I have tinnitus and I cry
Posted , 13 users are following.
I am over 40 years old and developed tinnitus in August 2018 after a cold infection. I am rarely exposed to loud sounds and don't go to concerts and clubs. My hearing was not affected and I just woke up in the middle of the night with ringing in both of my ears. A visit to the GP confirmed my ears were inflamed which was promptly treated but the ringing persisted. Over time (about a week), the ringing in the right ear disappeared. I am now stuck with a howl or hiss in the left ear. My wife does not understand, my children are concerned (So I now hide it from then). I cry in secret most times. I am afraid of nights and early mornings and try to live each day one at a time and pray everyday about it. I use the tv or you tube and sound masking apps to sleep. I am worried that this will be with me forever. Sometimes, I feel death is the only release but I am a Christian and have a lovely family, so I won't kill myself. My Dad had it about 20 years ago but it went way after a year. He tells me it will go away with time. I am fearful and sad and cry because of tinnitus. It has affected my work, my appetite, my focus and contributed to a short bout of depression. Apologies for the rambling but I woke with a howl this morning and started crying.
2 likes, 29 replies
john23172 eric80605
Posted
Hello Eric. I've had Tinnitus for 45 years through Shell Shock, it will go away, make an appointment to see your hearing clinic you will be surprised by the outcome.
John
eric80605 john23172
Posted
Thanks John for your positive affirmation. I am seeing an ENT doc this week .
gerald164 eric80605
Posted
Hi Eric, so sorry you have had to deal with tinnitus. I understand that if it is longer than six months, it is classed as chronic. I have it for four years now and it has been relentless on a daily basis. I try to stay away from loud noises, reduce salt, caffeine and alcohol to no avail. I am not on any medication known to aggravate tinnitus. I have Meniere's disease, a permanent condition along with hearing loss and vertigo. I saw a hearing therapist who agrees that there is no cure or treatment 100% effective for tinnitus. She gave me a noise generating device to use so that I can habituate to the noise and so reduce tinnitus, but that did not work. My ENT specialist says the condition is permanent and he signed me off indefinitely from work. However that is proving a nightmare as my Pension Agency refuses to acknowledge the permanency claiming I have not explored treatments. I have tried all the first line treatments available such as betahistine, diuretics and steroid injection which were not effective. I have been trying to find out what unexplored treatments they are referring to but I discovered that it is all profit driven on their part not to pay out an early ill health pension. This whole conflict is making my condition worse, so I try not to think about it too much. I am stuck with a permanent condition, cannot work and have to avoid the stress and the worsening of the condition. I have been placed in a catch 22 situation. Interesting paradox. All I can do is pray that effective treatments can be available soon. Let me know if you guys have found anything worth exploring for treating tinnitus.
Sue.An gerald164
Posted
Hi Gerald - have had tinnitus just over a year. Came on after a prolonged flu I had. it also affected my joints and had pain in them along with flu for week. what didn't go was tinnitus. saw an EnT (long wait due to our healthcare system) and although he is sending me for a hearing test there is no cure. so i would be interested in whatever treatments are out there too. i keep working though. sleeping is the worst. i usually fall asleep after several nights of not sleeping due to sheet exhaustion. every once in awhile i will have a day that is quieter. welcome relief but most days it sounds like an electrical buzzing noise or million crickets chirping.
I am curious why you cannot work. is it the environment you work in? i work for a bank so no loud noises usually to contend with. it is hood to have distractions with tinnitus.
don't explore steriod treatments too much. i used steriod creams for years and they caused early cataracts and i had to have surgery for that at 53. wish i had know the side effects as the creams were never a cure for my eczema.
good luck to you
gerald164 eric80605
Posted
I was dismissed from my last post in the NHS due to Meniere's disease due to vertigo, drop attacks (I would fall unpredictably), and tinnitus. The ringing and roaring can be very distracting which makes listening in meeting very difficult. I suffer from brain fog to a point where I find it difficult to find words to communicate. I suffer from a lot of fatigue. I tried working with it for a while until it became impossible to continue. It is difficult as the cause or causes are not well known. I emailed a top Phd researcher based at the university of Sydney Australia and he agreed that despite the improvement in understanding the condition, they are not closer to finding new treatment approaches. I am trying to be positive that this can change one day.