Almost 2 weeks ago, I started getting a ringing in my ears. Finally last Friday I had enough and set up an appointment with an Ear, Nose, Throat Doctor. He said that I am suffering from Sudden Hearing Loss (???). I asked what could cause it and he said that the ringing is a result from the hearing loss. I have favored hearing in my left ear for about 25 years due to a fire cracker popping near my right ear. The hearing loss is only slight, but this ringing is maddening. If I wake up in the middle of the night, it's all I hear. While at the Doctor's office, they gave me a pretty advanced hearing test test. It confirmed the hearing loss in my right ear. The good thing is that the muscles are responding fine. So anyway, the Doctor gives me a steroid injection and tells me to rest for a week. I told him that I hadn't taking a week off from work (illness-wise) for at least 15 years. He had his assistant write a note. He wants me to rest my head as much as possible. I think I am getting chills. Not bad though. I put on a pair of sweats this morning and am comfortable. No headache No Dizziness No nasal infections (that I know of) No irregular heartbeat No blurred vision I did find a website that discusses different types of Tinnitus and found that type 4 is the one that has my symptoms. It sounds like when you step outside in the evening and here crickets churping. It's random in the cricket sounds which is why it's maddening. Has anyone suffered from hearing loss and had ringing as a result?
I have tinnitus pretty bad in my left ear - you learn to ignore it or cover it up with 'white noise' (fan, air purifier, ac, etc). When my allergies are bad and my head is plugged up the tinnitus is really annoying ~ there is some connection between the two things. One loud event can trigger it for the rest of your life ~ I went to a concert and had to stand by the speaker bank on the left of the stage. The ringing never stopped after that night.
Have you ever tried to take anything for it? Supposedly, there are natural products that claim to improve it. How long have you had it?
My mom has this ringing. One mourning I slept on my ear wrong, and I heard ringing for about 15 seconds, got me scared, but I was ok. So I suspect I'll be a potential victim of this later on. I also had some ear trauma diving. I can actually scratch the back of my neck and get a tingly sensation in my ear due to the nerve damage. It's cool now. But later on, I suspect I'm not gonna like it so much. I think science can eventually beat it. There should be devices soon that knock out the wavelength(s) you are hearing. Possibility of brain implants becoming a neat technique as well. There is a good chance science will solve your problem eventually. Just hang in there.
when i was in junior high i got very sick with a huge fever. the fever caused ringing, apparently. they gave me a hearing test at the doctor, and it was affected big time. it went away. thankful for that.
swilkins, do you think that the firecracker popping in your right ear did it? You also mention how it's BOTH ears and not just one. You slept on your mom?
LOL, because it is true. I am surprised that I haven't had any hearing problems because God knows I listen to CDs way too loud. I have a feeling it will catch back up to me.
I've never tried anything for it ~ I went to a specialist and he said their really wasn't anything to treat the problem. I really don't think any of those 'natural' remedies do anything. I've had it around 12 years -- my left ear has quite a bit of damage on top of that. I've blown a hole in that eardrum at least 3 times (dive team/ high cliffs) so i'm sure that has something to do with the hearing loss. William Shatner of all people is an expert on tinnitus ~ he said it almost drove him to suicide until he bought a hearing aid that makes white noise.
Welcome to my world! (it sucks!) I've had tinnitus ( you say tin-e-tus I say Tin-i-tus) for 17 years. Mine started after bout with chicken pox and shingles..I had a pretty screwed up immune system from snorting meth and coke, hey it was the 80's. I went through every kind of testing known to man at the UT Med Center, Bobby Alford Center for Hearing and Balance, with no diagnosis. But a year or so ago I was giving a history to a research doctor at MD Anderson and she suggested that I might have Herpes Zoster virus still living in my ears and that I try Valtrex. Danged if it didn't help...for about 8 months, but it's back with a vengence. I'm trying the steroid pack and massive doses of Valtrex this week but it's not helping so far. Mine has a slight dizziness , nausea and dull headache at it's worst. I know it is exacerbated by stress and sugar. It also tends to make me pretty irritable and short with people so be careful, I've been fired and gotten in to fights. Chronic pain can make normal people into assholes. I''m just used to the noise now but for years it was very depressing becasue you tend to keep thinking about it, "what's wrong with me, why can't I get any medical help" Other than the Valtrex I don't have any real good news for you. I sort of believe that lots of water and exercise help but in doing your research you are going to find every kind of crack-pot suggestion Good luck and crank up the volume, if the music's loud you can't hear the ringing.
The hearing in my right ear has been weaker than the left for some time. Not weaker because of ringing, but not as much sound comes in. The ringing has only been around for not quite 2 weeks. I have ringing in both, but it is most prevalent in the right ear. The testing confirmed that my right ear was wekaer and the Doctor said that the side effect of hearing loss is the ringing. What I don't understand is that the right ear has been weaker for 25 years. Why did the ringing this severe just start happening? I have had typical ringing in the past, when going to concerts, but it always passed the following day. I haven't been around loud noise and this just appeared.
You should see me taking a hearing test, I can never guess which is the real tone and which is the noises in my head...the technicians usually end up lauhging.
My technician got up and left the room in the middle of it. I looked out the observation window and she was pointing at the computer screen while talking to somebody out of my view. I guess it wasn't something she sees everyday.
Mine's pretty good now, I usually don't hear any ringing unless I'm really stressed out and tired. I used to use this program to mask the ringing: SereneSound . Listening to the ocean waves instead of the ringing was nice Good luck, and remember that it's not unusual for the ringing to stop.
