sound in the bedroom. I have found that helps me best. Currently I have the TV on, a sound machine, and my phone. On my phone I play a self made 'soundscape' - made on the ReSound Tinnitus Relief app - it's free and has lots of different noises so you can find which ones work best for you. Obviously I keep the noise levels of each to a minimum, but the aim is to create a really complex sound and confuse my brain.

At 6 weeks in I wrote my first post on this forum. I would say that was the apex of my anxiety. I won't lie, it stayed pretty much the same until about 4.5/5 months. You could talk to your doctor about medications that would help you sleep? Or try Melatonin (a herbal sleeping aid), some people swear by it.

Other vitamins could also help. I've seen people mention: Omega-3, Curcumin, Magnesium, NAC. Also following an anti inflammatory diet. Just throwing ideas out there. Plenty of things to try. Don't lose hope.

Is your family aware of how much you are struggling? Talking to someone may help. Scares the shit out of me that you have access to a gun. I live in Scotland - no guns here - not even the police have them.

You are so young and have plenty of good times ahead of you, tinnitus or no tinnitus. Yes it's horrible, and it still bugs the shit out of me sometimes but I am miles better than I was at 1.5 months. Give it time.

Thank you for the kind words. My family doesn't know how much I am struggling as I try to keep my complaining to a minimum.

 

[FakeBeans]

But get some sleep!

I will try to.

 

[makeyourownluck]

Thank you for the kind words. My family doesn't know how much I am struggling as I try to keep my complaining to a minimum.

As a parent, I can tell you, if my daughter felt the way you are feeling right now, I would want to know so I could help in anyway I could. Even if all I could do was just take her to the doctor.

Everyone needs help sometimes, it's not complaining.

 

[hartstreet]

Hang in there. My tinnitus started after a bad sinus infection, and the worst part is the psychological impact at the outset. Particularly where ENTs are so dismissive, it can feel isolating and beyond discouraging.

It gets better, how much and when no one can say, but it does. I would suggest focusing some of your effort on lowering stress and sleeping well. Those are two things that continue to have a meaningful impact on my tinnitus. I know it sounds impossible considering what you're feeling right now, but just try your best.

Find whatever distracts you, even momentarily, from it and lean into that support as much as you can during this challenging time. And everyone here is a life saver as well.

Good luck!

 

[FakeBeans]

Today a firecracker blew up about 5 metres away from me. I was clustered with a group of 20 other students in front of school and someone lit up a firecracker out of nowhere and it blew up without most of us knowing it was lit. At first I didn't feel anything so I didn't go to an ENT but now the tinnitus feels worse, I am afraid it has caused hearing loss and the only ENT in town's work time has ended for the day.

Am I screwed? God why me. Right when I was my suicidal urges were going away...

 

[makeyourownluck]

If your tinnitus/hearing has deteriorated, the best thing to do is try get your ENT/GP to prescribe Prednisolone (steroids). Its best to take them within the first 72 hours. Try to relax, there is nothing you can do about it until morning. Anxiety makes everything worse.

 

[FakeBeans]

If your tinnitus/hearing has deteriorated, the best thing to do is try get your ENT/GP to prescribe Prednisolone (steroids). Its best to take them within the first 72 hours. Try to relax, there is nothing you can do about it until morning. Anxiety makes everything worse.

I went to him. He didn't prescribe me steroids. He prescribed me some supplements.

 

[makeyourownluck]

I went to him. He didn't prescribe me steroids. He prescribed me some supplements.

Oh right, did he repeat your hearing test? What supplements?

 

[FakeBeans]

If your tinnitus/hearing has deteriorated, the best thing to do is try get your ENT/GP to prescribe Prednisolone (steroids). Its best to take them within the first 72 hours. Try to relax, there is nothing you can do about it until morning. Anxiety makes everything worse.

He looked at my ear drum and told me it was fine and if any damage had been done it would have been to the hearing nerve and nothing could be done about that.

 

[makeyourownluck]

@FakeBeans, I would maybe try get a second opinion. Look up 'Prednisone' on the forum. It is regularly prescribed to people who suffer an acoustic trauma. Some ENTs seem resistant to prescribing them though.

How is your tinnitus doing anyway? Any improvement? Sometimes it's just the anxiety about a loud noise that causes a spike, not the sound itself.

 

[FakeBeans]

Oh right, did he repeat your hearing test? What supplements?

He didn't. He only looked at my eardrum. He told me that the same thing happened to him a long time ago and that he also has some tinnitus because of it. My tinnitus is doing a little better I think, knock on wood. One of them is a vitamin and the other one is Betahistine.

 

[FakeBeans]

@FakeBeans, I would maybe try get a second opinion. Look up 'Prednisone' on the forum. It is regularly prescribed to people who suffer an acoustic trauma. Some ENTs seem resistant to prescribing them though.

How is your tinnitus doing anyway? Any improvement? Sometimes it's just the anxiety about a loud noise that causes a spike, not the sound itself.

A second opinion would be good but the problem is that in my small provincial town he is the only ENT. There will be some other ENT who is also a Professor who will be visiting but they told me that I needed to call after the 10th to book an appointment. The tinnitus itself is doing better I think, knock on wood.

 

[makeyourownluck]

@FakeBeans, very good sign that you are seeing some improvement. The 10th is not miles away - would still be a good shout to try get steroids if the tinnitus has not gone back to baseline by then.

Yes, vitamin deficiencies can lead to/exacerbate tinnitus. Not a bad shout to get your levels checked and supplement if required.

I hope you continue to see improvement in the coming days.

 

[FakeBeans]

@FakeBeans, very good sign that you are seeing some improvement. The 10th is not miles away - would still be a good shout to try get steroids if the tinnitus has not gone back to baseline by then.

Yes, vitamin deficiencies can lead to/exacerbate tinnitus. Not a bad shout to get your levels checked and supplement if required.

I hope you continue to see improvement in the coming days.

They told me that I need to call on the 10th to book an appointment but the appointment itself will like be later in the month. I was honest with the ENT. I told him that I don't think my hearing is worse, just that my tinnitus feels more intrusive and that when I blow my ear drums it feels like they are pressing against something. He checked them, prescribed me the supplements and left it at that.

I don't think I pushed enough for the steroids and now it's eating me alive that I didn't. My mother was with me and she asked and he said that they weren't needed. Do you think I made the right call?

 

[makeyourownluck]

@FakeBeans, please don't stress, you are seeing improvement. Most spikes are temporary.

Some say steroids help, others have taken them with no change, and rarely people have reported worsened tinnitus.

As with all things tinnitus, you never really know. Chances are, the ENT had already made up their mind - nothing you could do about it.

Steroids can cause some pretty nasty side effects.

However, it's safe to say that most spikes are temporary. You are still very new to this, fluctuations should be expected.

 

[FakeBeans]

Hello. First off I want to say that I don't think my tinnitus is that bad. I can go to sleep without masking it without a problem. The problem occurs when there is background noise and I try to focus on the tinnitus. When I do that it feels like I can't really pick up on it and it feels likes it's deafening at the same time. It just feels like my brain is trying so hard to hear it but failing and creating the feeling of hearing it bit in reality it can't.

Is this just my brain being confused or is it something that also happens to others as well?

 

[CC_16]

Hello. First off I want to say that I don't think my tinnitus is that bad. I can go to sleep without masking it without a problem. The problem occurs when there is background noise and I try to focus on the tinnitus. When I do that it feels like I can't really pick up on it and it feels likes it's deafening at the same time. It just feels like my brain is trying so hard to hear it but failing and creating the feeling of hearing it bit in reality it can't.

Is this just my brain being confused or is it something that also happens to others as well?

How are you doing now?

I got tinnitus in my right ear after a cold.

So it is our nerve that has a problem?

Do you have tinnitus in 1 or 2 ears?

 

[FakeBeans]

How are you doing now?

I got tinnitus in my right ear after a cold.

So it is our nerve that has a problem?

Do you have tinnitus in 1 or 2 ears?

Overall my tinnitus has gotten quite a bit better (either that or I have gotten better at dealing with it). I hear it in both ears. Since the initial onset, the tinnitus has been going up and down mainly because I seem to get sick a lot and when I am sick it gets worse but then it goes back down. As for the nerve, I can't really tell you anything. You have yo go to the doctor for that.

 

[makeyourownluck]

Overall my tinnitus has gotten quite a bit better (either that or I have gotten better at dealing with it)

Glad to see your improving @FakeBeans, I hope it continues. You're too young for this nonsense.