What Are You Supposed to Do When Tinnitus Starts?

[Anti]

Hello,

I've had it for about 11 days. No official diagnosis but I'm pretty sure I have the symptoms of tinnitus, though I have no idea why it started. There have been no loud sound exposures, I wear earplugs whenever I'm going to be around noise (such as vacuuming) and yet here I am, reading to stab myself in the ear.

What are you supposed to do when it first starts? I've read that you should try to find total silence so your ear can "heal" but I've also read that you should stimulate your hearing with background noise.

I'd love some input on anything that will up my odds of making this go away.

There's no way I will live like this. With everything else going on in my life currently, this is the last straw.

I have hope that it can be resolved given some odd sensations in my ear and the fact that in the last two days it's completely absent first thing in the morning... although it ramps up throughout the day.

Currently I'm waiting on a doctor's appointment but from what I hear they generally pat you on the back and say "learn to deal with it."

Fun times.

 

[undecided]

You actually need a diagnosis for tinnitus? As in, you need a doctor to tell you that your ears are ringing?
Whatever

Your ears won't heal even if you manage to find total silence (are u planning on staying inside a sound proof room for some days maybe) or by background noise stimulation.

What might work for early tinnitus is a course of corticosteroids. Talk to your doctor about them.
Also, you might consider enrolling in one of the current tinnitus trials (AM-101 or Autifony) if you live near one of the trial locations.

Whatever you do, hurry up with your doctor appointment since timing is critical at such an early stage.

 

[marqualler]

@Anti --

Start here:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

 

[billie48]

Remember the link has masking tracks and also links to a sleep thread (if that is an issue). Masking is one of the best things a newer sufferer can do. When the doctors tell you nothing they can do and learn to live with it, knowing that you can at least mask out the T sound when you are sick of it is a big boost emotionally. I used to have masking all day, from bed time masking with sound machine and CD player, to masking at work on the PC (loaded with a free sound generator 'aire freshener'), and to masking on the go with an ipod loaded with nature sounds. These maskings have cut down the needs for meds at least for myself because my nerve was so weak that hearing the T ringing can just trigger relentless anxiety and panic attacks. Gosh!

 

[Anti]

You actually need a diagnosis for tinnitus? As in, you need a doctor to tell you that your ears are ringing?
Whatever

Your ears won't heal even if you manage to find total silence (are u planning on staying inside a sound proof room for some days maybe) or by background noise stimulation.

What might work for early tinnitus is a course of corticosteroids. Talk to your doctor about them.
Also, you might consider enrolling in one of the current tinnitus trials (AM-101 or Autifony) if you live near one of the trial locations.

Whatever you do, hurry up with your doctor appointment since timing is critical at such an early stage.

I don't need a doctor to tell me I have a ringing in my ears - I need a doctor to help me figure out why, especially considering I wasn't exposed to loud noise. Any noise I have been around I have been wearing proper ear protection.

I'll ask the doctor about the steroids. Appointment is in 5 days - it's the earliest I could get in.

I'm hoping like hell it's something else - infection, pressure, wax build up... anything other than T.

 

[Anti]

Remember the link has masking tracks and also links to a sleep thread (if that is an issue). Masking is one of the best things a newer sufferer can do. When the doctors tell you nothing they can do and learn to live with it, knowing that you can at least mask out the T sound when you are sick of it is a big boost emotionally. I used to have masking all day, from bed time masking with sound machine and CD player, to masking at work on the PC (loaded with a free sound generator 'aire freshener'), and to masking on the go with an ipod loaded with nature sounds. These maskings have cut down the needs for meds at least for myself because my nerve was so weak that hearing the T ringing can just trigger relentless anxiety and panic attacks. Gosh!

I've been trying stuff like this but it's not working so well. I want to stab my ear with a knife (recognizing, of course, that this is a bad idea).

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep at it.

 

[uncle vikin]

T is ringing hissing ect. of the ears it could be a lot of possible causes if your ent doctor says there is no physical reason then it means he does not know how to stop the ringing. You will like many with T have to ride it out just remember TIME is the best healer for T. It will within 6 months to 18 months habituate and you will not be bothered with it anymore. It is the hardest to deal with during the first few months then it just starts to habituate little by little each month till you get back to where you we're before T. Great advice on this site. Sleep, Mask. Take sleep meds if you need them, don't stress. T will pass with time. Uncle Vikin

 

[Anti]

@Anti --

Start here:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/panic/

Thank you.

 

[Sailboardman]

You mentioned alot of things going on in your life. Could simply be stress related T. Maybe tell your doc about those things first? T can happen, when life throws you a bunch of curve balls all at once!

If it is stress related, your T Could resolve itself, with applying some de-stressing strategies to your life. Maybe some short term anti-anxiety meds, can bring that down a notch or two also?

Just a hunch?

God bless,

Sailboardman

 

[DavetheAce]

...
There's no way I will live like this. With everything else going on in my life currently, this is the last straw.

I have hope that it can be resolved given some odd sensations in my ear and the fact that in the last two days it's completely absent first thing in the morning... although it ramps up throughout the day...

Well you have me worried Anti. But you are already not living "like this", as you have already taken steps to try to improve things. The single most important information you have offered is that your T has been completely absent in the morning. This suggests that Sailboardman has offered best advice that we can, stress over the "everything else" is impacting on your T and you should address this first. Get the prescription to help you chill...