NEW TINNITUS SUFFERER

[SueSMAS]

i woke up one morning 7 weeks ago with this hissing in my ear after suffering from a head cold. I visited GP and she said I had a small amount of wax in ear and it was probably not causing the tinnitus. A couple of weeks later I was having a bad time not sleeping, etc so a made another appointment and saw another GP, this past week, who said I had quite a bit of wax and prescribed ear drops. Since then my ears have got much louder. Do I carry on with these drops, I could not bear it if the noises got any worse. She has said that if things did not improve after 2 weeks she would refer me to the ear department.

[NicTinnitus]

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

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

tinnitus.org.uk

- especially our page on ear wax - tinnitus.org.uk/ear-wax

takeontinnitus.co.uk

Helpline 0800 018 0527 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) (outside the UK you can call [phone])

Warmest wishes

Nic (BTA Communications Manager and Forum Administrator)

[berry76]

Definitely sounds as though you are hearing your inner head noises because your ear canals are bunged up and the outside world isn't reaching you - get rid of that wax as soon as possible ....by microsuction preferably.

Good luck!

[Jimmuck]

Hi Sue. I am fairly new to tinnitus as well, as mine developed within the past few months so I know how you must be feeling. Like yourself, I went into a blind panic when the volume just ramped up to a relentless, high pitched piercing whistle and nothing I did seemed to make any difference. My GP suggested I use olive oil for a couple of weeks, to soften a wax build up prior to having my ears syringed. I was praying this would make the tinnitus disappear but unfortunately it didn't. It might well work for you and I hope it does but if it doesn't, don't despair as things will get better for you eventually. Hard as it might be, try not to panic or dwell on the noise as it only makes matters worse and try and keep yourself busy doing things that focus your mind elsewhere. Avoid quiet places and if you can, have some soft background music playing or a TV on. Once you have been tested and assessed by ENT you will probably be referred to an audiologist and in my case, they were a great help. I was eventually fitted with two hearing aids and while I still have the tinnitus, most days it just fades into the background. Everyone on the forum is on the same journey and you'll find tons of advice, information and support from fellow sufferers. Take care and keep your chin up!

[SueSMAS in reply to Jimmuck]

Thank you for being so positive. I don't think its the wax being the problem as I have never had a problem with wax and the first doctor I saw didn't think it a problem. Unfortunately being referred by ENT is way down the line as I cannot even get an appointment with my GP at the moment. I do try to keep busy but as I am retired its not always possible. There are good days and bad and I do try and avoid quiet places. Hopefully things will get better.

[Jimmuck]

Hi Sue,

I am also retired and although I have several hobbies, most of them are of the outdoors variety so it depends on the weather as to whether I can enjoy them. At the moment we have three feet of snow so I am stuck indoors and I don't fancy taking up snowboarding at my age! I would keep trying to get another appointment with your doctor and when you see them explain that you are struggling to cope with your tinnutus. I was very fortunate in getting an early ENT referral as my GP was very sympathetic and she pushed things along very quickly for me. It took several weeks for me to finally see an audiologist but it was worth the wait. I hope you continue to have some quieter days and I look forward to hearing about your progress. Best wishes.

[SueSMAS in reply to Jimmuck]

Thank you for you reply. The problem with me is that I am an anxious person normally so this is probably not helping. My GP told me to see her in a couple of weeks and now I find that she is on holiday and won't be back for 3 weeks and that is making me anxious. Once I know she has referred me to the ENT I will know something is happening even though I know chances of getting a quick appointment is slight. However on a positive note spring is on the way (hopefully) and I can get into the garden and will be able to get out more and I know that the warmer weather will make me feel better. I will let you know how things progress but this may be slow in coming. I've had some awful days but some are quiet. I was given an echodot for xmas and can access some sleep sounds so I now put on my headphones so I can get a decent night's sleep. Best wishes to you.