@Shanna
Welcome I first joined five years ago when I first developed bilateral tinnitus . I too was told that I had fluid in both ears. Coincidentally, I also attended an AC/DC concert a week before and likely did some damage to my inner ears although my hearing test came back perfect. Regardless, my tinnitus never really went away but I want you to know that it improved appreciably. Improved to the point that I could barely perceive it and it no longer bothered me. For some, it has even resolved completely. There is hope. Someone in one of these threads said that the vast majority of people who start out on this forum don't stay on it for long and go on to lead healthy, happy productive lives and I really believe that's true. When I first joined I was absolutely beyond hopeless. The people on the site were wonderful and we're tremendously supportive but I was also told by someone on this site at that time that the average time I would spend on this site would be about three months because the first three months are awful. And they were right but things improved and before I knew it I wasn't visited no anymore. I was doing just fine. I am telling you this to offer you hope.
When I was first diagnosed, I was an absolute mess. I could barely function. I took sound machines to the office. I couldn't have a meeting without them. I slept with a machine on and even bought sound pillows because I'm a side sleeper. All of which helped appreciably and helped me cope. Don't be afraid to use masking at least initially to help you cope and keep your anxiety levels down. That saved me. I am naturally prone to anxiety so you can imagine that this pushed me over the edge. I thought that I would never have a future, that my life would never be the same and I would never be able to enjoy the things that I had previously enjoyed such as concerts, plays, movies etc., anything where the volume was quite loud. For a period of time my entire life revolved around my tinnitus. And then it didn't! I started to notice that it didn't bother me anymore and that I could hardly hear it and I no longer needed my sound machines or my sound pillow. The best thing I did was invest in a pair of custom-made ear plugs. That allowed me to start doing the things I loved to do like go to plays and movies and I actually went to an Elton John concert.
I actually came back on the site because, well, I had a recurrence of a louder noise in my left ear as well as aural fullness and I strongly suspect I have fluid in my ear again. I am seeing my ENT tomorrow but he also wants to do a another hearing test next week. That's a little scary but I'm going to do it and hopefully it will be fine. I've been very good about taking care of my ears so I would be very surprised if I've had any hearing loss. That said, I am confident that whatever it is it will simmer down and it will get to a point where I will be able to ignore it and move on with my life. Make be it is just a spike and it will calm down.
Here are my Tips :
Make sure you find a good ENT that has experience in tinnitus. My ENT had tinnitus herself and so she was very sympathetic to me.
I also saw an audiologist who specialized in Tinnitus and that was very helpful. The worst thing is to see somebody who just dismisses your tinnitus is if it's something you've got to just live with.
So find people that specialize in it -have studied it and really understand it.
Try not to focus on it. I know that it's easier said than done and as a tinnitus sufferer with this new recurrence, I can tell you it is the hardest thing in the world. But do try the masking and try to focus on other things like your children and if you work, your job.
Don't be afraid to seek out therapy and don't be afraid to try medications. Just do your research around Ototoxicity.
As one gentleman on this forum said to you in an earlier post, the sound you have now is not likely to sound you'll end up with. What I ended up with was so low that even in a quiet room I had to really strain to hear it.
Best to you.
Danielle.
Member
) change once they get a small introduction to the impact of the condition.
