not coping well

[091960]

I am partially deaf in left ear. Damage to inner ear from strep an infection over a year ago & have very loud tinnitus which has got worse since December. Have had a hearing aid with the tinnitus app, in the past the hearing aid has masked the tinnitus during the day as there are other sounds, but at night it’s always worse. Just recently it’s got a lot louder. Habituation has not worked as my specialist said the tinnitus is my body’s reaction to the damage to the ear & will never get any better. I struggle when out socialising with everyone taking above everyone else & I struggle to hear above the tinnitus. How can I make it not be as loud? I can’t understand why it’s suddenly gone really loud or could it be a result of being ill with a chest infection over Christmas & having an awful cough that’s made it worse? I really don’t know & neither does my gp. Am thinking that when I get ill that the tinnitus will get worse. Has anyone else been like this please?

Thankyou for reading

[Antibiotic]

I must admit when I get a cold or a chest infection ,my tinnitus always gets worse but calms down eventually. Anxiety makes the tinnitus worse as well as adrenaline is rushing through your body. Talk to doctors regarding treating anxiety as this is what helped me

[Muleskinner]

Mine gets much worse when I'm ill. Or tired. Or stressed. I had a cold a couple of weeks back, it got very bad during that and now it's back to 'normal'.

As others say on here, the best and most reliable remedies are the mental ones. Do everything you can to take your mind off it, using masking sounds, mindfullness, find what works for you.

It annoys me when I hear of Doctors saying things like 'it won't get better' and 'there is no cure'. It can (and regularly does) get better, it can even go entirely (I know personally of someone whose Tinnitus disappeared after a couple of years). Also, the fact that there is no physical cure is due to the fact that there is no physical cause. In many respects that is a good thing. You are not damaged, it's just that your brain's got a bit confused!

Good luck and best wishes dealing with your T.

[091960 in reply to Muleskinner]

thankyou for the replies, I have tried CBT therapy & it really didn’t make much difference. I have been told by the top ear specialist at our local hospital that it will never go because of the damage in the inner ear. I’ve had to accept that there is nothing rude I can do except live with it & cope as best I can. At least I know that it will be worse when am ill so need to deal with it when it happens. I do relaxation techniques to help me mentally so that is a good thing.