Hearing loss and tinnitus and driving

[roorockle]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum so would just like to relate my journey. I started in June with sudden unilateral hearing loss, vertigo and terrible tinnitus.The first couple of months have been horrendous, not helped by the fact that I could not be seen in a timely manner by the NHS. I eventually had to go private to be seen by ENT.I am now coming to terms with this condition and am so pleased to have found this forum as I now don't feel as quite alone.one problem I am finding is that if I travel for a long distance in the car, over an hour, I feel terrible for a few days after, my tinnitus is off the scale along with dizziness' and sickness. Has anyone else noticed this and is there anything you have found that helps.

[Happyrosie]

hello roorockle and welcome to this community. If you browse through some posts here you will find lots of comments and suggestions, and if you have any parti on concerns you can post them here.

As you have indeed. I have not experienced your car journey problems as such. However, the primitive part of your brain is probably seeking a noise to compensate for the noise of your journey when that noise stops. My tinnitus does that after a coach or a plane journey, but if wears off after a few hours or days. But I dont feel dizzy and sick.

If you sheet done so already, I’d strongly recommend you go to the website of Tinnitus UK the specialist charity.

[roorockle in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you x

[Yoga62]

Hi roorockle, I have had tinnitus, vertigo, and nausea for years now and if I am in the car for longer than half an hour my Tinnitus has doubled in volume and I suffer for days, sometimes weeks , like Happy Rosie said it’s your brain trying to compensate for the noise it’s use to.

I have been prescribed Prochlorperazine for the dizziness and nausea which I only take when I have these attacks after a long car journey and it helps a little.

Sorry I am not much help but you are not alone and this forum is a great place to visit when times get rough, it’s been a life saver for me.

Best wishes.

[roorockle in reply to Yoga62]

Thank you it is so good to hear other peoples experiences and advise x

[Darren6]

Hi roorockle,Welcome to the forum, your journey sounds very similar to what i went through. sudden unilateral hearing loss, severe vertigo and tinnitus. Driving would make my tinnitus spike and I would feel exhausted for days.

My thoughts for you would be that you are still in the early stages of tinnitus recovery and whilst it is very hard, have comfort that this will get easier. For me, the vertigo was the first to ease. It took months for it to completely subside but week by week the vertigo appeared less.

I saw a private audiologist after around 6 months and this helped me on a path to management with CBT and Sound therapy. Approx 18 months after the onset i had improved lots to a point where i didint notice the tinnitus and noises such as a car had little to no affect on me. This is known as Habituation.

There are many things you can do to help manage your symptoms and help you towards habituation but it does take time and a lot of willpower. The posters on this forum will help you not feel alone with this and there is some great advice on here.

Tinnitus is very much linked to stress so do the best you can to keep stress low. Get good sleep if possible, eat well, relax etc. Acceptance is also key, don't search for a cure. Tinnitus is most likely here for the long term but know that it will fade into the background at some point and just become an annoying sound you hear sometimes.

There are monthly online support groups via zoom that are run by tinnitus UK, i run one of these and may be useful if you want to meet others and share your thoughts.

It will get better over time and the effort you put in can speed up this process.

I wish you well.

[roorockle in reply to Darren6]

Thank You so much, I think I am just about accepting now and just learning to cope.

I will look up the support group as talking to people does help x

[waterfalls123456]

Driving is a nightmare for me. Driving long distance across the county on the school run left me with exhaustion. No one gets this unless they too are deaf and have tinnitus. The concentration required was immense. I always have the radio on to try & relax me ....

[roorockle in reply to waterfalls123456]

Thank you, I thought that it was just me x

[roorockle in reply to waterfalls123456]

Is it any different if some one else drives you. I live in the northwest and my mum lives in Dorset and I need to drive to be able to see her.

[waterfalls123456 in reply to roorockle]

I woukd look at how comfortable your car is and the seating. Let everyone know you are the priority.... play mood enhancing music. Have breaks when you want .. not sure re passenger.... but that must be a 6hr journey ... there's always tge coach or train with a disability rail card

[roorockle in reply to waterfalls123456]

thank you, have you tried train or coach x