Advice please

[Jubac]

Had tinnitus for a year now. Was using a Cotton bud to gently clean my ears. The dog jumped up and pushed the cotton bud into my ear. Initially I was fine. Then ......

1. Got an ear infection

2.prescribed otomise. A week later I was told I had small perforated ear drum and my hearing was down. Then out of the blue tinnitus.

Waiting for perforation to be fixed (was due March 25th!)

Anybody had there perforation fixed. Did it ...

Make tinnitus better

Or worse

Am tired of putting cotton wool with Vaseline in my ear when i shower and keep getting. Constant ear infections (which doesn’t hurt,makes ears feel full with pus and popping when I put head down.

Any help?

[Happyrosie]

Hello Jubac. I expect you know by now: never ever put a cotton bud into your ear! If there is any wax there it will push it further back on to the eardrum. I was told “never put anything into your ear smaller than your elbow”.

But you now know this already.

My eardrum was perforated through another reason. I already had tinnitus. I had oral antibiotics. The blood, which mixed up with wax, had to be removed by suction some weeks later. The drum healed itself, and the T is is no worse and no better.

So my answer is, I didn’t have an operation and so can’t exactly help on that score BUT I’m surprised you’ve been told to protect your ears when showering. If you haven’t done so already, go back to your GP and ask them to examine your ear to see if it still needs an op, and whether you should still be protecting it in this way.

[Jubac in reply to Happyrosie]

Hello Happyrosie,

Thanks for your reply. Yes I know I shouldn’t have been using cotton buds in my ears, I’ve always done it!! 😱😱

I have to put cotton wool in my ears, As I know my ear is still perforated, Apparently only a little bit this has been since last June, when I blow my nose when I pinch my nose also, my ear whistles.

Also when I bend down sometimes to pick things up my ear goes pop pop pop pop pop like there’s something in the tubes, it’s very strange, I would just like to go And get your operation done even if it’s just to stop me having to put cotton wool in my ears, then I might be able to accept my tinnitus And forget about it, Hopefully

How long have you had Tinnitus for and how do you deal with yours? Do you have it constantly?

[Happyrosie in reply to Jubac]

Had the Big T for about fifteen years. Because it started small and only got louder gradually, I’ve been able to ignore it mostly.

I got hearing aids about six years ago as my hearing wasn’t all that wonderful. This helps as the noises of the real world slightly mask the T. I find it hard to use the phone as things are a little distorted; the modern fashion of wearing face coverings makes things a bit harder to understand too. My family and friends know I don’t like the phone and they put up with me saying “sorry? Pardon? “ all the time.

[Jubac in reply to Happyrosie]

Wow how do you ignore it? Do u have it all of the time? Is it quieter some days than others?

I have been given Nhs hearing aids. Only use 1 in my left ear occasionally. As My perforation seems to make my ear “leak”

How did your T start?

Sorry for so many questions, I’m a newbie

[Happyrosie in reply to Jubac]

No need to apologise Jubac.

I don’t know when it started exactly and certainly it was not caused by anything. I’ve never liked loud music, other than the occasional orchestral concert, and had never used headphones. The T came on so very very gently that I hardly noticed it, indeed at one point I assumed everyone over fifty had it. About ten years ago I decided to get my hearing checked in specsavers, and I remember mentioning it then. I just notice it when responding to posts here, and at night when I can’t get back to sleep.

I suffer from the effects of a drug that’s supposed to keep cancer at bay. The drug causes muscle and joint pain, and also I have arthritis so it’s the pain that wakes me and keeps me awake, so the T is a bit of a side issue.

I practice Controlled breathing and this is very helpful.

[Happyrosie in reply to Jubac]

Oh I didn’t say - yes it’s all the time. And I ignore it by doing other things - walking in the open air listening to trees, birds, the wind and the rain is very very therapeutic