ETD with tinnitus

[Amy_jane]

Hi, not sure if this is the right group. I’ve suffered with a mild form of tinnitus for about 9 years now and I’m only 26!

I cannot remember how it started but it has affected my life so much! Especially night time!

Recently I’ve been to doctors who has told me that I have sensitive hearing. I don’t believe it is that, I have been prescribed with Avamys. Googling my symptoms I’m hoping that the medication will help. So doing my research I believe I am suffering with ETD which stands for Eustachian tube dysfunction. I think this is the cause of my tinnitus! I have tried every home remedy possible to try and unclog my ears and no matter what I do nothing works!!! Should I just wait my time with my nasal decongestion and hope that it will help or should I do something else? Also if this is the wrong group does anyone know which group will be best for my issue?

Thank you all in advance.

[Jimmuck]

Hi Amy Jane,

You are in the right place for tinnitus so welcome to the club! I think a lot of folk, myself included have been down the nasal spray route as GP's tend to prescribe it as a first step when a patient presents with dull hearing, as they suspect it might be a blocked tube. In my case, it did nothing for me and the next step was ear wax removal which also achieved nothing. I was then referred to ENT for a hearing examination and due to my high frequency hearing loss, ( which I never realised I had) I ended up with two hearing aids. From experience, home remedies simply don't work and I have tried most of them, so I would advise going to see your GP as soon as possible. It could well be a blockage and I hope it is but it's best to get a referral to ENT and have a full examination. If sleeping is becoming a problem, you can get various machines to mask the noise or you could ask the doctor for a low dose of anti depressant like Amitriptyline which calms down the central nervous system and also acts like a mild sedative. It helped me in the early panic stages of tinnitus and a lot of people on here are also use it. I know it's hard, but try and stay calm as getting stressed about it only makes things a lot worse. Try and avoid Googling tinnitus remedies as well as it will only focus your brain on it even more. Relax with some soft background music, get outdoors as often as possible and unwind before bedtime with a hot bath or shower. I hope you find some peace soon. Best wishes.

Jimmuck

[Amy_jane in reply to Jimmuck]

Hi thank you for your reply!

It was the ENT specialist that I saw last week. This is the second one I’ve seen in 4 years and both haven’t been helpful, I get the feeling from them like I’m lying?! It’s so frustrating, every time I swallow I can hear clicks in both ears, every so often I can hear a loud long winded beep in my ear. And I can lose my hearing in one ear at a time that comes back within minutes. I can’t sleep on a pillow as I can hear my heartbeat in my ear. I can’t pop my ears the normal way and end up in pain if I try. I’ve had a CT scan last month and the ENT doctor was unable to locate my scans!! So I’ve got to follow it up. When I said to him what I can do to get rid of the noises I can hear he just said that I have sensitive hearing and it will go in time 😑.... this is why I am trying to take the matter in my hands and see if there is a way I can help myself as doctors have proven themselves to be useless for my issue. I will be patient with the Avamys nasal spray and see how I am in 3 months time.... I am praying that this will somehow unclog my tube! :,(

[KazuJin]

Hi Amy,

I had mine almost 2 years. Mine comes together with something called Meniere's disease. I got all of that with vertigo, balance problem with tinnitus in a package. Talk about bad luck heh.

I managed with help got myself to balance and I'm feeling way much better now. I can at least ride my bike etc. As for tinnitus, it sticks with me.

Luckily for me, over time - my tinnitus frequency sounded like sssssssssttt..... a sound similar to night skies on a grassy park. So, I just imagine myself in night park camping while I try to sleep.

At bad days, it does get louder - then I will use some tinnitus masking "app" on my phone to help me cope. I find the raining drops and night skies works best for me. And sometimes, if I get the chance, I'll dip myself into the quiet pool where all sounds outside is dampened and splashes from water drips is soothing for me.

I always felt better after a swim. Just sharing hope it helps

[NicTinnitus]

Hello and welcome to the British Tinnitus Association forum Amy_jane. 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

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)

[drspectra]

please continue to do steaming. also use nasal cartesteroid twice a day. Frocsone nasal spray. Stuffy ears issue will get resolved. there is some inflamattion and swellingm all the best. generally 4 to 6 weeks is required. dont do any valsalva etc.

[sds111]

Hi, just come across your post as i've been prescribed the same spray. Can I ask if it helped resolve or improved your tinnitus in the end please? Thanks