Last Sunday out of nowhere this high pitched ringing/static sound started for me. It's really thrown me off as I'm also a university student trying to get assignments done before Xmas and I can't concentrate without thinking about the sound! My husband is away on a military deployment and I'm home with 3 children it's like the icing on the cake for me right now.
I had a hearing test yesterday I booked it as my anxiety was taking over about the cause although I've had no issues with my hearing and that all came back perfect and normal which is a good thing of course but I'm still not the wiser to why I have this and it's just getting me down.
Any advice would be much appreciated or any words of wisdom of how to tackle this. Trying to stay positive and happy as Xmas is round the corner for my boys but I feel at a loss in myself
Many thanks
Helen
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Helen89W
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Hi Helen it’s probably stress that has caused your issues, it sounds like you have a lot going on. Do you have anyone family or friends that can help you at the moment? Long showers, hit baths and doing something you enjoy if you get the time can help, you will get through this
No I don't have any help or support unfortunately it's just me and the kids. I have started to think after reading up about this that it might be stress induced. The idea of having this forever freaks me out. It's not something I've ever experienced for this long before.
It will improve with time, mine is not great but when I look back I was bad at the beginning and like you have very little family to support. You can private message me if that helps, also Tinnitus.org have a befriending scheme and they can match you with someone who knows what it’s like.
Unfortunately, Tinnitus.org are very bad at helping with finding someone to become a befriended. I have contacted them on at least 2 occasions but they have never bothered to contact me.
Based on my personal experience of tinnitus (T) and from what I've read, including the (many) excellent posts from regular contributors on Health Unlocked, I wondered if you might find the following useful.
I picked up on three things about your particular situation. Number 1: you are under stress from three sources. Absence of your partner, responsibility for three children and studying for university. I think (not being medically trained at all) that you are experiencing a perfect storm. Any one of these issues, let alone three of them together, can result in rather a lot of tension. Number 2: Tension contracts muscles and puts them into a constant state of alert. Muscle tension, especially in the head, neck and shoulders, causes headaches and can manifest as acute-onset head noise. It is called referred T, or somatosensory T, where a non-ear related issue is interpreted by the brain as 'noise', which triggers the auditory nerve. Number 3: you are studying and, I bet, using a computer and possibly smartphone as well. Both can lead to postural problems that cause muscle tension and strain directly affecting the neck, which is the key conduit for all nerves in the body. Several physios have told me over the years that repeated bad posture while working/studying/on the phone can lead to significant and chronic neck problems later in life, so do be aware.
It has to be said that for many people, T is permanent. Those of us with it must learn to ignore it if we are to be able to get on with life without feeling constant anxiety. This learning is called habituation, and it is achievable. The Tinnitus UK website has all the info one needs about T, habituation and research and development. Whatever promises can be found elsewhere online about 'cures' for T at a price, take it from the entire T community; such promises are a con.
That said and out of the way, I nonetheless think that making some changes now might be worth a try in your particular case. Well, they won't do any harm. First, try to make some quiet space every day for yourself, where you have no disturbance at all. Half an hour would do. Relax and try to empty your mind. Sitting upright is better than laying down, with a relaxed rather than stiff posture. Support your back using your muscles, not a cushion. Keep your eyes open, your hands in your lap, your feet flat on the floor, breathe slowly and normally and just be absolutely still for a while.
Second, when you're studying and/or on your phone, be aware of your posture; especially head and neck. Avoid tilting your head forward or hunching your shoulders. A head-forward posture will add 10lbs of weight to your neck muscles for every inch that your head tilts down. Try to keep your head closer to upright so that your chin is almost perpendicular to the floor, but don't stiffen. Your eyes may look down, but your head should ideally remain nicely balanced atop your neck. Make sure that your computer screen is at eye level when you're seated to assist this posture. Hold your phone at eye level when browsing, rather than down. Take regular breaks from study. Every 20 mins, stretch your arms, lift your head and push your shoulders gently back and down. Roll your shoulders backwards and forwards a few times. Move your head gently around and stretch your neck. There are exercises you can do once a day with resistance bands to release your shoulders and expand your chest rather than enclose and hunch inwards. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply, expanding the chest outwards rather than lifting it up through your shoulders.
Third, if you can manage to see a good masseuse, consider having a shoulder/head/neck massage from time to time. This will release fascia and muscular tension build up as well as help you to relax. Massage generally costs around £60 for about an hour.
Finally, keep well hydrated and try to make sure you get 7-8 hours undisturbed sleep every night, well, you have 3 children so.... some nights!
Try that regime for a couple of months and see if the T improves. You might be lucky and find that it recedes along with the anxiety; I do hope so.
Good luck with your studies and Christmas preparations. Bear in mind that you're a mum, but not a machine. It is not selfish to be occasionally kind to yourself. 🎄
What an incredible message bridgeit, better support than many doctors and ENTs. Please continue to support everyone, what a wonderful person you are!
Helen89W - habituation is possible. I achieved it, back in 2018 though it took time for me because of my personality.
Background sound all the time helps retrain the brain to focus on other sounds. The brain gets obsessed with the tinnitus sound in the early days. It seeks it out, but ignore it as best you can and really focus on the other sounds in your life/environment. The brain really struggles to focus on two sounds at the same time. If you choose other sounds and choose not to engage in the new tinnitus sound, your brain can follow and focus on the other sounds. The strength of the tinnitus sound can decrease. Mine went from around 90db to about 0db-40db. Yes 0db because 90% of the time I can't hear it - because I have background sound and I don't want to hear it.
Concentration - really focus on your uni work and your boys. I'm sure you do that anyway but tinnitus is disrupting your concentration. You need to try even harder than normal to focus and concentrate and again over time, and it does take time, your brain will be so engaged in the work/task you are doing it wont be able to focus on the tinnitus sound. It can't easily focus on two different things and if you throw in some good background sound that's three.
Right now I am concentrating on writing this message to you. I have a fan on in the background and I have nice Xmas music on. My brain is totally focused on my writing and helping you. A very small part of my brain is picking up on this Xmas song, but I'm not really thinking about it. My fan has been on but I've not really heard it, it is a meaningless sound. My tinnitus sound? Not a chance - my brain has three layers of alternative focus - I've not heard it since - ah wait - I've just heard it for the first time today. Why? Because my brain just thought about it for the first time today. Now I hear the ringing, my brain has brought it into focus. But I don't react and because I don't react it disappears.
It is hard, but you have to give it time. Part of this problem is our own reaction to tinnitus in the early stages, it is emotional and negative because we are human - we don't want this - but we focus on it too much. My paragraph above is not easy to achieve in the early days but believe it can happen.
Hi Helen, while it may not feel it right now it does get easier to deal with. I thought I would have to give up so much of what I enjoyed when 1st diagnosed and all I could do is concentrate on the noise which is natural. Over time your brain should come to accept the Tinnitus is not a “threat” and you will habituate it so it’s just a noise. If you have a good GP they can provide support plus you may have an online support/ in person meeting in your area. Have a great Xmas x
If you have to have tinnitus, then stress induced is the best reason for it. It will improve over time, and not just through habituation, I've found. It will take a long time but each day you chalk off from now is you getting there. Eventually it should reach the same stage as traffic noise. It's there, but you no longer notice it as such. Our brain is on our side like that.
Ray200 - I really agree with this - "Our brain is on our side"
It took me many months to achieve habituation but I got there - I never thought I would. How wrong I was. Me and my brain "eventually" learned to treat the sound as meaningless by ensuring there were plenty of other meaningful sounds around.
Well done, Steve! Anyone having trouble grasping what we have might want to know that our nose is in our line of sight. But again, the brain filters that out too. And the bottom line - we are all much more than just an annoying noise around. We have lives to live!
if by any chance you have had COVID Recently try DYMISTA 2 sprays per nostril twice daily as and pm hold your head parallel to the floor and during the first hour place your finger on alternate nostrils and sniff to draw the Dymista into ear canal. It makes a massive difference to mine .
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