I posted here for the first time a few hours ago where I gave some detail about when I first started experiencing tinnitus and got a lot of great replies that gave me courage but it's diminishing by the minute. Could you tell me if it gets better with time or does it stay just as distressing? Sorry if I am annoying but I really don't know how to handle this. And I am not talking about a cure. I have come to peace with that. I am just talking about being able to live a tolerable life.
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ShrewdMushroom
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Hello again. As Pat said in his first response to you, the noise does become less obvious as time goes on. It becomes less distressing indeed. There are thousands or millions of people in the UK alone whoāve come to terms with T. Please donāt think you are annoying to us hereā¦ so many people have been through it and come out the other side.
Have I said already to you to read the British tinnitus association websitesāTake on Tinnitusā?
First of all , thank you for replying š. Secondly, you did. I did check out the tester and it was very informative. I especially liked the slide that said that it subsided with time( helped me to self soothe for a bit). Also how does one focus with it? I tried to do some preparation for my college admission test but like 40% of the time I was focused on the tinnitus(granted I didn't try to mask the noise at all).
Many good things take constant practice. To get good at sport you practice. To do well in exams you work hard and go over your work again and again. To concentrate on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or meditation or controlled breathing, takes constant practice and effort. Thatās life.
Hi, ShrewdMushroom, I think the problem here is that studying is something that you have to do rather than something that you want to do - hence the tinnitus becomes intrusive. Try taking breaks to do something fun to calm the tinnitus. I play AngryBirds Reloaded. Bizarre as it sounds it works for me. And that's the nub of the matter - finding what works, as we are all different. All the best, and good luck.
Hi there. The early days of T are very tough. Keep posting as often as you need to . In answer to your question: It does get better . Absolutely. CBT is the way to go - if you can access it. Are you in the States? If so check out Dr Hubbard. A CBT therapist who has tinnitus.
I am in eastern Europe. Close to Dracula to be more precise yet remain ambiguous. How does one focus with tinnitus during the day? I tried to study without sounds but I keep noticing it.
It's not easy to focus on anything at first because all you can think about is the noise in your ears. This will change over time as you adapt & adjust to the noise/s . One thing you can do is have very low level sound in the background to take your attention away from the T . Hope that helps .
I know it seems impossible now but it does get easier. My tinnitus came on quite suddenly in March - very loud hissing about 80% in left ear and 20% in right. I was in panic mode thinking I could never lead a normal life or sleep or eat again. But I did. It's still the same but have learned for it not to rule my life. Positive thinking is key. Do the hobbies you love. For me that included swimming, running and cycling which make you feel good too. Distraction is good for me too - radio on during the day, white noise (I like rainwater sounds) or fan at night. Good luck and try to stay calm.
You're doing the right things. It does get easier. Acceptance is the first step in the right direction. We all have different experiences, so I'm afraid it's going to be a case of looking for what works for you. There are many claims out there. Not only about cures but living with it. The BTA are the best source of information, even if it's not what you want to hear (excuse the pun). All the best.
In a few months you will be having a normal happy life again , the main things to focus on is distractions such as music or I like to hear hairdryer noise on my phone on low level ( never use earphones or headphones their very bad for Tinnitus) using music or white noise like a hairdryer helps me focus to read or do my work.
Secondly think positive I know this is harder to do but it really helps try to focus on doing something until you have got used to it don't just sit in a quiet room do things that will keep you busy and away from your Tinnitus.
I don't take many vitamins like most I just take vitamin C and that's it and I've been ok but it does help some when they take more.
Eat as clean as you can I find that coffee and to much salt annoy mine but chocolate ( I'm talking dark 70% or above) seems to help my Tinnitus but everyone is different , for some eating rubbish food can make theirs worse so try to eat clean and see if it helps.
Iāll say to you what I wished someone had told me when my T started many years ago.
I might not have fully understood then and might have been cross/upset (didnāt like it) but over the years of having this hideous condition, and after much reflection, it was what I needed to hear. (For me!)
To be honest somedays are just harder.Try to find the better days and figure out what changed them into harder days.
(Stress/over tired/emotional/lack of fresh air and exercise)
Try to get time to rest and find distractions.
T seems to be one of the few medical conditions where distractions are one form of solution.
T can be a self centred condition where no one understands, thatās a big one for me.
Try to notice it and reduce it if possible.
Look at you life and see where the stress comes and ātryā to reduce it.
(I know easily said than done)
Take some comfort in that T isnāt the worst medical condition a Dr could tell you that you have.
Be kind and thoughtful to others as this is more positive for you than you could imagine.
Finally, remember tomorrow is a new day. A fresh start and tomorrow maybe the day some genius in a white lab coat finds a better cure than distraction.
Honestly I wish you well and really hope you can find relief. Look into sound pillow if night times are difficult and keep talking to others.
I still work because I have to. I honestly donāt have a choice. Even though my T is horrific/terrible as itās so loud and constant. Caused by a virus years ago that took away my sense of smell and taste as a bonus gift. All theses years I cannot smell or taste fresh bread, coffee, mowed grass! For me because the the T is just āoff the scaleā I just donāt care I cannot taste or smell again. Which if youād told me before the T I would have not believed it was possible. So the T is very very hard and most days I force myself to keep finding a good reason to ābe hereā in the world tomorrow. As a bonus I have a severe clinical depression caused by this chronic T and I just want it to stop. I fight the āgive into my get out life planā as I have to keep positive that tomorrow is a new day and new hope. I donāt know what else to do.
I hope you did not think my advice list was āharshā as that was not my intention.
For me the pillow and sound machine really helps with the silence in the nighttime.
Hello to you ShrewdMushroomYou have some very good posts on here. Re read them again as it will always help. There is no more for me to add . The brain and nervous system will adapt itself , it may take a few months . Remember that you are not alone with this condition. 1 in 8 people suffer with it to some degree . Book in with the Ent department , and audiology dept. good to get checked .
Thanks for the reply. I actually have an appointment with my ent in about an hour. He told me to get some stuff checked out in a lab before going to him and the person who did the reviewing told me that there are signs of me recovering from infection so hopefully this helps him figure something out.
Hey(again) . Went to the ent and he told me that I have an infection and prescribed mr antibiotics. Will the tinnitus go away once the infection is dealt with?
Well I think you have a good chance it might settle the tinnitus down . Be patient and get the infection better first . Try and keep calm as tinnitus thrives on stress. Take all the antibiotics course to the end .
Hi Shroom, no problem posting again, when you first get T it can be very distressing.
One thing that helped me when I first got T was understanding that I (and pretty much all of us) are in fight/flight emotional mode when we first get T. We go from not having this sound in our heads to then having a perception of sound with no external source. This kicks off the fight/flight emotional state which dumps those fight/flight hormones which then makes us feel so stress, anxious, depressed, etc. The best way I found to deal with this was practice a combination of relaxation and distraction techniques. I used exercise, body scans and breathing exercises (and eventually cognitive reframing when I did CBT), sound therapy (ensure I am not masking my T) and psoitive reinforcement. A really good place to start is here tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-an...
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