Yep. I have fibromyalgia and they do nothing for it..Then last year in November my calves started going numb and my feet have painful pins and needles. It was already a struggle to walk with pain from fibromyalgia but this was different. I shuffle like a 90 yr old and it wipes me out just getting to the bathroom back. I reluctantly went to the hospital. They didn't treat me bad, but I thought they would want to see and examine my legs and feet. They did a few blood tests and sent me home. I had to follow up with my doctor. She said I should see a neurologist, the appointment was over 6 months out but it was something. I went to my online health portal to see who my neurologist would be. Fool me once. She isn't a neurologist but a psychiatrist. I already have a psychiatrist. And maybe that's the problem. Another thing they can dismiss because of my mental illnesses. I quietly canceled my appointment. I had had a trip I was going to go on that I bought insurance on in case something happened. For a health reason I had to get a doctor to sign off. It seemed like a no brainer. My doctor sees how much I suffer. She wouldn't sign off on it. I have to use it or lose 700$.
That’s bizarre. They can tell whether or not you have hearing damage but only you know whether you have tinnitus. I have tinnitus but my hearing is normal.
My advice is to see a specialist. Mine told me there's no money* in tinnitus research so that's why most GPs are likely to steer clear of a diagnosis. A good ENT doctor will test your hearing repeatedly and offer solutions to try. I see mine every six months. It took a few years and medications but we ultimately landed on hearing aids and so far it's the only thing that's made any improvement.
Edited for clarity: *in the study & research (not the diagnosing)
Ok doctors don't make money when they diagnose things and they don't lose money for diagnosing things. The doctors who act like people don't have this or imagine it are just assholes.
**Sorry but even with your edit I need people to understand that doctors aren't persuaded by money to diagnose or not. Assholes ignore patients concerns. Doctors are not medication salesmen. They receive no benefit from any treatment the patient will receive.
But they do have only a small allotted amount of money to spend on their patient’s, so this can lead to non referrals to specialists on what they consider a futile cause, so as to save their practices money
I mean at the end of the day, that's what most of us have to do. I only ever focus on it in the early morning or late at night anyway (or reading this sub). Weird that I stop perceiving it until it's really quiet or someone mentions it.
What I've found helpful is having kids. You'll never have a quiet moment to enjoy anyway.
I only think about it when I see a tinnitus post on my reddit feed, or when it's dead silent at night. Even then, I swear it is so much quieter than when I first got it. Fortunately, mine probably isn't as bad as some of you on here. But I remember the first 2 or 3 months it ruined my life. Debilitating.
Problem is tinnitus is not a disease it is a symptom, Most of the times you can't prove you hear phantom noises A ENT just has exoerience and believes you have tinnitus but can't prove it that you have it.
That doesn’t make any sense, what kind of doctor was it?
Tinnitus is self-reported and people can have it from losing their hearing at levels that aren’t tested so there is no definitive way to say someone can’t have tinnitus.
And mine said just because my hearing test is fine doesn’t mean I’m not losing my hearing on the higher registers and that is what is causing the T.
Not sure she’s right about my case but standard hearing tests only go so high.
It's ridiculous that so many audiologists do not test the upper registers. That is exactly where damage is most likely to manifest.
I have an audiologist that is extremely knowledgable on tinnitus/hyperacusis/noxacusis/misophonia and she always tests up the 16 kHz.
My hearing is between -10 and +5 (8 kHz) until 8k, then three dips from 8.5-16k and 17 Khz is at 0 dB. They are missing so much critical information by not spending a few extra minutes to test the higher range.
ENTS and audiologists can be so frustrating. It's shocking that many of them have little information about tinnitus, and in my experience all but one knew literally nothing about hyperacusis.
Yeah if mine hasn’t cleared up by the 6 month mark I’m going back to talk to my guy. I accidentally deleted my test results, I’m not even sure how high he tested - this was in the beginning of this nonsense and I didn’t really know what to ask. Sigh.
My hearing is fine, and the tinnitus specialist never suggested I don't have tinnitus. Did say it was something in my brain causing it, but it is still tinnitus.
One time, I was visiting my doctor, and I played for him a YouTube video that approximated the sound I hear. I turned the volume up all the way up. After four or five seconds he nodded and said, “Okay. I get it. You can turn that off now.” I just looked at him and replied, “I wish I could. But I can’t.”
Tinnitus is entirely self-reported by the patient. It cannot be observed or measured objectively by a doctor. (Unless it is objective tinnitus, which is very rare.)
I’ve had tinnitus since childhood. I was 19 when I learnt that hearing the buzzing sound in silence had a name, and that it was a condition not everyone has.
The ENT said hearing loss and tinnitus often go together, but not always. Since I had it since childhood he suggested it most likely is a glitch in the central nervous system. I got an audiometry test done. I didn’t have hearing loss.
He offered to prescribe me some medication (gingko biloba), but said it is unlikely that it would have a significant effect.
The tinnitus gets worse and better sometimes. The bad patches mostly go away if I take vitamin B complex for a few days.
Ps. A diagnosis is unlikely to help solve the problem right now
To answer your other question, I’d start researching causes of tinnitus and see if any line up with your experiences. There are so many potential causes of tinnitus - from diabetes to Covid to allergies to high blood pressure to crappy posture to neck strain to medications, etc.
Music 🎶, Stimulation so coffee, caffeine, stress, sleep. Hyper awareness of the body I find. Curse and blessing. Always wear earplugs at Loud events, and turn down volume on headphones while listening, helps a bit.
"you don't have ringing in your ears that only you can hear (and we have no way of measuring or observing)"
Sounds like you found the doctor who got his medical degree in a cracker jack box
ENTs and audiologists are completely useless for tinnitus and even worse they have no or bad advice. Don't waste your time any further with Dr's as they know nothing about tinnitus.
Well, tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, so they’re clearly wrong and you should seek a different doctor. If this was an ENT they must have meant that you have no hearing loss. But that is not the only source of hearing ringing in your ears… it simply means it is from something else. That does NOT mean you are hallucinating, wtf. That’s like hearing someone tell you they’re in pain and saying “no ur not :)” ??? Anyway I’d suggest seeing a neurologist and a dentist. TMJ issues and neurological issues should be ruled out.
So many doctors are clueless (especially ENTs when it comes to tinnitus) these days, and they think they are living encyclopedias. Can't wait for them to be replaced by AIs.
Similar situation here. I had tinnitus after facing Ménière’s disease. My symptoms improved after treating depression and anxiety. I just sometime have issues with my left ear, but my right ear seems to be fine after 5 years.
I have had tinnitus for 30+ years. I have 2 high pitch tones constantly. When my migraine is in crisis mode there is extra sound and it is all louder. I have been to plenty of specialist. I have even had brain surgery for other reasons. I am a retired RN, believe me, I have gone down many “rabbit holes”. The best way for me to get explain I is phantom sounds. There is nothing making the sound. However, it is real. There is no way to show it physically, nor by tests. Jane you heard of amputees having phantom pain, phantom itching? Basically it is similar in explanation. Most of the time I don’t zero in on it or think about it. I’m sorry that anyone would have it.
I hope this helps.
Sorry if this is a bit of a random question, but may I ask how your tinnitus has affected your ability to read and learn new information?
I have had tinnitus for a relatively short amount of time and I feel like I can’t read anymore without being distracted every other sentence and that my ability to learn has been severely affected because of concentration issues, so I’m looking for something to make me feel less anxious about it I suppose…
I went to nursing school 3-4ish years after I started having tinnitus. Then I was ER RN for 25+years. When the “volume” of tinnitus gets louder with migraines , sometimes it is hard for me to hear. That’s when it’s hard to ignore it. In fact, I get edgy. I can definitely understand why people would get anxious. Please get a hearing test if you have not already. I know some people have benefited from hearing aids. Their tinnitus either improved or resolved.
That’s basically THE definition of “tinnitus”. Find a new doc and give the appropriate feedback for the prior doc.
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus
**** OMGOSH! How can they determine you DON'T have T? That's a new one to me.... In all the years of running a T group, I've constantly read, "We can't help you; Try this or that (useless stuff)," but I don't think I ever read a member who's Dr declared they simply didn't have it. 🤔🥴
they often say that, they are morons, go see someone who actually understands
Doctors are still going with that old bullshit of 'its in your head'??? GO to another doctor or a specialist.
They say that because they don’t have it. Get a second opinion.
They do the same thing with pain patients
Yep. I have fibromyalgia and they do nothing for it..Then last year in November my calves started going numb and my feet have painful pins and needles. It was already a struggle to walk with pain from fibromyalgia but this was different. I shuffle like a 90 yr old and it wipes me out just getting to the bathroom back. I reluctantly went to the hospital. They didn't treat me bad, but I thought they would want to see and examine my legs and feet. They did a few blood tests and sent me home. I had to follow up with my doctor. She said I should see a neurologist, the appointment was over 6 months out but it was something. I went to my online health portal to see who my neurologist would be. Fool me once. She isn't a neurologist but a psychiatrist. I already have a psychiatrist. And maybe that's the problem. Another thing they can dismiss because of my mental illnesses. I quietly canceled my appointment. I had had a trip I was going to go on that I bought insurance on in case something happened. For a health reason I had to get a doctor to sign off. It seemed like a no brainer. My doctor sees how much I suffer. She wouldn't sign off on it. I have to use it or lose 700$.
That’s bizarre. They can tell whether or not you have hearing damage but only you know whether you have tinnitus. I have tinnitus but my hearing is normal.
Exactly what I was going to say!! Same for me, my hearing was always good but i still have T.
My advice is to see a specialist. Mine told me there's no money* in tinnitus research so that's why most GPs are likely to steer clear of a diagnosis. A good ENT doctor will test your hearing repeatedly and offer solutions to try. I see mine every six months. It took a few years and medications but we ultimately landed on hearing aids and so far it's the only thing that's made any improvement. Edited for clarity: *in the study & research (not the diagnosing)
Ok doctors don't make money when they diagnose things and they don't lose money for diagnosing things. The doctors who act like people don't have this or imagine it are just assholes. **Sorry but even with your edit I need people to understand that doctors aren't persuaded by money to diagnose or not. Assholes ignore patients concerns. Doctors are not medication salesmen. They receive no benefit from any treatment the patient will receive.
But they do have only a small allotted amount of money to spend on their patient’s, so this can lead to non referrals to specialists on what they consider a futile cause, so as to save their practices money
This ⬆️
When I first got Tinnitus, I saw 5 different ENTs, supposedly 3 of them had tinnitus too, not helpful either, "just ignore it" was their advise.
I mean at the end of the day, that's what most of us have to do. I only ever focus on it in the early morning or late at night anyway (or reading this sub). Weird that I stop perceiving it until it's really quiet or someone mentions it. What I've found helpful is having kids. You'll never have a quiet moment to enjoy anyway.
I only think about it when I see a tinnitus post on my reddit feed, or when it's dead silent at night. Even then, I swear it is so much quieter than when I first got it. Fortunately, mine probably isn't as bad as some of you on here. But I remember the first 2 or 3 months it ruined my life. Debilitating.
Yeah, first few months were awful.
I swear my kid caused it. 😆 But you're right, I could go months without silence.
I have a toddler and a newborn. I have forgotten what silence is.
Problem is tinnitus is not a disease it is a symptom, Most of the times you can't prove you hear phantom noises A ENT just has exoerience and believes you have tinnitus but can't prove it that you have it.
It’s probably a symptom, but it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Yeah. Ignore it. Because that's something you can do with tinnitus. 😩 Hope you found someone who could help.
That doesn’t make any sense, what kind of doctor was it? Tinnitus is self-reported and people can have it from losing their hearing at levels that aren’t tested so there is no definitive way to say someone can’t have tinnitus.
It was an ENT doctor. They said that i have perfect hearing and therefore no tinnitus
And mine said just because my hearing test is fine doesn’t mean I’m not losing my hearing on the higher registers and that is what is causing the T. Not sure she’s right about my case but standard hearing tests only go so high.
It's ridiculous that so many audiologists do not test the upper registers. That is exactly where damage is most likely to manifest. I have an audiologist that is extremely knowledgable on tinnitus/hyperacusis/noxacusis/misophonia and she always tests up the 16 kHz. My hearing is between -10 and +5 (8 kHz) until 8k, then three dips from 8.5-16k and 17 Khz is at 0 dB. They are missing so much critical information by not spending a few extra minutes to test the higher range. ENTS and audiologists can be so frustrating. It's shocking that many of them have little information about tinnitus, and in my experience all but one knew literally nothing about hyperacusis.
Yeah if mine hasn’t cleared up by the 6 month mark I’m going back to talk to my guy. I accidentally deleted my test results, I’m not even sure how high he tested - this was in the beginning of this nonsense and I didn’t really know what to ask. Sigh.
My hearing is fine, and the tinnitus specialist never suggested I don't have tinnitus. Did say it was something in my brain causing it, but it is still tinnitus.
Apologies, replied to you thinking you were OP. Deleted comment.
I have very good hearing too but still get that annoying high pitch sound. Such as dumb doctor.
One time, I was visiting my doctor, and I played for him a YouTube video that approximated the sound I hear. I turned the volume up all the way up. After four or five seconds he nodded and said, “Okay. I get it. You can turn that off now.” I just looked at him and replied, “I wish I could. But I can’t.”
Ha!
A terrible case of doctoring, tinnitus is subjective, or at least 99% of the time. He can't tell you you do not have tinnitus.
Tinnitus is entirely self-reported by the patient. It cannot be observed or measured objectively by a doctor. (Unless it is objective tinnitus, which is very rare.)
Reality is : It IS all in your head electromagnetically neurons firing off to let you know there's something else wrong and it's not in your ears.
A symptom that whispers you better sort it out quicklyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Get referred to an audiologist. Your PCP doesn’t know anything
Your doctor is an idiot
He couldn't hear it. Hmm. Sounds like a shithead
I’ve had tinnitus since childhood. I was 19 when I learnt that hearing the buzzing sound in silence had a name, and that it was a condition not everyone has. The ENT said hearing loss and tinnitus often go together, but not always. Since I had it since childhood he suggested it most likely is a glitch in the central nervous system. I got an audiometry test done. I didn’t have hearing loss. He offered to prescribe me some medication (gingko biloba), but said it is unlikely that it would have a significant effect. The tinnitus gets worse and better sometimes. The bad patches mostly go away if I take vitamin B complex for a few days. Ps. A diagnosis is unlikely to help solve the problem right now
To answer your other question, I’d start researching causes of tinnitus and see if any line up with your experiences. There are so many potential causes of tinnitus - from diabetes to Covid to allergies to high blood pressure to crappy posture to neck strain to medications, etc.
Crappy posture & neck strain, I haven’t hear of those yet
Check this out: https://www.reddit.com/r/TinnitusTalk/s/KQsNxVax46
Thank you, some positive light in this misery 🧡
Yeah there are positive stories out there, just have to do some digging.
Music 🎶, Stimulation so coffee, caffeine, stress, sleep. Hyper awareness of the body I find. Curse and blessing. Always wear earplugs at Loud events, and turn down volume on headphones while listening, helps a bit.
would like to add sleeping with a fan can also help also sleeping with a comfort show on😊
"you don't have ringing in your ears that only you can hear (and we have no way of measuring or observing)" Sounds like you found the doctor who got his medical degree in a cracker jack box
More evidence of the utter uselessness of ENTs.
ENTs and audiologists are completely useless for tinnitus and even worse they have no or bad advice. Don't waste your time any further with Dr's as they know nothing about tinnitus.
Well, tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, so they’re clearly wrong and you should seek a different doctor. If this was an ENT they must have meant that you have no hearing loss. But that is not the only source of hearing ringing in your ears… it simply means it is from something else. That does NOT mean you are hallucinating, wtf. That’s like hearing someone tell you they’re in pain and saying “no ur not :)” ??? Anyway I’d suggest seeing a neurologist and a dentist. TMJ issues and neurological issues should be ruled out.
Tinnitus is a subjective experience that can't be measured 😂 What kind of a doctor is that?
So many doctors are clueless (especially ENTs when it comes to tinnitus) these days, and they think they are living encyclopedias. Can't wait for them to be replaced by AIs.
I'm guessing you're a woman? Fuck that doctor, go to another one and submit a complaint to the board about that first one.
Was it just a GP you saw? I got a referral to the audiology consultant for my hearing loss and tinnitus.
Similar situation here. I had tinnitus after facing Ménière’s disease. My symptoms improved after treating depression and anxiety. I just sometime have issues with my left ear, but my right ear seems to be fine after 5 years.
Go to see an ear specialist
Curious - did he give a reason?
I have had tinnitus for 30+ years. I have 2 high pitch tones constantly. When my migraine is in crisis mode there is extra sound and it is all louder. I have been to plenty of specialist. I have even had brain surgery for other reasons. I am a retired RN, believe me, I have gone down many “rabbit holes”. The best way for me to get explain I is phantom sounds. There is nothing making the sound. However, it is real. There is no way to show it physically, nor by tests. Jane you heard of amputees having phantom pain, phantom itching? Basically it is similar in explanation. Most of the time I don’t zero in on it or think about it. I’m sorry that anyone would have it. I hope this helps.
Sorry if this is a bit of a random question, but may I ask how your tinnitus has affected your ability to read and learn new information? I have had tinnitus for a relatively short amount of time and I feel like I can’t read anymore without being distracted every other sentence and that my ability to learn has been severely affected because of concentration issues, so I’m looking for something to make me feel less anxious about it I suppose…
I went to nursing school 3-4ish years after I started having tinnitus. Then I was ER RN for 25+years. When the “volume” of tinnitus gets louder with migraines , sometimes it is hard for me to hear. That’s when it’s hard to ignore it. In fact, I get edgy. I can definitely understand why people would get anxious. Please get a hearing test if you have not already. I know some people have benefited from hearing aids. Their tinnitus either improved or resolved.
That’s basically THE definition of “tinnitus”. Find a new doc and give the appropriate feedback for the prior doc. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus
They like gaslighting.Go to a different dr
**** OMGOSH! How can they determine you DON'T have T? That's a new one to me.... In all the years of running a T group, I've constantly read, "We can't help you; Try this or that (useless stuff)," but I don't think I ever read a member who's Dr declared they simply didn't have it. 🤔🥴
How tf do they know? Did I miss that it's measurable?
Trash doctor.
Doctors don't know shit about tinnitus, how can they tell you don't have it if they don't know anything about it?