my story with T

[lynstone60]

Hi Everyone .I am a 61 year young female and just over 4 weeks ago i finished my shift in my busy warehouse and noticed a ringing in my left ear ,this came out of the blue from absolutely no where ,i have never had Tinnitus ever before . I have to add that i do suffer with severe Health Anxiety which i have had pretty much all my life . I didn't really worry about the T until after a few days it didn't seem to be going away ,so this is when my HA kicked in big time . i contacted my doc (telephone only due to the current situation) and because i had some mild vertigo symptoms a while ago she wanted to send me for a MRI to rule out acoustic neuroma and any tumours on my brain stem . wow my HA was through the roof at this point and because of this i was seen within two weeks ,i had the MRI on 4th sep and i got my results on the 7th ,i am pleased to report that everything came back all clear thank god . i am not sure what is going to happen now ,perhaps i will be referred to a ENT . The ringing seems to completely stop at night and after i have eaten something . i am due a hearing test next week at boots hearing so i will see if i have any hearing loss in my left ear as this can cause tinnitus sometimes . the ringing gets louder if i yawn or move my jaw from left to right ,i can also stop the ringing if i put my head on my chest ,this is so weird . is their anyone else on here who has similar symptoms ? would love to here from anyone really . Thank you for reading this x

[Happyrosie]

Hello lynstone and I’m sorry you have these symptoms.

Everyone’s tinnitus is different from everyone else’s. You’ve done, or are going to do, all the right things to eliminate nasties lurking,

Anxiety may well cause the ringing to be more noticeable, so you need to distract yourself.

As a HA person I expect you know about breathing techniques and I’d urge you to persist with breathing exercises, they do help!

I wish you all the best

[daverussell]

I'm glad they ruled out anything serious. It rarely is anything serious (relatively speaking, of course). The auditory nerve and stress are indeed linked. Hearing loss or stress alone can cause tinnitus. Stress on top on tinnitus (and/or hyperacusis) just make it worse. Bereavement, for example, can be a trigger. It's what made mine significantly worse when my sister passed away last year.

In a nutshell the next steps are learning to live with it, unfortunately. However, easier said than done. It can temporary, but don't count on it - a bonus if it is. You "should" have been offered a referral to a audiologist. They can help with assisted or self-help therapies, or aids. Maybe get in touch with hem again, or through your GP, but do try/insist on speaking to the audiologist at ENT.

It is common for jaw movement to affect the volume/tone/pitch of tinnitus.

The BTA website is fantastic, but I strongly recommend the book Living with Tinnitus and Hyperacusis, by Dr Baguley, et al, g.co/kgs/Q7BgkX. Its 10 years old, but gives a good amount of detail on the causes of tinnitus and things you can do.

The key is to remember it's your journey, but don't feel like your alone. I'm a teacher and say to the students, "everyone needs help at some point in their lives."

All the best.

[lynstone60 in reply to daverussell]

Hi I'm so sorry for your loss and thank you for your reply .I will be speaking with my GP today to see what is next .some days it's quiet some days not .I will certainly look into the book you mentioned .best wishes to you also x

[doris22 in reply to daverussell]

Thank you for giving me some insight. I have had T now for just over a year and it did start after a very stressful time of on going situations and now my mind seems to be ultra anxious. I only have it in left ear and was due to go for a hearing test but that was cancelled due to Covid and I am waiting for another appointment. Wishing you well. Regards Sue

[lynstone60 in reply to doris22]

Hi Sue .mine is in my left ear only .started 4 weeks ago .I have been lucky to get MRI to rule out anything nasty all came back clear .I am having hearing test next Tuesday at boots hearing so I will see if I have lost any hearing in my left ear ...my doc is not refering me to ent she just says I have tinitus and has ruled out tumours .if I get to the point where I can't cope anymore then she will refer me to ent .x

[doris22 in reply to lynstone60]

I see. I think I am seeing ent but they do a hearing test first. The hospital here cancelled my appointment in June. I think I need to chase them up now. Feeling a bit forgotten. Good luck. Regards Sue

[lynstone60 in reply to doris22]

Have you had MRI or CT scan ?

[doris22 in reply to lynstone60]

No, I was not offered one. Maybe that would have been next if my hearing was okay. Sue

[lynstone60 in reply to doris22]

Must be different in parts of the country .I'm in Northamptonshire .my doctor said I needed MRI before being referred to ent .not sure why .take care let me know how you get on .where you from ? X

[doris22 in reply to lynstone60]

Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, Nearest major hospital an hour away. Just have cottage hospitals here. Sue

[daverussell in reply to lynstone60]

As I've come to understand from trawling forums, the ENT does not deal with Tinnutus, but any underlying (physical) problems. I think that's what many people feel disappointed after their ENT appointment. However, they can refer you to an Audiologist who can offer some solutions to help relieve Tinnitus.

At least for the most part "Acceptance is key", as trite as that now sounds.