Tinnitus help

Goldiegirl

Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice.

Towards the end of March, I developed a blocked feeling in my ear, along with tinnitus, and dulled hearing. The tinnitus varied in sound and intensity, but was there in the background all the time, and sometimes loud

I thought it was wax, so starting using an olive oil spray.

Things didn't get any worse, but they didn't get much better either.

On 24th April, I was at work, and all of a sudden had the worst tinnitus to date - it was like a vacuum cleaner in my head!

I am very doctor phobic, but it was so bad, I immediately phoned the doctors, and got an appointment for the next morning.

I told the doctor what I had been experiencing, he had a quick look in my ear, told me there was no wax in there, and told me to do steam inhalation for three weeks.

I was in and out the surgery in less than five minutes.

For the past 11 days I've been doing the steam inhalation three times a day- my ear doesn't feel blocked anymore, but there is still loss of hearing, and tinnitus - sometimes it is very background, but I had a bad episode last Tuesday, on Sunday and today (Tuesday) my ear has been ringing loudly since 7.30 am.

Bearing in mind, how nervous I feel about doctors, and the fact that he only gave me a very cursory look last time, I don't feel very confident about what will happen next.

Because my ear has been so loud for 5 hours,I've just plucked up courage to ring the surgery for an appointment, only to be told I've got to call back at 8.30 tomorrow.

I've got another 10 days of steam inhalation to be doing- is it ok to go back to the doctors, if I don't think it's helping with the hearing loss and the tinnitus.?


Also, I'm going on holiday at the end of June. I'm nervous about the thought of flying, in case I have some sort of middle ear problem, and end up in pain.

From my reading on the Internet, I know it can take ages to get an appointment at the ENT department. I feel worried that nobody will really know what's wrong with me by the end of June, and nobody will be able to help with advise about whether or not to fly. Of course, if I don!t go, I'd want to claim on my travel insurance, I'd need support from my doctor- but I'm not confident about this.

I suppose I could go private to speed things up.

Just wondered if anybody has any thoughts or suggestions.

I don't really do illness, so all this is a bit alien to me. I'm not used to it, so I just feel a bit lost!

SailorSam

I've got tinnitus and i don't think there's much they can do about it. 'Cos it's more noticeable when it's quiet they've advised me to always have a radio or Tv on in the background.

constantworrier

My Boyfriend has it very bad as well. He is also deaf so he has hearing aids which do seem to help distract from the tinnitus a bit, but it's always there. He flies quite often without any problems. A friend was given hearing aids especially for her tinnitus as she wasn't deaf at all. Sometimes my boyfriend is desperate so I know it's an awful thing to live with. The only real rest he gets from it is when he's sleeping but as soon as he wakes up it's there. Hope you get some help soon.

pollypenny

I have tinnitus. Unfortunately, it's something you have to learn to live with, as Sam said.

The best strategy is distraction, so always have some sort of noise on. To be able to sleep, I use the various nighttime herb teas or even Ovaltine in the winter.

I was driven demented for two years, when I decided that 'it's a noise, but it's my noise ' and tried to view it positively. Damn hard, though. Sometimes I feel as if my head is going to explode! And when the sound changes it's really odd. Last week, I had a ting-ting-ting sound. Unusual.

iaps

As it was mentioned above - "it's something you have to learn to live with".

Here is good article on tinnitus http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tinnitus-what-to-do-about-ringing-in-the-ears-201109263412

There are some free "white noise" apps which might be helpful - e.g.:
http://www.tmsoft.com/iphone-whitenoise.html
http://www.sleepbug.net/
or relaxing music, sounds of nature music http://www.sky.fm/

This might be interesting publication for you:
"Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) is a specific clinical method based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus described by Jastreboff (Jastreboff, P.J. (1990). Neurosci. Res., 8: 221-254). The method is aimed at habituation of reactions evoked by tinnitus, and subsequently habituation of the tinnitus perception. Several other methods have been suggested for habituation of tinnitus, but in TRT two components that strictly follow the principles of the neurophysiological model of tinnitus are implemented and necessary: (1) counseling, aimed at reclassification of tinnitus to a category of a neutral signals and (2) sound therapy, aimed at weakening tinnitus-related neuronal activity as suggested by Jastreboff and Hazell (Jastreboff, P.J. and Hazell, J.W.P. (2004). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge). This chapter outlines the theoretical basis of TRT as well as comments on the clinical
outcome of the use of TRT for different kinds of tinnitus."
One chapter available to download
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/5888623_Tinnitus_retraining_therapy

Goldiegirl

Thank you for all your replies.


Since I posted at lunch time, the noise has died down to a level I can cope with. I have been using 'masking' to help - I have a fan on at night, I listen to music during the day. I try to get on with things as normal too. It's when the level goes up, especially when there seems to be no reason for it, that I find it very difficult.


But my main worry at present is not so much the coping with it, but getting medical support to help with coping with it.


I already feel a bit fobbed off by my GP. I'm half way through the three weeks of steam inhalation he recommended. I feel that it may have helped to make my ear feel less blocked, but I still have loss of hearing and the tinnitus. I don't think the steam inhalation is going to help any further Because of how I feel about doctors in general, I'm reluctant to go back before the three weeks are up, but on the other hand, if what he's suggested is not helping, I want to move forward, to see if I can find out if there is any cause.


Also, the other cause of my anxiety is wondering whether if what is causing it is some sort of middle ear thing, which will cause pain when I fly, and wondering whether I'll be able to get any help / advice and support on this issue.



In short, I'm less worried about dealing with the tinnitus, my main worries are concerning getting proper help from the medical profession


Just wondering how your interaction with the doctors has been, and has it helped?

pollypenny

My GP was very dismissive, goldiegirl. When I eventually had a consultant appointment he was wonderful. I'd had it for two years and he asked what happened in my life at that time.

I was astonished as I'd assumed it was physical. I used to have lots of earache and thickly coughs in the days of chalk boards.

I haven't found any difference in ear pain when flying.

Goldiegirl

I had to see a consultant a few times about an eye issue, and found that he put me at my ease, and was very good with me. As I'm not good with medical things, it's very important for me to feel comfortable with the doctor, and I don't have that with my GP.


I've decided that I'll make a further appointment at the GP next week, and take it from there.


I haven't got a history of ear problems, and I've not had any ear ache or cold recently. Mentally, I'm probably in the best place I've been in the last 10 - 11 years, so it's all a bit of a mystery why this has suddenly happened


Thank you Pollypenny, just makes me feel a bit better that I'm not alone with a dismissive GP!

tracey12_2

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I had to see a consultant a few times about an eye issue, and found that he put me at my ease, and was very good with me. As I'm not good with medical things, it's very important for me to feel comfortable with the doctor, and I don't have that with my GP.


I've decided that I'll make a further appointment at the GP next week, and take it from there.


I haven't got a history of ear problems, and I've not had any ear ache or cold recently. Mentally, I'm probably in the best place I've been in the last 10 - 11 years, so it's all a bit of a mystery why this has suddenly happened


Thank you Pollypenny, just makes me feel a bit better that I'm not alone with a dismissive GP!

Action on Hearing loss have a good website and include tinnitus. If you don't get a referral from your GP to ENT you can phone a tinnitus information line on 0808 808 6666

meer53

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I had to see a consultant a few times about an eye issue, and found that he put me at my ease, and was very good with me. As I'm not good with medical things, it's very important for me to feel comfortable with the doctor, and I don't have that with my GP.


I've decided that I'll make a further appointment at the GP next week, and take it from there.


I haven't got a history of ear problems, and I've not had any ear ache or cold recently. Mentally, I'm probably in the best place I've been in the last 10 - 11 years, so it's all a bit of a mystery why this has suddenly happened


Thank you Pollypenny, just makes me feel a bit better that I'm not alone with a dismissive GP!

I've had tinnitus for years and have learned to live with it as there is no cure. Mine came on after a car crash.

Your GP will probably refer you to the ENT dept of your hospital so they can rule out other causes. I had a hearing test and an MRI scan. I was Given a masking device (like a small hearing aid) but found it didn't help at all so stopped using it. your GP probably won't be qualified to diagnose it as tinnitus so you'll have to visit the hospital, probably more than once.

Mine gets worse when I'm tired or I've had a drink, but it doesn't stop me ! I've found that its worse when I listen to it. It's hard to live with but unfortunately there's nothing I can do about it so I just get on with it.

Goldiegirl

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

The noise isn't always unbearable, but each time I have a bad bout, in my mind I feel it's going to be the last time, and it'll improve from now on.

Today I feel I've turned a corner - I am going to have to try and accept it, and deal with each bad episode when it happens.