Hey guys,
Bit of a story- the past week has been absolute hell. Got the flu on a Friday and by Sunday, woke up to this two tone beep (think dialtone) in my left ear. I first heard this sound a few weeks back but it was so out of the blue and gone right away that I didn't even think it was anything more than sleeping on my ear wrong.
When I woke up last Sunday with a sore throat and a clogged nose, I noticed that two tone beep, one high and one lower hitting me as I lay in bed. EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee gone. Googled what could cause this and then bam, fell into the tinnitus whole.
Already saw a general practitioner who referred me to an audiologist for a comprehensive hearing test, which I did today. Came back normal. Hearing was within normal limits (26yo guy here), no infections, no wax buildup, no visible damage to ear drum. I actually heard it for the first time while I was not in my room while I had the audiologist's ear plugs in. In the cold light of day, literally felt like crying. They said that up 20% of people suffer from T at some point in their lives. That's a super high number but it looks like nothing is being done.
Was a bit let down where the only advice was 'get used to it and try not to think about it'. They recommended using a white noise app when I go to bed or having a fan on. Is that how we're expected to manage a life-long condition like this? A bit disheartening since they didn't tell me anything that I didn't know. Will probably be referred back to my GP who will send me to an ENT but at this point, I am really not too hopeful and it feels like throwing money away.
Really hoping I can get some support now. Feel like crying. Feel so mad. Can't even look at my mum in the eye since I feel like I've let her down for some reason.
About my T- it's only on my left ear, and when it's quiet. Like trying to sleep at night, waking up in the middle of the night, early hours of the morning. It's a two tone beep that seems to come and go, and this is what kills me. I understand that you can get used to it, but how do I get used to something that comes and goes randomly? Each time it hits, it's a new spark of pain and annoyance. I can just be laying down, staring into the ceiling, and it will hit which then wakes me up and leads to a night of tossing and turning and hoping it doesn't hit again. It can be minutes of silence to a spike or even an hour.
A few nights ago, I managed to get to bed without hearing it even though I stayed awake for a few hours, in silence trying to listen for it- but when I wake up it's there. At this point, I wonder would a continuous tone I can tune out be better than this.
I've never been to a concert, never worked around heavy machinery or explosives. The only thing I think could have caused this is listening to music on my iPod loud. Maybe my flu aggravated it but I remember hearing it for the first one-off time a few weeks prior to getting sick. I am getting better now and can breathe through my nose, my throat isn't sore anymore so I am HOPING against all hope that it will go away as the last remnants of flu/cold leave.
I feel useless as all shit right now. Can't focus at work because I am so tired. I've maybe had a total of 12 hours sleep in the past seven days. Either because I'm so worried about it hitting or the fact that I will have to live the next 60 years with this, most likely getting worse. Not even eating anymore, stopped listening to music, always wondering if the sounds I hear at work are from outside or inside my ear.
Feels like the world is all black and white now but everyone seems to be going on with their lives. A couple weeks ago I had booked my first overseas holiday and was deep into planning it and now this hit. It's robbed me of my silence and I don't know how I can cope the coming days, weeks, months, and years. People say it will get better, but how does that even WORK? How can my brain get used to a sporadic assault of sound. Each hit feels like a new one.
The image I have in my mind is waking up next to my girlfriend one day, rolling over to say good morning and being greeted with nothing but screaming T in my ears as she tries to talk to me.
I am genuinely sorry for writing this, especially since I know people have fought with MUCH louder T for a MUCH longer time. It's just that one week ago, my life changed in what I feel is a forever way. Completely out of the blue and I don't have anything to show for it!
Bit of a story- the past week has been absolute hell. Got the flu on a Friday and by Sunday, woke up to this two tone beep (think dialtone) in my left ear. I first heard this sound a few weeks back but it was so out of the blue and gone right away that I didn't even think it was anything more than sleeping on my ear wrong.
When I woke up last Sunday with a sore throat and a clogged nose, I noticed that two tone beep, one high and one lower hitting me as I lay in bed. EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee gone. Googled what could cause this and then bam, fell into the tinnitus whole.
Already saw a general practitioner who referred me to an audiologist for a comprehensive hearing test, which I did today. Came back normal. Hearing was within normal limits (26yo guy here), no infections, no wax buildup, no visible damage to ear drum. I actually heard it for the first time while I was not in my room while I had the audiologist's ear plugs in. In the cold light of day, literally felt like crying. They said that up 20% of people suffer from T at some point in their lives. That's a super high number but it looks like nothing is being done.
Was a bit let down where the only advice was 'get used to it and try not to think about it'. They recommended using a white noise app when I go to bed or having a fan on. Is that how we're expected to manage a life-long condition like this? A bit disheartening since they didn't tell me anything that I didn't know. Will probably be referred back to my GP who will send me to an ENT but at this point, I am really not too hopeful and it feels like throwing money away.
Really hoping I can get some support now. Feel like crying. Feel so mad. Can't even look at my mum in the eye since I feel like I've let her down for some reason.
About my T- it's only on my left ear, and when it's quiet. Like trying to sleep at night, waking up in the middle of the night, early hours of the morning. It's a two tone beep that seems to come and go, and this is what kills me. I understand that you can get used to it, but how do I get used to something that comes and goes randomly? Each time it hits, it's a new spark of pain and annoyance. I can just be laying down, staring into the ceiling, and it will hit which then wakes me up and leads to a night of tossing and turning and hoping it doesn't hit again. It can be minutes of silence to a spike or even an hour.
A few nights ago, I managed to get to bed without hearing it even though I stayed awake for a few hours, in silence trying to listen for it- but when I wake up it's there. At this point, I wonder would a continuous tone I can tune out be better than this.
I've never been to a concert, never worked around heavy machinery or explosives. The only thing I think could have caused this is listening to music on my iPod loud. Maybe my flu aggravated it but I remember hearing it for the first one-off time a few weeks prior to getting sick. I am getting better now and can breathe through my nose, my throat isn't sore anymore so I am HOPING against all hope that it will go away as the last remnants of flu/cold leave.
I feel useless as all shit right now. Can't focus at work because I am so tired. I've maybe had a total of 12 hours sleep in the past seven days. Either because I'm so worried about it hitting or the fact that I will have to live the next 60 years with this, most likely getting worse. Not even eating anymore, stopped listening to music, always wondering if the sounds I hear at work are from outside or inside my ear.
Feels like the world is all black and white now but everyone seems to be going on with their lives. A couple weeks ago I had booked my first overseas holiday and was deep into planning it and now this hit. It's robbed me of my silence and I don't know how I can cope the coming days, weeks, months, and years. People say it will get better, but how does that even WORK? How can my brain get used to a sporadic assault of sound. Each hit feels like a new one.
The image I have in my mind is waking up next to my girlfriend one day, rolling over to say good morning and being greeted with nothing but screaming T in my ears as she tries to talk to me.
I am genuinely sorry for writing this, especially since I know people have fought with MUCH louder T for a MUCH longer time. It's just that one week ago, my life changed in what I feel is a forever way. Completely out of the blue and I don't have anything to show for it!
