strategies

[Sky08]

hi everyone. I’m new to this forum.

I’m wondering if anyone has some coping strategies for tinnitus?

Since COVID I’ve had it severe and it’s taken over my life I’ve seen an audiologist who has given me hearing aids to mask abit of it. It does help a tiny bit but all depends on how loud it is at the time. Sometimes it’s in both ears and head a then other times it’s in either ear. I’ve had constant ear infections since it all started and waiting to be seen by ENT. How do people cope living with T ?

Thanks all.

[doglover1973]

Hello Sky08 Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you've got tinnitus post Covid. It gets easier to live with T over time as you get used to the sound(s). Here are the my three top tips. First try to stay as calm as possible by doing things that helps you relax. Second use natural sounds or soft instrumental music to distract yourself. Third consider a talking therapy - like CBT - if you need extra help. All these things helped me in the long run.

[Sky08 in reply to doglover1973]

Thank uuu for your response. I really do hope it will vanish some day. It’s so hard and frustrating.

I will try out what you have suggested and maybe look in to the CBT.

[Happyrosie]

As doglover1973 says, Sky08, the tinnitus does get easier over time and indeed it could vanish.

Doglover has given you top tips. And I absolutely agree with what she says.

You can read more within the website of Tinnitus UK.

Do be aware that there are no "cures" and any ads that you see giving cures are just ready to take your money and run. There are organisations that, for a fee, might help - for instance, my local audiologist (where I pay to have my ears suctioned) runs courses. And he charges for them. But people do benefit from the help he gives. He trains people to change their own perception of tinnitus and therefore it troubles them less. There are also self-help groups - details are on the Tinnitus UK website.

[Sky08 in reply to Happyrosie]

yes I’ve seen loads of ads for cures. I’ve not fell for it. It’s hard to come to terms with that there is no cure. :(. I will have a look also in to the self help groups. Thank uuu.

[Threeminuteboy]

Hi , first off I'd keep pursuing the medical profession to get your ear infections sorted out , any kind of ear blockage or eustacian tube infection can cause T so there is a chance when infection free it could go . I was told 6-8 months to see an ENT but spent £200 for a private consultation which was about 3 weeks wait so I'd call your local private hospital and ask . If you have just got T anyway and the infections are not related to it you can learn to live it and then volume goes down but it can take a long time . Training your brain yourself is the answer and doing anything that makes you feel good or takes your mind off it even for a few seconds to start with will build up your defenses to it . Getting stressed feeds it , I can hear mine go up straight away when suddenly faced with work stress or bad news or any kind of mental pressure .

[Sky08 in reply to Threeminuteboy]

Thank you 😊. I will have a look in to seeing a private ENT , least Maybe I will get questions faster . Have you ever flown on a plane with your tinnitus? If so how was it ? I know that for mine stress does trigger it and makes it louder

[Threeminuteboy in reply to Sky08]

Hi Yes I've flown with it and its not been a big problem for me on the plane , it gets louder during the landing and take off but I think that is stress , stress from the fear of crashing ha ha . I went to Portugal 6 weeks ago and it was really loud landing and going through the airport but as soon as i got to the hotel had a swim and lay on a sun bed with a glass of wine it went way down again .

[Sky08 in reply to Threeminuteboy]

haha there’s always that what if when you go on a plane isn’t it. Sun and beach 🏝️ must of been relaxing. I have a flight booked for July and I’m so apprehensive because of the tinnitus an also if I have an ear infection. Which I read that u shouldn’t fly with an ear infection. But this is google, google always tells us different things. 😂

[Beesmac]

Hello Sky08 - I haven’t a lot more to add to what the others have said apart from try and distract yourself as much as possible. It will certainly try and rule your life. I know when mine started I went through so many different emotions and thought I would never cope, but I do. I found reading as much as I could on Tinnitus helped me to understand what was going on. Hopefully if you can get the ear infections under control it may well disappear. Although we all know there is no cure for Tinnitus if you are feeling really depressed about it perhaps your GP can give you something to help. I have 2mg of Diazepam - it doesn’t help the Tinnitus but does take away the panicky feeling I occasionally get. I don’t take them often but just knowing I have them helps. X

[Sky08 in reply to Beesmac]

Thank uuu. I’ve been suffering two years with this and it does take its toll. I’ve stayed strong for my kids which helps but when it’s so loud. Wow. Hope yours isn’t so bad now.

[Beesmac in reply to Sky08]

I’m sure you will find you get good and bad days. When it’s bad I just tell myself that tomorrow will be better! There are things I know to avoid like noisy environments so it must be hard coping with children always on the go. Good luck, we won’t let it beat us. x

[Sky08 in reply to Beesmac]

thank you 😊I hope you have more good days now. X

[norcar]

I also got tinnitus post covid about 4 months ago. I am gradually learning to live with it because there is no certainty that it will go although it may be possible in the short term. I have tried ENT specialist - absolutely no use apart from confirming my ears were normal. Also, MRI showed no other cancer issues (mine is on the right hand side. ). I also got a hearing test. Mine are pretty normal so hearing aids are unlikely to be useful. I have also flown (to Italy and back). I used sound cancelling head phones and everything was OK. Note though that if you have an ear infection and your eustachian tubes are blocked and pressure can't be normalised you could get v. bad pain. After reading extensively the recurring solution seemed to be either mindfulness or BCT. I found an app called Oto that is about the best site I have found (apart from this forum) that trains you in this technique. I am not here to advertise - I have no interest in it personally - but it really is the best site I have found so far. They offer a month's free trial (after that £10 per month). The DR who founded it has tinnitus so understands and they offer regular webinars on various aspects of tinnitus management. Has anyone else found this site and if so feedback would be interesting? All the best in your journey and it does get better - I was almost suicidal at first.

[Sky08 in reply to norcar]

hi ya.

I too had an mri but was all normal, the doctors have sent me a letter out to join an online support for few weeks for long covid sufferers. I will have a look at the app u suggested. tinnitus makes you feel so low that I relate to feeling endless frustration with it. We just have to keep reminding ourselves to stay strong. As hard as it is.

[camino9]

Hi Sky, I have become a willing recluse. Being in my own company relaxes my nervous system. The noise of T makes me weary and thus it is an effort to be around people; engaging in conversation is draining and any kind of talking therapy is absolutely no help to me at all. The mind is powerful, however, and it is important to allow T to become your allie. The proverbial glass half full.

[Sky08 in reply to camino9]

it can make you feel so depressed. Ino. engaging in conversation is tiring because you can’t concentrate on what the other person is saying or you lose track. I find i struggle with that because of the tinnitus being so loud. So you lock yourself away but then the anxiety kicks in when you have to go out a get things done. T. takes over.

[Happyrosie in reply to Sky08]

remember, though Sky that about one in ten of us have tinnitus so if you’re struggling to hear it’s quite possible that the other person with whom you are in conversation understands if you tell them.