Tinnitus in One Ear

[Nic One Ear]

I would really love to hear from anyone who has tinnitus in one ear. I noticed tinnitus about eight months ago, at a pretty low level. It was so low it took me some time to realise that it was only in one ear. Over the past few months the pitch has risen to be heard throughout the day and it has changed from a white noise fuzz to almost a whistling sound..the fuzz is still underlying the whistle. I recently had a bout of flu and have had a blocked ear for a couple of months, and hearing loss. My doc has given me Valium, a steroidal nasal spray and a referral to an ENT on 25 November. Has anyone else had the same sort of problem? What helped or made it worse? It is starting to affect my work!!

 

[Karen]

Hi, Nic One Ear,

I have tinnitus in only one ear (the right ear). I've had it for many years, and it was mild until I took a blood pressure drug for the first time. That was four years ago, and I've been working to manage my increased tinnitus ever since. I have hearing loss in that ear, too. My tinnitus is high-pitched, and is a constant, steady hiss. I also have pulsatile tinnitus (hearing my heartbeat in my ear) since the blood pressure drug.

The good news is, I am managing a lot better now than I was when this all started four years ago. The advantage to having it in one ear is that you can sleep on the opposite side, and maybe not hear the tinnitus so much.

I am not taking any prescription drugs for my tinnitus. Instead, I've been taking supplements, and the ones that work the best are magnesium and B-vitamins. I've heard good things about NAC (N-acetylcistene), too, but haven't yet tried it.

Have you tried going to an audiologist for a hearing test? It's possible that the audiologist could help you with a hearing aid/masker that would work for you. You can usually try out the hearing aid for free for a least a couple of weeks. It's worth a try, to see if it might cancel your tinnitus. For me, it didn't work because I have pulsatile tinnitus.

I wish you well. We have many suggestions on this forum for ways to cope, and we're glad to share them!!

Best wishes and hugs,
Karen

 

[Nic One Ear]

Thanks Karen .

I had a hearing test last week..there is a mid-range pressure issue in both ears, and I have lost high frequencies in the right ear. Hearing in the left is fine.

I don't find the noise too unbearable, but the blocked ear and hearing loss is becoming a problem at work. I will def try the supplements. Not too keen on taking Valium. My doc suggested an acoustic neuroma, so I'm a bit freaked out. He checked my ears again two days ago and I gagged and choked when he put the umm..whatever that thing is..in my right ear. The spray has made a big difference though, so I'm pretty hopeful that it will all settle down. It's nice to hear other people's stories and suggestions though..everything helps!!

 

[attheedgeofscience]

I would really love to hear from anyone who has tinnitus in one ear.

Head injuries are one reason for unilateral hearing loss. The hearing loss may go unnoticed for a while if it is mild, only at certain frequencies, and one-sided (ie. other ear compensates). Indeed, these things may sometimes only be picked-up - by co-incidence - during an audiology exam several years later. And by that time, no one will even think to link the results back the original cause...

My doc suggested an acoustic neuroma

The most important cause to rule out, but also the least probable. It is so unlikely that "50%" of all ENTs wouldn't even bother to order additional tests unless there are genuine reasons for concern.

 

[Nic One Ear]

I'm rather hopeful that it's just from the head injuries. I am a bit worries about the progress of it though, as in eight months it has gone from barely audible to something I can hear of the loudest of background noise. I also have headaches now. Not bad ones, but I don't like the fact that new things keep happening. I have a really busy life, thankfully, so not much time to focus on it. As Karen said, it is an advantage at night that I can sleep on the other side and not be too bothered. Reassuring to know AN is not very common. Might go have the MRI my doc suggested in the hope of ruling it out and not spending any more time worrying about it.

 

[Nic One Ear]

One further thing..I was diagnosed with Coeliac's a few weeks ago..has anyone else had that in conjunction with Tinnitus or are the two completely unrelated?

 

[Karen]

Nic,

Yes, I do think there is a connection between tinnitus and autoimmune disorders. Here's a link to information about Celiac disease: http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/

I don't have Celiac disease, but I do have another autoimmune disorder: hypothyroidism. Others on this forum have mentioned that they have thyroid disease, too. I think autoimmune disorders might make us more vulnerable to things like tinnitus. Just my theory.....

 

[rtwombly]

I have unilateral tinnitus and low frequency hearing loss. My wife has hypothyroidism and intermittent tinnitus as well.

I did the MRI in February and thankfully got a clean bill of health on that one. Chiropractic adjustments have helped me, particularly Atlas Orthogonal and SOTO specialists, which you should be able to find, Nic, if you're in the US.

I was on ginko-biloba for a long time and felt it helped with the aural fullness. Also ALA. Tried NAC but it didn't seem to do much. If you have dental insurance, have your bite checked by somebody who'll do more than just use the blue paper. Dawson Academy dentists are good for that, they're trained to care for the whole chewing system rather than just the teeth. TMJ problems could be at the root of your issues even if you haven't experienced jaw pain.

 

[Nic One Ear]

Thanks for the suggestions..it's really comforting to have some things to try. Feels a lot less helpless than just quietly falling apart as I seem to have been doing.

 

[BobDigi]

I have tinnitus in my left ear only.a high piched hissing/wistle. If you have trouble sleeping in the future, try having a fan on at night. And perhaps a pillow speaker.

 

[Nic One Ear]

Thanks so much, everyone, for replying to my post..it feels soooo much better to know I'm not alone, even if it's different for everyone..it's very reassuring to know you're all living with it and coping. I'm quite interested in the auto-immune link..seems like everything has happened at once and it's been a bit overwhelming. Quite keen to try a chiro and I'm planning to make an appointment (long overdue) to have my wisdom teeth out, as I know I have had some movement of my teeth recently. I hadn't considered that as a possible link. Feeling very happy!!

 

[DebInAustralia]

and I do believe there is a connection between the gut and the brain with regards to small bowel overgrowth. a friend of mine treated his sbo post cipro with a fecal transplant and is now tinnitus free!

 

[Nic One Ear]

Wow..that's awesome to hear!! I feel like I'm falling apart, to be honest. I've never had any health issues, and suddenly wham! Here's a bit of everything!

 

[attheedgeofscience]

I'm quite interested in the auto-immune link

I doubt there is a link in your case - but that's just my personal and non-medical opinion; I certainly could be wrong...

But since we are on the topic of autoimmune diseases, I will share my own little story and what I know about it. Back in the summer of 2011, I developed a sudden redness and irritation in my left eye (see photo below). By sudden, I mean "over the span of about 45 minutes". It certainly wasn't the hay-fever-like pinky eye that some people get. And in any event, it was off season in terms of allergies (ie. late summer). I went to the eye doctor at the university hospital for a same-day consultation. The doctor's first thoughts were that I had an infection - I was a bit on the fence about that one since infections typically take 24/48 hours to develop; not 45 minutes. Next day, no improvement after applying topical antibiotics. After a new same-day visit at another clinic, I got the diagnosis: unexplained auto-inflammatory incident of the left eye. And a course of topical steriods. That worked.

Everything was fine for several months... and then I had another similar incident, this time in my right eye. So another visit at the eye clinic - and another round of topical steriods (which are not that good for eyes). After yet another incident several months later, I decided to see my GP in order to seek out a specialist who could establish the root cause of this. With her infinite wisdom of medicine, my GP recommended seeing an allergy specialist (ie. an ENT or dermatologist) for the standard skin prick test. Something which would be totally useless in my case.

Fast forward two years, as well as two stem cell treatments later, and the flare-ups in my eyes have completely ceased; including the daily redness that I would get for about an hour or so after a shower. All gone. Autoimmune diseases are problematic in the sense that they typically do not resolve over time. They either stay the same or they will get worse. And since the body is attacking its own tissue, that will lead to some problems later on. Now, autoimmune diseases and tinnitus are usually not related, but here is one instance where they were:



In the specific case where hearing loss is caused by autoimmune disease, stem cell therapy most likely will produce a very good outcome in terms of reversing the hearing loss and any associated tinnitus. In my case, I did my stem cell therapy for other reasons; the disappearance of my autoimmune disorder was just a helpful, but predictable biproduct of the intervention. Stem cells are excellent for curing autoimmune disorders.

And this - the above, that is - is the kind of information you will not get during your consulation with the average GP "down the block".

 

[amandine]

@attheedgeofscience

great video. But I am confused a little.I heard in the vid about the hearing loss and the stem cell treatment and the hearing restored 90% and 50% but didnt hear that she was suffering with tinnitus as well as hearing loss. Maybe I missed something (always possible). Did she have tinnitus as well?
Also, yes this is great pioneering stuff and I am deeply interested in stem cell therapy and do believe this is the treatment of the future. However in order to have stem cell treatment now, one has to have loads of dosh spare to pay for it - as you know - so has does this help the majority of us?
By the way, I value your opinions as I know that you are very well self educated on this tinnitus problem and so was wondering what you think personally of am 101 and autifony coming up.
thanks for your info

 

[attheedgeofscience]

Maybe I missed something (always possible). Did she have tinnitus as well?

It's not mentioned in the video. It's information I had to track down.

Also, yes this is great pioneering stuff and I am deeply interested in stem cell therapy and do believe this is the treatment of the future.

It is actually already a treatment of "now". And the future.

However in order to have stem cell treatment now, one has to have loads of dosh spare to pay for it - as you know - so has does this help the majority of us?

You have kind of answered your own question - but you are right, of course. I have shared my story for the benefit of others. When I started looking for possible treatment options a little more than a year ago, I had essentially nothing to go on. Not a single worthwhile mention of using stem cells as a treatment/cure for tinnitus; I had to track down tiny bits and pieces of fragmented information and contact stem cell clinics in order to ask them about a treatment which essentially has never been done before (and which they would therefore not even consider treating!). Now, with over 700 posts of mine, there is small encyclopedia of highly specific, focused, and unique information on tinnitus. The kind of stuff that not even the best ENT in your country will be able to supply you with.

As a counter example to above, a fair number of people on this board (ie. Americans, Brits, French, Germans, etc.) have access to the AM101 clinical trial - and free of charge. I don't. And since I couldn't get on the trial, I tried very hard to get the AM101 drug on an off-trial basis (by contacting a doctor affiliated with the clinical trial). However, Auris Medical would not release the drug for non-clinical trial purposes (despite the request of the doctor coming from the prestigious Acquaklinik, headed by Professor Strauss). I tried getting the decision overturned by going a semi-legal route: seeing my GP in order to find a legal route within the medical system to force Auris Medical to release the drug on a compassionate basis (which would still include me paying for it, of course). Didn't work either. My Father - who lives in Switzerland - has been in direct contact with the CEO of Auris Medical - possibly offering them a decent sum of money (not sure - my Father wouldn't say) - but still Auris Medical would not release a single vial of the drug. But this is the very reality of life: small differences in certain variables - eg. the nationality of person - can sometimes lead to significantly different outcomes with respect to other variables. And life is not always fair. That's the way it is.

So just because I had the money for the stem cell treatments does not mean I am "fortunate". I only did what I did because I had no other option (except for putting a bullet in my head). And trust me, the last year has been no picnic - financially - for me either.

By the way, I value your opinions as I know that you are very well self educated on this tinnitus problem and so was wondering what you think personally of am 101 and autifony coming up.

Focused therapies - ie. therapies developed specifically with tinnitus in mind - are the way to go (not stem cells). I don't have much of an opinion on either drug ie. AM101 or AUT00063. We are simply going to have to wait for the clinical trials to finish and the reports to be published (phase III data for AM101 is expected by "early 2016"). And as an example, the scientist I spoke with earlier this week - and who is directly affiliated with the AUT00063 clinical trial - was pretty neutral as to whether the study drug would work or not. He/she really wouldn't offer much of an opinion on anything because "it is still early days". And if a scientist intimately involved with the study drug does not know - then - how should I...?

But that does not mean we should not be hopeful - the scientists are, after all, not developing drugs "blind-folded".

 

[Nic One Ear]

Wow..hadn't even thought of stem cells. I am feeling very grateful right now that my tinnitus is one-sided. It's quite bearable as I have the relief of a 'quiet' side. Makes the noise on the other side not quite so all consuming. I can't imagine what some of you are going through . Stem cell treatment..makes sense.

 

[Marlene]

Nic one ear I've had IBS since my T began to be worse 9 years ago ,never had any probs in what I ate prior ,so another connecting dot I do believe .Maybe a thread on ailments to T can be got up ,see what transpires .Im not good on I pad how that could get started ,but I know there are ones on TT who could ,clever souls that they are .

 

[Karen]

Marlene,

I do think there is a link. It seems like those of us who have some kind of ailment, especially autoimmune, might be more likely to develop tinnitus, or make existing tinnitus worse. That's a good idea to take a poll to see what other ailments tinnitus sufferers have.

And, yes, I think that there is some hope that we'll find a treatment through stem cell research. Hope it's soon!

 

[Nic One Ear]

I think we definitely need to look further into this. It's a bit exciting to find some kind of link. Debit Australia mentioned someone who had cured their tinnitus as well..there has to be a link somewhere.

 

[Marlene]

Hi Karen and Nic ,just thought have look in before bed time it's Midnight here .
I've always said from the start ,there has to be a common cause to T and ailment / ailments . Neck issues ,balance / Dizzyness ,IBS ,Gut ,Etc how these health issues are never resolved by Drs ,every thing is IBS or virus related these days ,the mind boggles ,why even antibiotics don't help many people these days ,where in the past they did ,they say overuse ,but I'm not so sure ,is it Drs don't look hard enough into what patients are saying ,and just send them off with a packet of Benzo tabs . In the hope they will be the miracle cure to what ails their patients .
I wish you both a good nights sleep,and a pleasant Sunday .

 

[MontmorencyTT]

For what it's worth, I too perceive my T to be in only one ear.
(under certain conditions, very occasionally, I do perceive something in the other ear, but 99% of the time, it seems to be clearly "in" the one ear - left ear as it happens).

I got mine a long time (20+ years) ago, probably as a result of ear infections, but I also had severe wax in that left ear.
When I had a hearing test some time after noticing the tinnitus, it showed I had significant high-frequency hearing loss in both ears....but I'd had the severe wax build-up only in the left ear.

So it rather looks like the ear infections (in both ears) probably took out the high frequency hearing.

But what brought on the tinnitus? It can't be as simple as saying "the hearing loss caused the tinnitus" because I had about the same hearing loss (at that time) in both ears, but tinnitus only in one.

To my mind, the ear wax (and/or the removal of it) must have played a part, but I can't prove it of course.

 

[Sailboardman]

Nic,

I have unilateral T also. Right ear.
I have 65 db loss from 2-8K hz. probably higher, but that's the standard test maximum. My T is quite loud and high pitched with multiple sounds. Mostly hissing and ringing. Occasionally, My left ear will get T, but abates in a few seconds.

My story. Back in 2007, I hit my head and had vertgo and a mild concussion. Dealt with post concussion syndrome for 8 months after that. Before that, I had a bout with very mild T, that dissapeared in a few months. I could only hear it in really quiet places. Additionally, I had pulsing in my ear, whenever
I heard certain noises, like leaf blowers. Once the sound was removed, the pulsing went away.
I believe, I was having micro circulation issues that eventually caused a lack of blood supply to my inner ear. What the polish people call ear stroke.

I remember one night, after a rather stressful day, my right ear popping, followed by a high pitched squeal, then complete loss of my hearing for about 15 seconds. Then, everything went back to normal.

A month later, my hearing was diminished substantially and T came and stayed. Also, during that month, I had a case of gastritis, which I never had before?

So, was my T and hearing loss created by stress, a virus or micro circulation issues? Maybe all three? If it was years of exposure to loud music, power tools, etc., how did my left ear survive without damage? Questions I believe, I'll never know.

I hope your T resolves itself over time and if not, you habituate quickly, like many members have successively done here.

God bless,

Sailboardman