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Coping with sudden hearing loss and very loud tinnitus

Posted , 21 users are following.

Ollieboo
Ollieboo

Hi I'm new to this and hoping someone can help. 

I've been diagnosed just this week with SSHL, severe hearing loss on right ear around 90db mark. On massive dose of steroids to see if some of hearing will come back but unlikely.

I know I'll cope with the hearing loss in time, it's the tinnitus that is killing me. It's insanely loud, like a crazy washing machine/hairdryer on max/ radio not tuned in but turned up to max volume. I can hear it over everything - even trains, car noise, if I turn the TV or radio on, it competes with the noise rather than take my attention of it. Everything I've read tells you to distract yourself but it's just too loud!! 

Can anyone give me any advice?? I know it's a long haul but just need some pointers re coping mechanisms and hope that something this severe can get better. 

I'm 39 and no stranger to health problems (have had 4 hip replacements with last 6

Months ago) so I know how to battle issues but am really struggling to stay positive on this one as there's just no respite. Snoozing and reading are my go-to relaxation tips but it's impossible to do either.

Thanks for any help, much appreciated.

Debbie

1 like, 42 replies

42 Replies

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  • steven36398
    steven36398 Ollieboo

    Posted

    Hi Debbie,

    I can't really give you much advice as my tinnutus is nowhere near your level. The only thing i can say is for sleep White noise is the best thing to drown out the tinnitus you can buy a noise master from ebay/Amazon with different sounds which will hopefully help. For the day then really there isn't much you can do apart from try and ignore it because the brain will learn to ignore it over time and it will get better, because of the hearing loss your brain has been automatically turned up to try and hear things because it's not getting the normal frequencies. It will relearn over time and your tinnitis will get quiter, I doubt it will go away now but will get better. Can't give you a time scale.

    Also look into what you eat and also smoking and drinking makes tinnitus worse.

    Good luck

    Steve

    • beryl87836
      beryl87836 steven36398

      Posted

      ask GP to refer you to audiology to see if a hearing aid is possible and if a clinical psychologist is at your local hospital for cognitive behaviour therapy- CBT. A big help to me. Also try ACTION ON HEARING LOSS magazine from www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk. Full of info.on hearing loss and tinnitus and sound machines to help. I think it costs me £12pa. Worth it. I bought my sound machine from them. Good luck from Beryl
  • grahammolyneux
    grahammolyneux Ollieboo

    Posted

    My next door neighbour has a hearing aid for exactly what you are describing. Go and ask, I think that spec savers do them now otherwise your nearest hospital should have a drop in clinic during the week 
  • jacqueline01135
    jacqueline01135 Ollieboo

    Posted

     Can't agree with Stevev on his  "it will get better in time"" comment. Mine has got

    worse and now affects both ears. The brain has no regard for soft and loud ,but 

    will react to stress ,and in my case ,more stress, more noise .

    Sleeping, or actually being able to drop off, was a major problem with me .

    My G.P  suggestes a low dose sleeping tab, which works like a charm .thankfully

    because I am not a nice person if I don't get any sleep

    I cope and help to calm the noise , by using a Walkman ,and  use Talking Books

    I scour the charity shops for them," because they are cheaper ""

    The hearing clinic may supply you with a noise machine but you have to ask

    So ,Ollie, that's my offering to you. Just remember ,it's NOT terminal,

    but very annoying ..and seemingly incurable. 

  • grahammolyneux
    grahammolyneux Ollieboo

    Posted

    I suffer with tinnitus also but a lot quieter than others so for night sleeping I use a sound pillow, this allows me to play meditation sounds or music from my phone. It works really well as I can hear it but my wife is lay next to me and can't hear it at all.

    Basically it's a pillow with a speaker in it.

    White noise is really good for it also.

    If you have a smart phone you can download all kinds of noise, chants , water and even traffic sounds and it honestly works for me. ( except for the monk chants )

  • Darkflame
    Darkflame Ollieboo

    Posted

    If my tinnitus ever gets this loud and no device can fix it, i'm planning on asking surgeons to make me deaf.
    • Razouski
      Razouski Darkflame

      Posted

      I suffered sudden hearing loss and am profoundly deaf in one ear as a result, and this is the ear I have masisvely loud tinnitus in, pretty much all the time, and ironically it gets louder in response to noise, and in response to my own voice. Being deaf in that ear certainly hasn't helped but has caused the tinnitus for me.
  • ray15986
    ray15986 Ollieboo

    Posted

    Sorry to hear this,but its always the onset loudness, eventually it will get better and getting used to it may be a struggle, Habituation will eventually kick in, i gotten 3 onsets and struggle at times but things got better for me, and they will for you, try taking some ginko biloba and motion sickness and vertigo pills, i take 2 ginko a day and 1/2 a bonine motion sickness since it contains meclizine, help you sleep and wont hurt you at all, i been taking them and both help a great deal, it takes time but it willl get better, took me months to habituate but i managed
  • Ollieboo
    Ollieboo

    Posted

    Thanks to everyone for all your advice and suggestions. Will definitely try white noise to help me sleep and some motion sickness pills to help me drop off. Relaxing music like they play in a spa has always helped in the past so could try that again at night. 

    Think its a case of staying positive and hoping for the best, hopefully there will be an easing in time or my brain will get used to it. Worst thing is that I'm struggling to ignore it, I don't really know how. I feel like I'm fighting my brain all the time trying to ignore a crazy loud sound.

    My husband has just bought me some ginko Biloba so that's good - are there any other supplements I should try? 

    I'm also struggling with my ENT surgeon so if anyone knows of a sympathetic one in London or Kent that would be great.  

    Thanks again for your help, nice to know I'm not alone

     

    • ray15986
      ray15986 Ollieboo

      Posted

      We a struggle at first, it takes time my friend, trust me, it will vet better, mine was noise induced and its forever, habituation comes naturally, IT WILL GET BETTER! Just to make you feel better, look at david letterman in youtube talking to william shatner about their problem with tinnitus, look at all the people that got it in youtube, the famous like the cold play singer, sting, silvester stallone and an infinete number of famous people not to mention bethoven,, its gonna be ok, i have it real loud and yet i have learned to ignore it naturally, habituation comes to us all with T, try to have low pitch noises,fans,water running sounds, the brain will learn to mix in with T regardless of loud T! God bless you and help you recover quick, remember....HABITUATION! it willl come to you.
    • jane06260
      jane06260 ray15986

      Posted

      Hi Ray, don't know whether you still check in here, but just wanted to thank you for your positive comments in my hour of need! They really helped me a lot, so thank you!

  • Razouski
    Razouski Ollieboo

    Posted

    HI Debbie,

    I feel in a very similar situation to what you were in having experienced acute vertigo, nausea and SSHL in my right ear to the over -90dB mark, had masisve steroides including injections through my eardrum and into my inner ear as well as intravenous to try and save the hearing - to no avail. My tinnitus is so distracting from the hearingin my good ear, and is pretty much as you describe. It also gets worse when I'm talking, and especially so when I sing (I do a lot of singing semi-pro , or should I say I did a lot of singing). I wondered how you'd got on, and which suggestions have worked for you.

    Thanks,

    Gill

  • ile_69334
    ile_69334 Ollieboo

    Posted

    Hi and sorry to hear that you have tinnitus...Perhaps you can try what has worked wonders for me and see if it works for you as well...I discovered the by doing an inverted position...head lover than the rest of my body...and holding it for a minute or so...tinnitus quiets down. The noice stops. This is what I do...by laying over the arm rest of my sofa, and carfully bringing my head down to the floor...Allow my ear to feel the pressure for a moment...(minute) when I come back the tinnitus is more or less gone. And allows me several hours of quiet relief...hope it works for you
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