Advice gratefully accepted!

[Lancslass53]

Hi I've had tinnitus for 30 odd years over the last few years my right ear and to a lesser extent my left ear feel blocked and the tinnitus is going for gold! My GP says there is no wax of note and took a swab but apparently this was lost! So no diagnosis. I went back and was told to get a hearing aid from Specsavers. The blockage does go away for a few weeks then comes back. I'm just at a loss as to what to do now

[rabbits65]

I know how frustrating all this is . In your case you will just have to wait and see what your tests reveal . My ears seem to get blocked and my tinnitus is awful too. Somebody on this site did say about the old fashion idea of putting your head over a steam bowl and inhale . You can add some breathing stuff in the water. You could try Ent clinic . But it’s all annoying and most uncomfortable I agree , I don’t know at times how I manage some days but I do cope with it all . Just 😆 😂 😂

[Lancslass53 in reply to rabbits65]

Hi thanks for your reply. The thing is they lost the swab they took from my ear and poo poohed having another done. You're right though, sometimes you wonder how you keep going .

[rabbits65 in reply to Lancslass53]

Presumably they should take another swab then . Just take one day at a time . Can you remember what might have triggered the start of your tinnitus 30 years ago?

[Happyrosie]

I’m assuming, Lancslass, that you live in the UK - in Lancs even! - and it seems that your doctor hasn’t realised that NICE issued fresh guidance to doctors on how they should deal with their patients presenting with T. The guidance came out just as Covid hit so it was perhaps easy to miss.You can find the guidance on the NICE website so I’d suggest you have a read and then go back to your practice armed with more information: you don’t need to go in with guns blazing, just tell your doc that maybe he or she can think again about how to help you.

It could well be that Specsavers might be part of the answer - I’ve heard that in some parts of the UK they do some of the audiology work for the NHS - but remember that you can get hearing aids on the NHS free.