Awaiting ENT Consultation: Hi guys. I'm 27 and... - Tinnitus UK

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Awaiting ENT Consultation

gabby1990 profile image
18 Replies

Hi guys.

I'm 27 and on 7 May I woke up (after going to a club [I only go 3/4 times a year]) with ringing in my ears. Very quickly realised I also had a call. Waited for 5 days and saw a doctor: he prescribed steroid spray as I had fluid in the ear and was diagnosed with eustachian tube dysfunction. Have since two GPs since who both said fluid build up.... Today I went again (nearly 6 weeks later) and no fluid was present and she has referred me to a ENT consultant as she believes I have tinnitus (potentially unilateral).

The tinnitus is fine in any room there is noise (TV on, fan on, at work, walking around) etc but as soon as there is no noise I can hear a ringing. It seems (lying on my side on the pillow) my left ear is OK but my right ear you can hear the ringing.

I would love to know if this will reduce: it has definitely reduced over the 6 weeks as before I could hear it with the TV on however I do wonder whether the fluid build up was amplifying it.

The latest GP said she had tinnitus and it disappeared - can that happen?

I struggle as I like to sleep in silence but feel I want noise to mask the ringing.

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gabby1990
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18 Replies
Suji778 profile image
Suji778

Hi gabby sorry for your suffering ,Tinnutes will never disappear it Will stay permanent according to me .

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80 in reply to Suji778

Supportive.

in reply to Suji778

Is it not the case that as the brain adjusts the sound fades or may not be noticeable for periods of time for some people.

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80 in reply to

Judging by this forum and others this is complete luck of the draw. Some can ‘habituate’, others just cannot accept or tolerate the constant eeeeeee.

As somebody who once slept in a public loo rather than share a hotel room with my snoring brother I fear I’m going to forever be trapped in the second camp.

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80

Hi Gabby. Stumbled across your post and even though I have little to offer the world in my current state I feel I may have something to offer you......

You say your T has reduced and you cannot hear it over the TV? Please read my thread/posts. My T is unmaskable ultra high pitched screeching. I can hear it even if I walk alongside a busy motorway. The only way I can sleep is two sound machines a few inches from my ears and a radio on.

My point? You’re going to be fine. You have tinnitus i would and have paid 10k and counting to have. Get off the internet, stop worrying and it’s almost undoubtedly going to fade to nothing.

Ruud1boy profile image
Ruud1boy in reply to Knoll80

It's not a competition Knoll. Yours is bad, we know. Many other people on here also really struggle with their T, but anyone newly afflicted by the condition is understandably going to be concerned and worried about it, so they come on here looking for advice & guidance. It doesn't do these people any favours to tell them 'mine's worse, get over yourself'. How would you feel if that was the advice you were given?

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80 in reply to Ruud1boy

It really was an attempt at being helpful rather than a boast. I have zero to boast about. I’m doing a terrible job of coping and who knows I may have mild T compared to others, yet such is my inability to deal with the sound 24/7, I really can’t see myself surviving the year.

HissingSid profile image
HissingSid

If only there was a tinnitus mute button we would all gladly push it! Hopefully, in your case it will go away, but in the longer term ahead it can return as it did for me on a permanent basis. There is no escape clause in my case.

in reply to HissingSid

I agree a mute button would be good

NicBTA profile image
NicBTAPartner

Hello and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum. Do feel free to ask any questions, I hope that you find this a helpful and supportive place to help you manage your tinnitus.

For the majority of people, tinnitus does generally get better over time. And even if it doesn’t go away completely, it can get to a level where it isn’t intrusive, and it isn't noticeable - in the same way you probably don’t really notice traffic noise when you walk down the street.

The time tinnitus takes to disappear or reduce in intensity varies from person to person, but there are some tips and techniques you can do to help.

We have some resources that you might like to check out in addition to our home here:

tinnitus.org.uk

takeontinnitus.co.uk

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call +44 (0)114 250 9922)

Warmest wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)

wish2heal profile image
wish2heal

Please don't try to fix it, fact is there is no cure. Don't search remedies on google, going to Entspecialists, GP etc complete waste of time. I have done all this.

The only hope is if you are new to this, just ignore it, stay busy, carry on doing things you love, believe me this is the only remedy. I had it since January, I panicked, severe depression, desperately seeking answers, all this had only made it worse.

I know some people including my mum, who had Tinnitus about 15 years ago. As they had no knowledge of Internet etc, but believed innocently it will cure itself. And it completely went away after few months, never to return.

Take care

xx

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80 in reply to wish2heal

You make a great point here, I’ve made myself several times. The internet unfortunately has made staying calm nigh on impossible because it’s awash with tinnitus will drive you mad and make you leap in to a quarry stories and these stories will grow and grow and grow and the fear will increase. The only thing that’s going to restore a sense of calm to new sufferers is a cure that doctors can reliably stand behind. Then bingo! The internet is suddenly filled with tinnitus is curable stories and the madness/suicide fears become sooooo 2018. In a way that nobody living today fears the bubonic plague but you would have been bricking it back in 1350.

gabby1990 profile image
gabby1990

Thanks everyone! I do find it interesting that it came on the same day as I got a cold and have alos got Eustachian tube dysfunction. Do you find your tinnitus constant or come and go? I find that with ear headphones in and walking the ring is accentuated with each step I take.

Also, does anyone have crackling ear-drums? I.e open jaw *crackle* and can by sticking bottom jaw out also make them crackle?

Just trying to put something together!

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80 in reply to gabby1990

I get a kind of squelchy ‘boing boing boing ‘ sound when I walk with with plugged ears.

in reply to Knoll80

Interesting

Knoll80 profile image
Knoll80 in reply to

Less so when you have it. I just try and tread lightly wherever I go!

I would try a sound therapy machine at night time - I am told that the noise at night time which is inconvenient is not louder just more noticeable. However just one point - the audiologist said just get up and go back to sleep when tired and it was okay to just have 2 hours sleep a day - something my doctor disagrees with and I have to say I am someone who prefers a good night sleep so I don't get up - yet! I stay in bed and sleep even though I live on a main road and was told not to wear ear plugs.

Ruud1boy profile image
Ruud1boy

Hi Gabby,

Take everything you read on here with a very large pinch of salt. T affects everyone differently, some really struggle, some cope perfectly well. If it's mild / slight T (Google 'Tinnitus Handicap Inventory' to score yourself re it's impact on you), it's probable that you'll learn to live with it in fairly short order and it hopefully won't cause you any problems long-term. If it's still causing concern in 6mths time, that's the time to start thinking in more detail about what you need to do to manage the condition and prevent it getting worse.

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