hi. My husband has tinnitus and is really struggling with it. He’s very frustrated that no one can help it go away. Some days are worse than others. Today he’s described a fly in his ear and then a lawnmower. Does anyone have any good tips on how to support him, or anything that might help him.
It really impacts on his mental health and is short tempered.
thank you!
sarah
Has your husband been to the doctor to check for ear wax and other conditions, such as hearing loss or fluid on the ear? It would be worth doing that.
Tinnitus is always a struggle when new and you just wish it would just go away. As time goes on, you get used to it, a process called habituation in which the brain no longer considers it a threat and ignores it. You may then only notice it if you listen out for it. But this requires patience.
The sound of a fly in the ear doesn't sound nice at all. If the tinnitus is changing, it might be still evolving before it settles down. A lawnmower noise seems more tolerable, especially if distant. I tend to think that tinnitus that sounds like real-world noises are easier to cope with - if you can associate your tinnitus with an everyday noise that is non-threatening, you can learn to live with it more easily.
The best approach for habituation is try not to give the tinnitus too much attention - easier said than done! In the daytime, he should try to keep busy to keep his mind on other things. At night, masking/distraction sounds can help with getting to sleep - some people like white-noise but others prefer natural sounds, such as waves on the seashore.
In terms of supporting your husband I think one of the best things to do is to listen to him and take his tinnitus seriously. Part of the problem for tinnitus sufferers is other people just failing to understand and acknowledge what they are going through.
Thank you so much. I guess it’s a learning curve of coping mechanisms for us both!
He has seen audiologist and now has hearing aids in both ears he had hoped that might help, but it doesn’t really seem to he’s going back to hearing aid place today
I totally share your husbands feelings. A local tinnitus support group is helpful . Also the doc can refer you to audiologist and tinnitus centres, its a slow process though and thats what I struggle with
I’ll investigate local tinnitus centre. Thank you
I’ll investigate local tinnitus centre. Thank you
I really sympathise with your husband. I remember when I first developed tinnitus, 3 years ago now, because of the covid vaccine. I spent a year going to specialists, having tests etc. And I rember one doctor telling me sometimes medicine does mot have the answers. For me it only started to get better when I accepted it and started to work towards habituation and living with tinnitus. For the most part, my tinnitus no longer bothers me. I have triggers that make it worse, and sometimes it is just worse for no reason. I don't get upset about. I went from wanting to end it all, to now, often just forgetting I have tinnitus at all! This is a common story for sufferers, initially tinnitus is tremendously traumatic. But you do recover, you do habituate and you do get your life back, it takes time but have trust in the process.
Hi, I'm newish on here...but I've shared about my Pulsatile Tinnitus. I've accepted the fact that it will probably never go away completely. Mine started Feb 24, out of nowhere! I have a pierced eardrum in my left ear along with ringing, and the PT is in my right ear. I've had my ears microsuctioned, and am still awaiting an appointment for ENT which was an urgent referral. The PT definitely affects my mental health and it's at its worst first thing in the morning and when I go to bed.....obviously because there's no other sounds about to interrupt the banging.It has given me panic attacks but I'm learning to control it now. Sometimes the noise breaks up and I get a crackling sound. It went away for 10 seconds last march and I thought I'd nailed it! ...*sigh*.....you'd be surprised the amount of people that have tinnitus. Anyway, it is what it is and I'm living with it. Who knows? It may go away one day. I think the sad part of it all is that I may never know what silence is like again. But the more one thinks about it the louder it becomes. It's there, it'll likely be there forever so I've got to get over it.
Acceptance is the key for me. By the way, I had Astra Zenica when it came out during covid and 3 weeks later developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and was in hospital for 10 days. I had no balance, couldn't walk, couldn't urinate . All I can say is thank God for blood donors. I can't give my rare blood anymore as meds I'm on won't allow it. But I was on a drip for three days and the consultant told me that I had £28,000 worth of other people's antibodies. I'll be forever grateful for the NHS. I'm 72 in a few days time and I'm zipping around like a 10 year old! Good luck.
It's good to know you're feeling active. Congratulations! When I was 10 it was very difficult for me to sit still other than when I was at school! In those days we were petrified into each sitting at our own desk without a sound but playtimes we would buzz around like bees ....
