Hi all please can someone help me. I've had tinnitus for 15 years but this year has been the worst for me. All this week i am going through a spike (i guess it's that because it has ramped the volume up) but today at about 4pm my right ear has gone totally worse. Its so hard to describe but its almost like it feels like there's something covering it so all external sounds seem lower and the T has ramped up even more. When i speak its like a vibrating/hallow sensation. I'm currently wearing my ear defenders which i know will make my T louder but i cant stand any other type of external sounds as they all sound distorted. I have 2 girls to look after and i can't function.....please help
Really struggling: Hi all please can someone... - Tinnitus UK
Really struggling
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Hop38
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Hi Hop38. I'm really sorry to hear about your recent Tinnitus spike.
Have you done anything different before the spike came on? There are a lot of things that can cause a spike. I will list some of them below. Try to see if something rings a bell and maybe dial back on that aspect to see if your Tinnitus will subside. I really hope i help you find something.
1. Stress - Any added stress or anxiety of late? If yes, it can be a MAJOR Tinnitus spike trigger
2. New medications? - Have you recently started any new medication? Ototoxic medication like anti-depressants, NSAIDs and even some anti-biotics can trigger a Tinnitus spike
3. Changes in diet or lifestyle choices? Increased intake of salt, sugar, fats, caffeine or the inclusion of alcohol or cigarette smoking are all triggers!
4. Lack of sleep - Have you not been sleeping properly of late?
5. Compromised hearing - Have you taken a hearing test? Any changes to your hearing. See an audiologist to see if you will benefit from hearing aids.
6. Sinus, allergies or ear infections - Any of these infections can aggravate Tinnitus.
7. Any loud noise exposure recently?
This is all I can think of at the moment. I hope this helped in some way. If I think of something else, I will definitely come back here and post it for you.
Hi Graz81 thank you very much for your reply. The only thing i can think of is last weekend i went to visit my partner with my little ones which was a 3 hour drive The T was slightly higher when we arrived but soon settled. We went out to a noisy restaurant one night but i had my earplugs in so I'm not sure of the noise effected the T or not (was ok when we got back to the hotel). Drove back home the following day which was another 3 hours. The only thing which stands out for me regarding stress was an awful telephone call I had with a customer at work today....i was literally shaking after it, dry mouth etc. I don't do very well at all with argumentative people so i doubt that helped with my stress levels😥!
No changes in my diet that i can think off, i don't drink alchol (due to a spike the last time i consumed some) and I drink decaffeinated tea. I saw an audiologist about 1 month ago and got hearing aids. The whole process of the hearing aid setting caused another spike so i havnt worn them for awhile, i was waiting for that spike to go down to try them again but this current spike is from something completely different. I don't suffer from sinus/allergies or ear infections thank god although in saying that my right ear has been somewhat painful during the week (like someone is sticking a pin in it). God I'm just so fed up of having T, its such a torturous condition that's never ending. I do have a reflexology apt tomorrow as i read somewhere that it could help you to relax and de stress which is something i need to do. Fingers crossed it does something for me...thank you again for your help, i really appreciate it
I think that phone call with the customer might have done it for you. It's not everyday one's mouth goes dry because of a conversation. It's a pure physical reaction to stress. The good news is that your spiked T may resolve when you can de-escalate that stress level.
Also, when you travelled, did you go up or down in altitude? Altitude changes can also sometimes affect T.
Hi Graz81 yes there were altitude changes as i can remember popping my ears a few times🙄! I think its a combination of everything going on in my life at the minute😫! Getting to sleep last night was quite difficult due to the sheer volume of the Tinnitus...i can usually fall to sleep without any difficulty! Its still quite loud today, fullness still in the right ear😥! Thank you
did the spike from the hearing aid setting appointment - did this come down? As this is what happened to me and I only wore the HA for 3 days and my T went to another level ( and still is 4 weeks later) - - I know HA are good for many people , so I can only say what happened to me.
Hi. The spike did settle i only wore the aids for 2 days but then stopped. I'm nearly sure it was the initial hearing aid setting apt that caused the spike and not wearing the aids themself. I was waiting until the spike went down to try them again but then this other spike happened so I'll hold out on trying them for the time being. I have to say that anxiety probably played a roll in that spike as i was dreading the apt with the audiologist with having to do a hearing test as all previous tests made the Tinnitus worse. Its one vicious cycle. Is your spike from the apt still present?
yes - it went to a different level after the HA fitting appntmt and has stayed on this new level for 4 weeks now - i could have done without the HA to be honest as i was doing ok before this - even though I had some hearing loss which never caused tinnitus before, my tinnitus was caused by a head bump and some mild concussion
i seem to have a reactive tinnitus which goes up with sounds , like traffic, music etc etc - so i have to be careful
I get that also sometimes like when I'm frying something or when a tap is running.....its very strange and annoying😥
what does ENT / Audiologist say about the current problems u are having as u mentioned "external sounds as they all sound distorted" - I was given hearing aids as that is the standard procedure and I stopped using them after 3 days (even though audiologist said I should keep going with these) sometimes u just have to trust your intuition on whats best for you.
They didn't say much to be honest. With the ENT in Kendal he did a hearing test which showed Low frequency hearing loss, blood test (all clear) and MRI also clear. He said that having LFHL was quite strange in someone my age so that's why the other tests were carried out. I saw an audiologist in Carlisle and we did yet another hearing test. It was there that i got the hearing aids and didn't wear them that long due to a spike from the setting up procedure...abit like yourself. I'm still trying to figure out the dizziness that I'm experiencing...am trying to get into the ENT department in Carlisle but that's proving difficult as my GP says that I'm already with the ENT dept in Kendal although Kendal can do no more for me apparently! I feel like I'm going around in circles😥. I keep thinking that the 2 might be linked somehow and if i can fix the dizziness it might relieve the tinnitus a little bit....they say not to stress but just trying to get the right person to help you is causing stress
Coming down with a cold? I started getting something similar last year?
Hi EireAtaxic thank you for your reply. I'm not too sure tbh, i feel fine but my 2 little ones have colds so maybe it is the onset of something. Can i ask how you resolved your symptoms?
I've had tinnitus for over 10 years which I haven't been able improve that so I can't help you with that. But last year it got worse and every time I got a head cold the hearing effectively went replaced by muffled sounds, I couldn't hear what people were saying. The sound of tyres rolling on the road drove me nuts. I have sinusitis as well and found saline rinses help, particularly Neilmed.
Hi. Feel for you. Could be the fatigue, background noise and overall stress...many of these you've said yourself...just reaching out to offer sympathy.
When my tinnitus is average then light background noise is good but when it is really bad I need total quiet and just lie down. I've got two hearing aids but just wear one.
Like you I drink decaff tea (I switch to this in the evening) and I am very close to being a non-drinker. I use a nasal spray if I feel a cold coming on. Some on this site have suggested B vitamins.
Hope you get some respite. There's no doubt it is hugely distressing and an extremely under-estimated condition.
Hop38 in reply to
Thank you for your reply Fuzzywuzzywasawoman! It certainly is a distressing condition and one I'm not coping with very well at the moment. Looking back now i think its bad now due to the travelling, that awful woman on the phone and just life in general😫! I've got to find a way to relax more and de stress....easier said than done😥
Hello there, I’ve just read all your very helpful posts from the others. Just like to add , see if you can take a day off from work and give yourself some extra sleep . I find extra rest and sleep helps me cope better with the T . I do agree with you it is an awful condition but it can be managed better if you get some extra sleep , this in turn will reduce your stress levels . I do wish you well and just remember your not alone . We are all here in the same boat !!!! 😃
Hi rabbits65 thank you for your reply. I do try to get as much sleep as i can but some nights its not manageable due to having a 3 year old. Tbh I'm afraid of naps as when I've had them in the past my T is just awful when i wake.....like it is in the morning when i wake up! Saying all that i might try and have a nap today and see how it goes. Thank you for your advice😊
Yes I find that too , most evenings I fall asleep with the TV on and when I lift my head up from the cushion it seems to make the T really bad. However I then walk about a bit and it goes back down again. Think it must be to do with the head position . In the morning I feel a bit off balance too . We just have to keep going . Your lucky to have your family young. Mine are all grown up with their own families 😊 🧒 but I have two bouncy poodles 🐩 🐩
I'm sure they keep you just as busy😊! Thank you for reaching out
Teddy and Lulu
My poodles
Aww look at them, their so cute😍! I'd say cozying into those 2 on a winter's night would make anyone feel better😊
we need more cuddly pet pictures to cheer us all up
I agree , do you have pets ? Are you feeling better this week
HI - i dont have any pets at present , in the past yes - as for feeling better , well not really
I know how you feel , I too struggle most days . I try my hardest to put T behind me but find that if I get tired ( have bad arthritis) so if I get tired it seems to make the tinnitus much worse. I get quite a bit of head pressure with mine too. Do you feel pressure?
Hi Hop38
I get this sometimes, when I am coming down with a cold or just get blocked up. The little tubes that run from your nose and throat, to your ears become glued up, so your ears can't pressurise properly, from my understanding, this then in turn effects the way your ear drum works and in turn because your tubes are blocked, the T will seem louder and your own voice will appear amplified and other sounds will appear different. These for me do settle and return to base line, it can take a few days though.
Stress is a massive T trigger, so you are probably a bit in the T loop at the moment, which in turn will make your hearing hyper sensitive and things will seem louder.
Remember how you have managed over the past 15 years and apply those management skills to this situation.
I am confident that you will be ok🙂.
Laters.
Matt
Hi Matt489 thank you for your reply. Do you do anything in particular to ease your symptoms? I put a warm compress over the ear when i went to bed last night....not sure if it helped but had to do something😳
Hi. I don't to be honest, I just try and concentrate on the fact that it will pass and sure enough it does.
Like you I have lived with T for many years,30 and counting, it's the emotional attachment to it that's key, especially when spikes are involved. Have faith it will pass, you have delt with it and lived with it for 15 years, so now will be no different. Unfortunately with T there are many many ups but sometimes we have to have the downs, that to me makes the ups even better.
You will be ok🙂.
Matt
Hi Matt thank you for your reply and optimism😊! I have had it for quite awhile but only started to really effect my life, in 2020. 2021 has been the worst it ever has been. I guess the most frustrating thing is that I don't know why it is getting worse. I do have Low frequency hearing loss and dizziness so i don't know if all of these are linked🤔! I was thinking I could have Meniere disease but all the professionals are saying no because i don't get all of the symptoms at once!! So who knows....I'm taking each day as it comes....it totally sucks but what else can i do!
Honestly our stories are similar, I have had what I would call 3 major changes in my T, the latest one in Feb/march of this year, so had to re learn alot of stuff about T, It seems that I could all be built up stress and anxiety for me over the past 10years, went for a hearing aid fitment and boom off it went again.
However there are so many more ways to help manage T now. CBT is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone. Seriously consider it, it doesn't matter how long you have been living with T, it works. I learned a great deal and it got me back on track.👍
Glad to hear your back on track again. I have signed up for a CBT course, started it and got to level 4 but and stopped it due to increasing Tinnitus and i couldn't concentrate. I will start it again when i get myself together🤞
Can i ask did you do your CBT face to face, like a type of counselling thing or online by yourself with 1-1's when needed?
I did mine online with Debbie Feathersone with 1-1 if needed. Keep going with the CBT, it's the way forward and can help you a great deal.
If I can help you or you have any questions, just ask.
Remember though, you are not on your own, we all get you.🙂
Thanks to Graz's reply. I have been suffering 18 years, though count myself lucky.I would add two items to his reply. Have you an ear wax problem? Apparently some specsavers check and clear it. The other i would add is an ear infection. Most are in the drum of the ear, visible to doctors, but they can appear manifest on the inside of the drum (antibiotics). Don't lose faith, stay calm, destress. We're all with you.
Hi Spurdog1 thanks for your reply. No I have never had an wax issues, whenever I have been seen by the doctor they always say that there is no wax build up. Or infection of any kind . . I sometimes hope they would find something so i could fix the problem😥 or at least try and bring down the inclusiveness of the Tinnitus
not disbelieving, but have you had a doc confirm no infection, or is it just because you feel good? If a doc has checked he may find redness around the drum?
I haven't seen a doctor as of yet with this issue. Getting to see my GP at the minute is a nightmare! If it doesn't settle in a few days I'll get in touch with them. I'm going to try some techniques to unblock the eustachian tubes that i found on Youtube. Wish me luck
Good move, exercises. massage (gently under the lobe between the neck and jawbone). not too much, overdoing can antagonise. also pulling your ear back and front, pull up from the top, and down via the lobe. Try popping your ear by moving the jaw forward and downward. All this in moderation.Specsavers would see inflammation (quicker than seeing your doc - i was told of earliest 10 days, cough cough!!)
So sorry to hear this Hop38, you have made a positive start by posting on here, the only thing I can add to the wonderful reply's on here is regarding the phone call.
I think rather than the call causing your Tinnitus spike, it is the other way around, it is the dreaded tinnitus that is causing you to be on edge.
Yesterday I spent 40 mins on a website trying to place an order without success, as a result I lost it and rang them up cancelling my account and I have put an awful report on Trust Pilot,
I am normally calm and blame the fact that I had had a poor night and my Tinnitus was screaming in my ears.
Take Care
Mike
Hi Mike i totally agree with that also...every simple task seems bothersome because all you can hear the tinnitus and it makes you so angry. If only we could all have no emotional response to it, that would obviously be half the battle. Im working on that with no success at the minute😥Thank you for reaching out
Hello, I’m so sorry that yours has spiked, to me stress and tiredness are key things.I hope it passes for you soon.
Keep talking and reaching out with others.
Very best Graham
Hi Hop38 So sorry . Tinnitus is a trial no doubt about it. There's so much good advice here already I don't think I can add anything. Please know you're not alone. This is a great place to be because everyone understands. Sending you a big hug 🙂
Hi doglover1973 thank you very much for your reply😊
But yourself a neilsmed sinus rinse and the sachets. Last year my T suddenly got worse, and I sounded deaf whenever I spoke and if I got in the car, it sounded like I was under water and had a lot of fullness and pain. Obviously doctors weren’t seeing patients so I had a phone call. Turns out I had Eustachian tube disfunction & doing the rinse throughout the day along with blowing my nose every hour, cleared it. There was a lot of crackling in my ears and after 24/48 hours, my T had returned back to its normal level. Hope this helps you
Hi farmerwife85 thank you very much for your recommendation. Can you get the rinse in a chemist?
Yep. I got mine from the pharmacy in Tesco. The only downside is you have to either use bottled water or cool boiled water. It feels horrible the first time, but I noticed a difference after the 2nd rinse
I use either neilmed sachets or spray, depending on what I need. The sachets are more effective imo.
Thank you😊
I really feel for you - I hope you have support close by in your life with family and friends to help you at home -
I do thank god. Well ppl are supportive as much as they can be i guess but ppl who suffer from this awful condition are the ones who really understand
I was wondering how u are doing now ? after your difficult time about 2 months ago -i hope there has been improvement
Hi Suz26 Happy New Year😁! I'm OK thanks.....Tinnitus is still as loud as ever but I'm feeling grateful for not having the awful hollow sensation....it's just so frustrating as I honestly don't know what causes it. I had Covid about 2 weeks ago and am really happy to say that it did not effect my Tinnitus🙂🙂! I had read other people's experiences whereby it made theirs worse so I was delighted when mine stayed at the same level as it was a major concern. How are you coping these days? Better I hope🤞 xx
Hi - Happy New Year to you - well my T is reactive and changed tone over past 4 weeks - been a very difficult 4 /5 weeks for me over Festive season - trying to sleep without the sleeping tablets which gives me about 3 to 5 hours per night - its difficult coz my tinnitus reacts to noise and goes up - does yr T react to sounds and goes up in volume ?
Sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment. Mine does sometimes, eg when I come home from a restaurant or from driving its louder but then settles down after awhile. I do find tho that with some noises it actually gets louder eg listening to certain songs on the radio or watching TV. It's a very strange thing. Can I ask why your not using the sleeping tablets anymore? X
trying to sleep without the Zopiclone as I was on these for too long
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