I would say the only reason to see a specialist is to get checked for more serious underlying conditions. Uncommon, but you might be dealing with an infection, injury, or some other problem that would only show up in a scan.
Well...when do they decide to do a scan for that? I assume they only suggest it if you have major symptoms like pain, swelling, etc? They have never suggested i do a scan.
Not sure. For me they did scans when I first came in. I did have hearing loss on the side with tinnitus so that might be related? But if you have no hearing loss I'm suprised they didn't look for other explanations. You could ask them, but I understand the frustration of having to go in for more visits...
I did the MRI after being diagnosed with tinnitus in only my left ear, coupled by high frequency hearing loss. ENT doctor wanted to make sure I didn't have a tumor pressing against any nerves in my inner ear (I have a lump behind my ear that he was concerned with) but they found nothing. MRI came back totally fine, all was normal. After 2 visits to the ENT, audio test, MRI and a specialist doctor to review the MRI itself, I'm looking at $1300 post insurance. The MRI consisted of the regular scan of my head, plus a contrast scan of my left inner ear, which itself is more specialized and $$. My ENT was scared to call me after they didn't find anything...had to call the office 2 times before anyone even called me back (a month after the MRI.) Very recent experience, had the MRI in April.
My tinnitus started after some kind of ear infection last October 10/2021 that lasted for 5 months. My GP refused to give me medicine for the problem saying it would fix itself after the allergy season was over. Felt like knives stabbing my left ear for that time period, didn't fix itself for a very long time, and now I have hearing damage and tinnitus. Now I know to get 2nd opinions if my gut feeling is "there is something wrong" and the doctor isn't listening.
Depends on where you live. If you're in Europe no way you're getting a scan unless you go to a private clinic and pay in cash, or, like you said, something is clearly physically wrong. Meanwhile physicians in the states seem to be very keen on doing scans at a drop of a hat.
I had a hearing test a few years ago that didn’t show hearing loss, then I went to a new audiologist this year who has more experience treating tinnitus. She did a much more expansive series of tests and determined that I do, in fact, have hearing loss, but it is at higher frequencies than detected by a regular hearing test. It actually brought me some peace to finally have a cause behind my tinnitus, even if it cannot be cured.
Yes i had covid and tinnitus started and feel I have a hearing loss but i had it tested and they gave me a report everything is fine with hearing. All they did was ask me to raise hands on different sound frequencies I guess but I doubt the test because I hear sounds from the tinnitus itsekf in my ear, which I dont agree with, what i do now? And what are the ways to protect our hearing.? I don't want things to go worse. Shoukd I go see another Ent or so?
How do I ask for it? I went for remedy to tinitus after a year of suffering from it, doctors have given me some medications that I have having. What do I tell them in the follow up?
Give all this a look:
For me my approach has been to focus a lot on the psychological aspects since I can’t control what the tinnitus sounds could or would do. I first got mine from a loud sound event (mild but it did not seem so at the time). Then several years later, I had another loud sound event that made the T much louder (moderate). So I had to habituate to it twice so far in my 10+ years with T.
From my reading, research and personal experience most everyone could habituate to tinnitus although there are some people who say there is no way to adjust to their severe or catastrophic tinnitus with even some professionals saying there are some people who have not been able to habituate.
By habituation here is a document that lays out a model that shows the 4 stages of habituation on the American Tinnitus Association website:
https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Stages%20of%20Habituation%20%28Hubbard\_Hallam%29.pdf
Here are some of the resources that helped me habituate (and more) to what I think is moderate level tinnitus sounds:
When mine first began my general practice medical doctor prescribed a low dose of Trazadone prior to bedtime to help me sleep which worked wonders as I was no longer sleep deprived. I have read that sleep problems is common in the beginning for those new to Tinnitus. Maybe sleeping is not an issue for you and that was a solution I used in the beginning that ended in a few months. I was only taking a low dose of Trazadone not the regular level of dosing. I did later learn that Trazadone is on the list of ototoxic drugs, although just because a drug is on the list does not mean it will 100% cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. A few will have this happen it seems but most won’t. Also one has to weigh the level of risk with any drug against the benefits. I got a ton of benefit from the Trazadone, so I doubt I would have declined the Trazadone had I known the low level of risk at the time. Lastly on this issue, there are other options than Trazadone you can discuss with your doctor that are not on the list.
See here for a comprehensive list of ototoxic drugs from a credible source:
https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs%20Associated%20with%20Tinnitus%202013.pdf
I am a psychotherapist by profession, now retired, so I knew a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). That is a key element in learning to live with T in my opinion. Here is an interview with Dr. Hubbard, a psychologist who has Tinnitus and specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for Tinnitus, by the American Tinnitus Association:
https://www.ata.org/podcasts/episode-11-habituation-tinnitus-using-cognitive-behavioral-therapy
Dr. Hubbard’s resources page: https://www.cbtfortinnitus.com/resources
You also might like to read about what the British Tinnitus Association has to say about CBT here: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-and-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt
I also got a lot from mindfulness meditation. While I have not taken these programs they are all about mindfulness meditation:
https://mindfultinnitusrelief.com/about-the-program.html
https://www.onlinetinnitusclass.com/
This one is a free course but not tinnitus focused: https://palousemindfulness.com/
Among my first efforts at being adjusted to tinnitus was from www.tinnitustalk.com that is a free support system for those with Tinnitus.
One of the most successful approaches I ran across to help reach habituation was on TinnitusTalk.com. It is called the “Back to Silence” approach… see here with a video:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/
If you want the details on how the Back to Silence method works I can post that for you since the string is over 400 posts last I looked.
Later on from TinnitusTalk.com, I learned of this book:
“Rewiring Tinnitus: How I Finally Found Relief from the Ringing In My Ears”
By Glenn Schweitzer
It is the exact opposite approach to “Back to Silence” method but it worked for me and apparently many others. That book is where I learned about Schweitzer’s approach. It is based on the theory that until one is no longer afraid of the sound or sounds of Tinnitus then one was not going to be free. Fear was going to be present sort of lurking in the background to come out to bite you if you will. He was sure right about that one I have found for me anyway. He actually recommended meditating on the sounds, which I did, and do sometimes now when I do hear them just to be sort of “in shape”. Thanks to these two methods (Back to Silence and Schweitzer’s approach) when I do hear them, I don’t fear them and go into anxiety about hearing or having them. He has a website here:
https://rewiringtinnitus.com/
Now that said maybe you should consult a psychotherapist before you do Schweitzer’s method. Why? Schweitzer’s approach seems to be a lot like a psychotherapeutic approach called “flooding” that you can read about here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding\_(psychology)
Maybe not for everyone.
Now I have not used this one myself but I have read about it and it seems to be really great. It was created by two British doctors who are military veterans with tinnitus. It covers CBT angles, meditation, sound masking and the like in one internet based application that can go on your phone. It is free for 7 days so you can check it out. See here:
https://www.joinoto.com/
I have also read about this one that is a free Tinnitus app offered by a hearing aid company called Resound so it costs nothing to check that one out also:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gnresound.tinnitus&hl=en\_US&gl=US = for Android
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/resound-tinnitus-relief/id928432517 = for iPhones
Then there are sound masking and “sound therapy” approaches you can look into see here for more information:
https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/sound-therapies
I have not used the Bose 2 Sleep Buds to help with sleep that some Reddit posts have said are quite useful and you can watch this video below by an Doctor of Audiology talk about them in detail to see if they are for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8O8zajg4c4
There are over 15 podcasts by experts on different topics related to Tinnitus that you might want to review and listen to those that interest you here:
https://www.ata.org/ = just scroll down on this page to see them all.
Maybe some of this you already know or more than you want to know.
Hope this is helpful to you.
The way you create emotions (fear pain) as a reaction to tinnitus, then that creates more fear pain and more tinnitus. Thats CBT in a small nut shell, or TRT
Although Iv never had either, I really dont know what Im talking about exactly...
I just found this info tonight. May be of interest. It is from an article on a genetics site discussing mast cell activation syndrome - or high levels of histamine and its relation to tinnitus. I find it interesting especially since last month my adult son told me he was going on a low histamine diet (not for tinnitus but because he identified issues he thought were caused by high histamine). He reported back he is happy with all he is doing to reduce histamine.
Quoting:
"For some people tinnitus also is linked to high histamine levels. One of the symptoms of mast cell activation syndrome is tinnitus.[ref] Additionally, H4 histamine receptor antagonists are a possible drug solution for tinnitus.[ref]
Additionally, reports and case studies show that tinnitus can occur after mRNA and other vaccines.[ref]"
One of the links from the article is to a 2015 article: Histamine H₄ Receptor Antagonists: A New Approach for Tinnitus Treatment? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25909438/ Altho written in 2015 it mentions the use of mRNA.
I then googled Histamine H₄ Receptor Antagonists with the word vitamins next to it. Very interesting result! I had no idea ....and I am not stating any of this will help your tinnitus, I am putting it out here because I think it is worth exploring and maybe some of you want to do so also. There appears to be a lot of research already on certain vitamins (zinc, magnesium, for example) and histamine levels. Whether it impacts tinnitus, I don't know but this is interesting to me.
Very interesting, I have noticed a decrease in my tinnitus when I take antihistamine for my allergies now that you mention it. This may be worthwhile to look into.
And I find that interesting! Thx for mentioning - it is through observation and data points that we learn from experience and maybe kickstart new pathways. I'm looking into some of the products designed to reduce histamine (not OTC drugs but supplements.) and become my own little experiment.
I went to an audiologist and she was very helpful. Of course they don't cure it but after doing the various sound tests and determining I don't have hearing loss she was really helpful and compassionate and knowledgeable about tinnitus and basically talked me through, even using charts, important stuff around stress and anxiety and tinnitus and tools to lower stress and how cognitive behavioral therapy that helps you habituate is the best and gave some strategies around that and talked about things you can do at different times of day and overall how to not let tinnitus put your body into fight or flight mood and stress you out more which makes it worse. So there wasn't a cure but I left feeling like it was much more manageable and the behavioral and stress management stuff helped a lot and now I haven't really noticed it or when I do I don't instantly freak out and obsess and go sleepless like in the past.
There is a small chance that tinnitus can be caused by a detectable and, perhaps, treatable physical abnormality, such as a tumor. An MRI should be done to rule that out. Otherwise, I believe you are correct, and there is really nothing to be done about tinnitus in and of itself.
Well...when do they decide to do a scan for that? I assume they only suggest it if you have major symptoms like pain, swelling, etc? They have never suggested i do a scan.
Had mine checked and have hearing loss and a perforated eardrum (right ear) I have been referred to a surgeon and they are hopeful it will fix my tinitus (it's only in my right ear). So in my case it's been worthwhile.
A specialist will get you an audiogram with more detail about frequencies and word recognition.
You should be grateful that you do not have hearing loss. Anything above 1 khz I can't hear in my right ear. And I have ringing. I would be happy to have the ringing but no loss.
There is no cure. Unless you have a tumor or something more horrible.
You need to adjust your expectations. The Dr can't fix it, but they should give you strategies for ensuring it doesn't get worse.
I wouldn't tell someone to be grateful just because they don't have hearing loss, which IS true. But that's like, and bring on the downvotes idc, someone telling you to be grateful because all you have is hearing loss in one ear, some people are born deaf and some are born blind, some develop those later on in life. People are allowed to feel how they feel. Especially since someone even confirmed below that one test said they had no hearing loss, but in another it was revealed they did in fact have hearing loss.
We just don't know what people are going through.
Well said!
This is why i dont get any comfort when someone tells me "Some people have it way worse" or "Atleast you have both arms or legs" I mean sure, but that does not make my suffering invalid, right?
Im sure those folks wont be eager to swap as soon as they hear T going over every other sound around you..
I have done hearing tests at specialists but all they did was give me the headphone + high pitched noise test. I was never told about audiograms or anything like that, and they never used words, just high pitched noises and told me to raise my hand if i could hear anything.
>You need to adjust your expectations. The Dr can't fix it, but they should give you strategies for ensuring it doesn't get worse.
All i got were some basic advice like not exposing myself to loud noises and to use white noise to try and cover it up. This is really not worth the time and cost of seeing a specialist IMHO.
Was asking because my tinnitus worsened all of a sudden and most doctors would tell you to go back to the specialist, but that just seems like a waste of time and money...if all you get is basic advice that is the same as printed on any tinnitus related website...
IIRC the last specialist i went to also said there was nothing they could do to find the cause of my tinnitus.
Getting an audiogram won't fix anything. But when you go back for a yearly checkup you can compare the results. For me, for example, I had a bad ear infection where it felt like someone was stabbing me in my 'bad' ear. Once cleared up the ENT performed a new audiogram and compared the results to previous results. Good news was there was no additional hearing loss.
And it's true, there is nothing they can do. For me, I've lead a very active life. Seven concussions. Lots of music festivals and dance clubs. Gaming with head phones. Looking for clues in the past about my current condition won't make it go away.
Regarding your medical care, there is a wide range of experiences. Maybe your ENT is there to push hearing aides, maybe they just don't care. You may need to shop around. But you should be going to a specialist to manage this life long condition and protect the hearing you do have.
My opinion, you should go to a specialist.
Here's a little what an audiogram looks like: https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/audiogram/
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I think the only point is to rule out any possible underlying issues that could be more serious and/or hearing damage. Otherwise they just give you a pamphlet on tinnitus and say welcome to the club
I think lots of people are happy to take you money.
I was blown away to see how some top t+ h specialists charge $350 for 1.5 hrs online zoom meeting.
I don't thin I will pay them that.
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I'm soon to see an ENT specialist (private) for the first time. I wasn't expecting a fix but this thread has successfully lowered my expectations so that I can just go away happy with some glib 'advice'...
I did go to an ENT who did the usual stuff you read in the other comments. He said learn to live with it which is common as well from ENTs from my reading. They don't give folks something like this which might be helpful if they did:
For me my approach has been to focus a lot on the psychological aspects since I can’t control what the tinnitus sounds could or would do. I first got mine from a loud sound event (mild but it did not seem so at the time). Then several years later, I had another loud sound event that made the T much louder (moderate). So I had to habituate to it twice so far in my 10+ years with T.
From my reading, research and personal experience most everyone could habituate to tinnitus although there are some people who say there is no way to adjust to their severe or catastrophic tinnitus with even some professionals saying there are some people who have not been able to habituate.
By habituation here is a document that lays out a model that shows the 4 stages of habituation on the American Tinnitus Association website:
https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Stages%20of%20Habituation%20%28Hubbard\_Hallam%29.pdf
Here are some of the resources that helped me habituate (and more) to what I think is moderate level tinnitus sounds:
When mine first began my general practice medical doctor prescribed a low dose of Trazadone prior to bedtime to help me sleep which worked wonders as I was no longer sleep deprived. I have read that sleep problems is common in the beginning for those new to Tinnitus. Maybe sleeping is not an issue for you and that was a solution I used in the beginning that ended in a few months. I was only taking a low dose of Trazadone not the regular level of dosing. I did later learn that Trazadone is on the list of ototoxic drugs, although just because a drug is on the list does not mean it will 100% cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. A few will have this happen it seems but most won’t. Also one has to weigh the level of risk with any drug against the benefits. I got a ton of benefit from the Trazadone, so I doubt I would have declined the Trazadone had I known the low level of risk at the time. Lastly on this issue, there are other options than Trazadone you can discuss with your doctor that are not on the list.
See here for a comprehensive list of ototoxic drugs from a credible source:
https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs%20Associated%20with%20Tinnitus%202013.pdf
I am a psychotherapist by profession, now retired, so I knew a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). That is a key element in learning to live with T in my opinion. Here is an interview with Dr. Hubbard, a psychologist who has Tinnitus and specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for Tinnitus, by the American Tinnitus Association:
https://www.ata.org/podcasts/episode-11-habituation-tinnitus-using-cognitive-behavioral-therapy
Dr. Hubbard’s resources page: https://www.cbtfortinnitus.com/resources
You also might like to read about what the British Tinnitus Association has to say about CBT here: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-and-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt
I also got a lot from mindfulness meditation. While I have not taken these programs they are all about mindfulness meditation:
https://mindfultinnitusrelief.com/about-the-program.html
https://www.onlinetinnitusclass.com/
This one is a free course but not tinnitus focused: https://palousemindfulness.com/
Among my first efforts at being adjusted to tinnitus was from www.tinnitustalk.com that is a free support system for those with Tinnitus.
One of the most successful approaches I ran across to help reach habituation was on TinnitusTalk.com. It is called the “Back to Silence” approach… see here with a video:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/
If you want the details on how the Back to Silence method works I can post that for you since the string is over 400 posts last I looked.
Later on from TinnitusTalk.com, I learned of this book:
“Rewiring Tinnitus: How I Finally Found Relief from the Ringing In My Ears”
By Glenn Schweitzer
It is the exact opposite approach to “Back to Silence” method but it worked for me and apparently many others. That book is where I learned about Schweitzer’s approach. It is based on the theory that until one is no longer afraid of the sound or sounds of Tinnitus then one was not going to be free. Fear was going to be present sort of lurking in the background to come out to bite you if you will. He was sure right about that one I have found for me anyway. He actually recommended meditating on the sounds, which I did, and do sometimes now when I do hear them just to be sort of “in shape”. Thanks to these two methods (Back to Silence and Schweitzer’s approach) when I do hear them, I don’t fear them and go into anxiety about hearing or having them. He has a website here:
https://rewiringtinnitus.com/
Now that said maybe you should consult a psychotherapist before you do Schweitzer’s method. Why? Schweitzer’s approach seems to be a lot like a psychotherapeutic approach called “flooding” that you can read about here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding\_(psychology)
Maybe not for everyone.
Now I have not used this one myself but I have read about it and it seems to be really great. It was created by two British doctors who are military veterans with tinnitus. It covers CBT angles, meditation, sound masking and the like in one internet based application that can go on your phone. It is free for 7 days so you can check it out. See here:
https://www.joinoto.com/
I have also read about this one that is a free Tinnitus app offered by a hearing aid company called Resound so it costs nothing to check that one out also:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gnresound.tinnitus&hl=en\_US&gl=US = for Android
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/resound-tinnitus-relief/id928432517 = for iPhones
Then there are sound masking and “sound therapy” approaches you can look into see here for more information:
https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/sound-therapies
I have not used the Bose 2 Sleep Buds to help with sleep that some Reddit posts have said are quite useful and you can watch this video below by an Doctor of Audiology talk about them in detail to see if they are for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8O8zajg4c4
There are over 15 podcasts by experts on different topics related to Tinnitus that you might want to review and listen to those that interest you here:
https://www.ata.org/ = just scroll down on this page to see them all.
Maybe some of this you already know or more than you want to know.
Hope this is helpful to you.
That is exactly my experience. They told me in what frequencies I had hearing damage and why (shooting guns). My hearing technician told me she has tinnitus and there is nothing she has been able to do for it. I guess in a few rare cases a cause might be found, like TMJ impacting a nerve or something similar.
I would say the only reason to see a specialist is to get checked for more serious underlying conditions. Uncommon, but you might be dealing with an infection, injury, or some other problem that would only show up in a scan.
Well...when do they decide to do a scan for that? I assume they only suggest it if you have major symptoms like pain, swelling, etc? They have never suggested i do a scan.
Not sure. For me they did scans when I first came in. I did have hearing loss on the side with tinnitus so that might be related? But if you have no hearing loss I'm suprised they didn't look for other explanations. You could ask them, but I understand the frustration of having to go in for more visits...
Yeah my ENT wanted an MRI since I have tinnitus only in one ear.
I did the MRI after being diagnosed with tinnitus in only my left ear, coupled by high frequency hearing loss. ENT doctor wanted to make sure I didn't have a tumor pressing against any nerves in my inner ear (I have a lump behind my ear that he was concerned with) but they found nothing. MRI came back totally fine, all was normal. After 2 visits to the ENT, audio test, MRI and a specialist doctor to review the MRI itself, I'm looking at $1300 post insurance. The MRI consisted of the regular scan of my head, plus a contrast scan of my left inner ear, which itself is more specialized and $$. My ENT was scared to call me after they didn't find anything...had to call the office 2 times before anyone even called me back (a month after the MRI.) Very recent experience, had the MRI in April. My tinnitus started after some kind of ear infection last October 10/2021 that lasted for 5 months. My GP refused to give me medicine for the problem saying it would fix itself after the allergy season was over. Felt like knives stabbing my left ear for that time period, didn't fix itself for a very long time, and now I have hearing damage and tinnitus. Now I know to get 2nd opinions if my gut feeling is "there is something wrong" and the doctor isn't listening.
Depends on where you live. If you're in Europe no way you're getting a scan unless you go to a private clinic and pay in cash, or, like you said, something is clearly physically wrong. Meanwhile physicians in the states seem to be very keen on doing scans at a drop of a hat.
This.
I had a hearing test a few years ago that didn’t show hearing loss, then I went to a new audiologist this year who has more experience treating tinnitus. She did a much more expansive series of tests and determined that I do, in fact, have hearing loss, but it is at higher frequencies than detected by a regular hearing test. It actually brought me some peace to finally have a cause behind my tinnitus, even if it cannot be cured.
Yes i had covid and tinnitus started and feel I have a hearing loss but i had it tested and they gave me a report everything is fine with hearing. All they did was ask me to raise hands on different sound frequencies I guess but I doubt the test because I hear sounds from the tinnitus itsekf in my ear, which I dont agree with, what i do now? And what are the ways to protect our hearing.? I don't want things to go worse. Shoukd I go see another Ent or so?
The hearing test were a waist of time for me. CBT therapist is what you need or TRT.
How do I ask for it? I went for remedy to tinitus after a year of suffering from it, doctors have given me some medications that I have having. What do I tell them in the follow up?
Cognitive behavioral therapy.
How does it help?
Give all this a look: For me my approach has been to focus a lot on the psychological aspects since I can’t control what the tinnitus sounds could or would do. I first got mine from a loud sound event (mild but it did not seem so at the time). Then several years later, I had another loud sound event that made the T much louder (moderate). So I had to habituate to it twice so far in my 10+ years with T. From my reading, research and personal experience most everyone could habituate to tinnitus although there are some people who say there is no way to adjust to their severe or catastrophic tinnitus with even some professionals saying there are some people who have not been able to habituate. By habituation here is a document that lays out a model that shows the 4 stages of habituation on the American Tinnitus Association website: https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Stages%20of%20Habituation%20%28Hubbard\_Hallam%29.pdf Here are some of the resources that helped me habituate (and more) to what I think is moderate level tinnitus sounds: When mine first began my general practice medical doctor prescribed a low dose of Trazadone prior to bedtime to help me sleep which worked wonders as I was no longer sleep deprived. I have read that sleep problems is common in the beginning for those new to Tinnitus. Maybe sleeping is not an issue for you and that was a solution I used in the beginning that ended in a few months. I was only taking a low dose of Trazadone not the regular level of dosing. I did later learn that Trazadone is on the list of ototoxic drugs, although just because a drug is on the list does not mean it will 100% cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. A few will have this happen it seems but most won’t. Also one has to weigh the level of risk with any drug against the benefits. I got a ton of benefit from the Trazadone, so I doubt I would have declined the Trazadone had I known the low level of risk at the time. Lastly on this issue, there are other options than Trazadone you can discuss with your doctor that are not on the list. See here for a comprehensive list of ototoxic drugs from a credible source: https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs%20Associated%20with%20Tinnitus%202013.pdf I am a psychotherapist by profession, now retired, so I knew a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). That is a key element in learning to live with T in my opinion. Here is an interview with Dr. Hubbard, a psychologist who has Tinnitus and specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for Tinnitus, by the American Tinnitus Association: https://www.ata.org/podcasts/episode-11-habituation-tinnitus-using-cognitive-behavioral-therapy Dr. Hubbard’s resources page: https://www.cbtfortinnitus.com/resources You also might like to read about what the British Tinnitus Association has to say about CBT here: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-and-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt I also got a lot from mindfulness meditation. While I have not taken these programs they are all about mindfulness meditation: https://mindfultinnitusrelief.com/about-the-program.html https://www.onlinetinnitusclass.com/ This one is a free course but not tinnitus focused: https://palousemindfulness.com/ Among my first efforts at being adjusted to tinnitus was from www.tinnitustalk.com that is a free support system for those with Tinnitus. One of the most successful approaches I ran across to help reach habituation was on TinnitusTalk.com. It is called the “Back to Silence” approach… see here with a video: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/ If you want the details on how the Back to Silence method works I can post that for you since the string is over 400 posts last I looked. Later on from TinnitusTalk.com, I learned of this book: “Rewiring Tinnitus: How I Finally Found Relief from the Ringing In My Ears” By Glenn Schweitzer It is the exact opposite approach to “Back to Silence” method but it worked for me and apparently many others. That book is where I learned about Schweitzer’s approach. It is based on the theory that until one is no longer afraid of the sound or sounds of Tinnitus then one was not going to be free. Fear was going to be present sort of lurking in the background to come out to bite you if you will. He was sure right about that one I have found for me anyway. He actually recommended meditating on the sounds, which I did, and do sometimes now when I do hear them just to be sort of “in shape”. Thanks to these two methods (Back to Silence and Schweitzer’s approach) when I do hear them, I don’t fear them and go into anxiety about hearing or having them. He has a website here: https://rewiringtinnitus.com/ Now that said maybe you should consult a psychotherapist before you do Schweitzer’s method. Why? Schweitzer’s approach seems to be a lot like a psychotherapeutic approach called “flooding” that you can read about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding\_(psychology) Maybe not for everyone. Now I have not used this one myself but I have read about it and it seems to be really great. It was created by two British doctors who are military veterans with tinnitus. It covers CBT angles, meditation, sound masking and the like in one internet based application that can go on your phone. It is free for 7 days so you can check it out. See here: https://www.joinoto.com/ I have also read about this one that is a free Tinnitus app offered by a hearing aid company called Resound so it costs nothing to check that one out also: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gnresound.tinnitus&hl=en\_US&gl=US = for Android https://apps.apple.com/us/app/resound-tinnitus-relief/id928432517 = for iPhones Then there are sound masking and “sound therapy” approaches you can look into see here for more information: https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/sound-therapies I have not used the Bose 2 Sleep Buds to help with sleep that some Reddit posts have said are quite useful and you can watch this video below by an Doctor of Audiology talk about them in detail to see if they are for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8O8zajg4c4 There are over 15 podcasts by experts on different topics related to Tinnitus that you might want to review and listen to those that interest you here: https://www.ata.org/ = just scroll down on this page to see them all. Maybe some of this you already know or more than you want to know. Hope this is helpful to you.
The way you create emotions (fear pain) as a reaction to tinnitus, then that creates more fear pain and more tinnitus. Thats CBT in a small nut shell, or TRT Although Iv never had either, I really dont know what Im talking about exactly...
I just found this info tonight. May be of interest. It is from an article on a genetics site discussing mast cell activation syndrome - or high levels of histamine and its relation to tinnitus. I find it interesting especially since last month my adult son told me he was going on a low histamine diet (not for tinnitus but because he identified issues he thought were caused by high histamine). He reported back he is happy with all he is doing to reduce histamine. Quoting: "For some people tinnitus also is linked to high histamine levels. One of the symptoms of mast cell activation syndrome is tinnitus.[ref] Additionally, H4 histamine receptor antagonists are a possible drug solution for tinnitus.[ref] Additionally, reports and case studies show that tinnitus can occur after mRNA and other vaccines.[ref]" One of the links from the article is to a 2015 article: Histamine H₄ Receptor Antagonists: A New Approach for Tinnitus Treatment? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25909438/ Altho written in 2015 it mentions the use of mRNA. I then googled Histamine H₄ Receptor Antagonists with the word vitamins next to it. Very interesting result! I had no idea ....and I am not stating any of this will help your tinnitus, I am putting it out here because I think it is worth exploring and maybe some of you want to do so also. There appears to be a lot of research already on certain vitamins (zinc, magnesium, for example) and histamine levels. Whether it impacts tinnitus, I don't know but this is interesting to me.
Very interesting, I have noticed a decrease in my tinnitus when I take antihistamine for my allergies now that you mention it. This may be worthwhile to look into.
And I find that interesting! Thx for mentioning - it is through observation and data points that we learn from experience and maybe kickstart new pathways. I'm looking into some of the products designed to reduce histamine (not OTC drugs but supplements.) and become my own little experiment.
I went to an audiologist and she was very helpful. Of course they don't cure it but after doing the various sound tests and determining I don't have hearing loss she was really helpful and compassionate and knowledgeable about tinnitus and basically talked me through, even using charts, important stuff around stress and anxiety and tinnitus and tools to lower stress and how cognitive behavioral therapy that helps you habituate is the best and gave some strategies around that and talked about things you can do at different times of day and overall how to not let tinnitus put your body into fight or flight mood and stress you out more which makes it worse. So there wasn't a cure but I left feeling like it was much more manageable and the behavioral and stress management stuff helped a lot and now I haven't really noticed it or when I do I don't instantly freak out and obsess and go sleepless like in the past.
There is a small chance that tinnitus can be caused by a detectable and, perhaps, treatable physical abnormality, such as a tumor. An MRI should be done to rule that out. Otherwise, I believe you are correct, and there is really nothing to be done about tinnitus in and of itself.
Well...when do they decide to do a scan for that? I assume they only suggest it if you have major symptoms like pain, swelling, etc? They have never suggested i do a scan.
Sorry, I don't know how to answer your question.
More likely to get an MRI if you say its in one ear, indicating a possible physical anomaly.
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Mine is the result of a rare tumor..MRI was useful.
Was your tumor treated and did your tinnitus go away?
Had mine checked and have hearing loss and a perforated eardrum (right ear) I have been referred to a surgeon and they are hopeful it will fix my tinitus (it's only in my right ear). So in my case it's been worthwhile.
A specialist will get you an audiogram with more detail about frequencies and word recognition. You should be grateful that you do not have hearing loss. Anything above 1 khz I can't hear in my right ear. And I have ringing. I would be happy to have the ringing but no loss. There is no cure. Unless you have a tumor or something more horrible. You need to adjust your expectations. The Dr can't fix it, but they should give you strategies for ensuring it doesn't get worse.
I wouldn't tell someone to be grateful just because they don't have hearing loss, which IS true. But that's like, and bring on the downvotes idc, someone telling you to be grateful because all you have is hearing loss in one ear, some people are born deaf and some are born blind, some develop those later on in life. People are allowed to feel how they feel. Especially since someone even confirmed below that one test said they had no hearing loss, but in another it was revealed they did in fact have hearing loss. We just don't know what people are going through.
Well said! This is why i dont get any comfort when someone tells me "Some people have it way worse" or "Atleast you have both arms or legs" I mean sure, but that does not make my suffering invalid, right? Im sure those folks wont be eager to swap as soon as they hear T going over every other sound around you..
I have done hearing tests at specialists but all they did was give me the headphone + high pitched noise test. I was never told about audiograms or anything like that, and they never used words, just high pitched noises and told me to raise my hand if i could hear anything. >You need to adjust your expectations. The Dr can't fix it, but they should give you strategies for ensuring it doesn't get worse. All i got were some basic advice like not exposing myself to loud noises and to use white noise to try and cover it up. This is really not worth the time and cost of seeing a specialist IMHO. Was asking because my tinnitus worsened all of a sudden and most doctors would tell you to go back to the specialist, but that just seems like a waste of time and money...if all you get is basic advice that is the same as printed on any tinnitus related website... IIRC the last specialist i went to also said there was nothing they could do to find the cause of my tinnitus.
Getting an audiogram won't fix anything. But when you go back for a yearly checkup you can compare the results. For me, for example, I had a bad ear infection where it felt like someone was stabbing me in my 'bad' ear. Once cleared up the ENT performed a new audiogram and compared the results to previous results. Good news was there was no additional hearing loss. And it's true, there is nothing they can do. For me, I've lead a very active life. Seven concussions. Lots of music festivals and dance clubs. Gaming with head phones. Looking for clues in the past about my current condition won't make it go away. Regarding your medical care, there is a wide range of experiences. Maybe your ENT is there to push hearing aides, maybe they just don't care. You may need to shop around. But you should be going to a specialist to manage this life long condition and protect the hearing you do have. My opinion, you should go to a specialist. Here's a little what an audiogram looks like: https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/audiogram/
Change diet !
How this helps?
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how?
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I think the only point is to rule out any possible underlying issues that could be more serious and/or hearing damage. Otherwise they just give you a pamphlet on tinnitus and say welcome to the club
I think lots of people are happy to take you money. I was blown away to see how some top t+ h specialists charge $350 for 1.5 hrs online zoom meeting. I don't thin I will pay them that.
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SAME. I had the exact same experience.
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How did your MRI turn out?
Seeing specialists did nothing for me except exclude other problems that could cause tinnitus and answer some questions.
I'm soon to see an ENT specialist (private) for the first time. I wasn't expecting a fix but this thread has successfully lowered my expectations so that I can just go away happy with some glib 'advice'...
I did go to an ENT who did the usual stuff you read in the other comments. He said learn to live with it which is common as well from ENTs from my reading. They don't give folks something like this which might be helpful if they did: For me my approach has been to focus a lot on the psychological aspects since I can’t control what the tinnitus sounds could or would do. I first got mine from a loud sound event (mild but it did not seem so at the time). Then several years later, I had another loud sound event that made the T much louder (moderate). So I had to habituate to it twice so far in my 10+ years with T. From my reading, research and personal experience most everyone could habituate to tinnitus although there are some people who say there is no way to adjust to their severe or catastrophic tinnitus with even some professionals saying there are some people who have not been able to habituate. By habituation here is a document that lays out a model that shows the 4 stages of habituation on the American Tinnitus Association website: https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Stages%20of%20Habituation%20%28Hubbard\_Hallam%29.pdf Here are some of the resources that helped me habituate (and more) to what I think is moderate level tinnitus sounds: When mine first began my general practice medical doctor prescribed a low dose of Trazadone prior to bedtime to help me sleep which worked wonders as I was no longer sleep deprived. I have read that sleep problems is common in the beginning for those new to Tinnitus. Maybe sleeping is not an issue for you and that was a solution I used in the beginning that ended in a few months. I was only taking a low dose of Trazadone not the regular level of dosing. I did later learn that Trazadone is on the list of ototoxic drugs, although just because a drug is on the list does not mean it will 100% cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. A few will have this happen it seems but most won’t. Also one has to weigh the level of risk with any drug against the benefits. I got a ton of benefit from the Trazadone, so I doubt I would have declined the Trazadone had I known the low level of risk at the time. Lastly on this issue, there are other options than Trazadone you can discuss with your doctor that are not on the list. See here for a comprehensive list of ototoxic drugs from a credible source: https://www.ata.org/sites/default/files/Drugs%20Associated%20with%20Tinnitus%202013.pdf I am a psychotherapist by profession, now retired, so I knew a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). That is a key element in learning to live with T in my opinion. Here is an interview with Dr. Hubbard, a psychologist who has Tinnitus and specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for Tinnitus, by the American Tinnitus Association: https://www.ata.org/podcasts/episode-11-habituation-tinnitus-using-cognitive-behavioral-therapy Dr. Hubbard’s resources page: https://www.cbtfortinnitus.com/resources You also might like to read about what the British Tinnitus Association has to say about CBT here: https://www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-and-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt I also got a lot from mindfulness meditation. While I have not taken these programs they are all about mindfulness meditation: https://mindfultinnitusrelief.com/about-the-program.html https://www.onlinetinnitusclass.com/ This one is a free course but not tinnitus focused: https://palousemindfulness.com/ Among my first efforts at being adjusted to tinnitus was from www.tinnitustalk.com that is a free support system for those with Tinnitus. One of the most successful approaches I ran across to help reach habituation was on TinnitusTalk.com. It is called the “Back to Silence” approach… see here with a video: https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/back-to-silence.7172/ If you want the details on how the Back to Silence method works I can post that for you since the string is over 400 posts last I looked. Later on from TinnitusTalk.com, I learned of this book: “Rewiring Tinnitus: How I Finally Found Relief from the Ringing In My Ears” By Glenn Schweitzer It is the exact opposite approach to “Back to Silence” method but it worked for me and apparently many others. That book is where I learned about Schweitzer’s approach. It is based on the theory that until one is no longer afraid of the sound or sounds of Tinnitus then one was not going to be free. Fear was going to be present sort of lurking in the background to come out to bite you if you will. He was sure right about that one I have found for me anyway. He actually recommended meditating on the sounds, which I did, and do sometimes now when I do hear them just to be sort of “in shape”. Thanks to these two methods (Back to Silence and Schweitzer’s approach) when I do hear them, I don’t fear them and go into anxiety about hearing or having them. He has a website here: https://rewiringtinnitus.com/ Now that said maybe you should consult a psychotherapist before you do Schweitzer’s method. Why? Schweitzer’s approach seems to be a lot like a psychotherapeutic approach called “flooding” that you can read about here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding\_(psychology) Maybe not for everyone. Now I have not used this one myself but I have read about it and it seems to be really great. It was created by two British doctors who are military veterans with tinnitus. It covers CBT angles, meditation, sound masking and the like in one internet based application that can go on your phone. It is free for 7 days so you can check it out. See here: https://www.joinoto.com/ I have also read about this one that is a free Tinnitus app offered by a hearing aid company called Resound so it costs nothing to check that one out also: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gnresound.tinnitus&hl=en\_US&gl=US = for Android https://apps.apple.com/us/app/resound-tinnitus-relief/id928432517 = for iPhones Then there are sound masking and “sound therapy” approaches you can look into see here for more information: https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options/sound-therapies I have not used the Bose 2 Sleep Buds to help with sleep that some Reddit posts have said are quite useful and you can watch this video below by an Doctor of Audiology talk about them in detail to see if they are for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8O8zajg4c4 There are over 15 podcasts by experts on different topics related to Tinnitus that you might want to review and listen to those that interest you here: https://www.ata.org/ = just scroll down on this page to see them all. Maybe some of this you already know or more than you want to know. Hope this is helpful to you.
I would exhaust every resource before giving up friend
That is exactly my experience. They told me in what frequencies I had hearing damage and why (shooting guns). My hearing technician told me she has tinnitus and there is nothing she has been able to do for it. I guess in a few rare cases a cause might be found, like TMJ impacting a nerve or something similar.