My tinnitus started after uncontrolled blood pressure issues and an MRI but that is just what the doctors speculate.
Many things can cause the onset of tinnitus
@Bex05, including the things your doctors have said. However, I believe it's important to try and rule out the most common causes first and then move on from there.
Exposure to loud noise is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Typically it is brought on by listening to audio through headphones, earbuds, headsets, noise-cancelling or bone conduction headphones, at too high a volume without realizing it and for long durations. Frequently going to places, such as nightclubs or concerts, where loud music is played can bring on tinnitus too. An indicator that loud noise is responsible for the onset of tinnitus, is whether you have experienced ringing in your ears previously and it has gone away. Working in a noisy environment can cause tinnitus too. If you are oversensitive to sounds or certain sounds, this could be another indication that your tinnitus is noise induced, this symptom is known as hyperacusis, it often but not always accompanies noise-induced tinnitus.
If none of the above applies to you, then stress is something to look at as a possible cause. Some medications can cause tinnitus. Hearing loss has been known to bring on tinnitus but I'll assume your ENT doctor has given you a hearing test and ruled this out. An underlying medical problem within the auditory system can cause the onset of tinnitus and there are many. I will assume your ENT has also ruled this out since you have had an MRI.
I am trying to manage family and work. I get no sleep, I have depression, I feel overwhelmed and frustrated. I feel bad about feeling bad.
Tinnitus can be very difficult to cope with in the early stages as you have found but it usually improves with time. Talk to your GP/PCP about how you feel, as you may be given advice on medication to take to help control your moods, so you don't start feeling too low. Stress makes tinnitus worse and tinnitus can make stress worse. It can become a vicious cycle so it's important one's stress levels are managed.
I have been thinking about hearing aids because I do have hearing loss too but my tough girl part keeps telling me to try habituation first.
If you do have significant hearing loss, then this can cause the onset of tinnitus. Your ENT doctor and audiologist should be able to advise you on suitable hearing aid(s) to restore your hearing to optimum. This is important, because when you have hearing loss, your brain will have to turn up its internal gain to hear sounds from the outside environment, which can result in developing tinnitus. Once hearing aid(s) restore hearing to optimum, over time the brain turns down its internal gain, rather like a volume control, resulting in the tinnitus reducing. Therefore, if hearing loss is responsible for your tinnitus, habituating to it without wearing hearing aid(s) will become much more difficult.
Please go to my started threads and read the following: New to Tinnitus, What to Do?, Tinnitus, a Personal View, How to Habituate to Tinnitus, The Habituation Process, Tinnitus and the Negative Mindset, Acquiring a Positive Mindset, Hyperacusis, As I See It, Will My Tinnitus Get Worse?
I advise you to start using low-level sound enrichment especially at night, using a sound machine by your bedside. Try to avoid quiet rooms and surroundings during the day and at night. More about this is explained in my posts.
All the best,
Michael
Member
