Looking for advice.
I made the mistake of using one earbud in my right ear while walking over the last few years. The sound was always around 85 dB. I did not realize this until I checked my history. Just before last Christmas, I developed constant ringing in that ear.
I visited an ear wax removal clinic, where I was told I did not have any wax buildup but had retracted eardrums. So far, treatment for ETD has not been successful, and I am wondering if this could be due to something else, specifically hearing loss and tinnitus caused by earbud use.
My right ear feels a bit full, and I cannot hear frequencies above 9 kHz very clearly, while my left ear seems fine. I had been using masking to dull the ringing, again with earbuds or headphones, but over the past few weeks, the tinnitus has become much more variable and highly reactive to sound.
I am now five weeks in, but the last week has been particularly difficult. I have stopped using earbuds and headphones altogether. Is there a chance my tinnitus will start to recede? A couple of nights ago, it was much lower, but it has since increased again.
I would greatly appreciate any advice. I have a hearing test scheduled later this week and an ENT appointment in February.
I made the mistake of using one earbud in my right ear while walking over the last few years. The sound was always around 85 dB. I did not realize this until I checked my history. Just before last Christmas, I developed constant ringing in that ear.
I visited an ear wax removal clinic, where I was told I did not have any wax buildup but had retracted eardrums. So far, treatment for ETD has not been successful, and I am wondering if this could be due to something else, specifically hearing loss and tinnitus caused by earbud use.
My right ear feels a bit full, and I cannot hear frequencies above 9 kHz very clearly, while my left ear seems fine. I had been using masking to dull the ringing, again with earbuds or headphones, but over the past few weeks, the tinnitus has become much more variable and highly reactive to sound.
I am now five weeks in, but the last week has been particularly difficult. I have stopped using earbuds and headphones altogether. Is there a chance my tinnitus will start to recede? A couple of nights ago, it was much lower, but it has since increased again.
I would greatly appreciate any advice. I have a hearing test scheduled later this week and an ENT appointment in February.
