If you Dr Google it, you know that there is not much in the way of medical treatment for Tinnitus.
Has any one found any good reason to be checked out by an Audiologist or ENT or Neurologist? Is there even any reason to bother with all that?
I see some places advertised say they teach brain retraining?
Personally, I have a hearing loss already and know that & see hearing aid specialists. When the loud shrill noise hits, the iPhone background sounds ocean at 100db barely masks it, and is a lifesaver at getting through without throwing up!
These are extreme symptoms and not typical of run-of-the-mill tinnitus. I would be seen by your primary care physician, and ask for a specialty referral (either neurology or ENT, probably doesn’t matter much.)
When I first got it, it was a day after the COVID booster. I thought I’d go crazy - I slept with white noise and had to try several different frequencies- as some would just make it worse. And I took a sleeping pill at night for a while. Eventually, I stopped needing white noise, and now usually don’t notice it, but it took months!
I did see an audiologist and nothing was wrong per se, no treatment for it. He did suggest taking ginkgo supplements, which I did. I don’t think it did anything. I think it was mainly time that allowed my brain to learn to tune it out.
I do notice my tinnitus gets worse when I’m sick or congested so when that happens, alleviating the congestion helps. Staying busy helped, listening to music helped…
I had pretty bad tinnitus and went to an audiologist who specializes in that. She prescribed specialized heading aids and within about 2 months it was down to about 5 percent or less of what it had been. I was sooo grateful.
If you live in the LA area, DM me and I’ll give you a referral.
I have severe hearing loss and tinnitus. My hearing aids have settings to help with the retraining, but it hasn’t helped much.
I just bought the new Phonak/Sonova hearing aids that have AI functionalities to better distinguish background noise. Honestly- not that impressed with them.
If anyone has tinnitus, one sided hearing lost on that side, and possibly some dizziness, it is good to get an MRI to check for an acoustic neuroma. There is a forum on the Acoustic Neuroma Association site.
I have seen audiology, neurology, ENT and otoneurology for this and other things. I cannot play masking sounds like rain and ocean: I wake up with extreme disequilibrium. I also have noise sensitivity that causes trigeminal neuralgia and facial numbness.
There is a tinnitus forum- Tinnutus Talk?- that I stay away from because some people are desperate.
Over the years I have learned to just accept it. The sounds fluctuate and I was once afraid that when it increased, it would stay there, but so far, it goes up and down.
I can hear it now because tinnitus is being discusses!
Tinnitus, hearing loss and vertigo can be symptoms of Ménière’s disease. There are some treatments that can slow the progression so it would be worth it to see a neurotologist to rule that out or other serious ear pathology as suggested by other posters.
I have always been told that tinnitus comes from the brain in an effort to fill a void from hearing loss. However I read recent research that implicated the auditory nerve. There is a lot of research going on because so many of us have tinnitus. Hoping this new angle helps us!
I have an acoustic neuroma, now dead due to cyberknife radiation.
My ENT diagnosed Ménière’s disease. I went to those forum boards and people were saying to go to a neurotologist (ent that specializes in the inner ear). I went, they did an MRI and sure enough, found the tumor. If I had just stayed with the Ménière’s disease diagnosis, it would still be growing with all sorts of issues.
I always say we need to be our own health advocates. Thank goodness for the medical forum boards. (And this board)
I think the bottom line, @somemom is that you need to find out if there is a medical reason why you have tinnitus. So…yes, there are good reasons to see a doctor. An audiologist isn’t the right answer completely because they really can’t treat medical issues.
Find out if you have a medical issue that is causing your tinnitus…and what can be done (if anything) about that. Some tinnitus is idiopathic meaning there is not an identifiable cause…yet. BUT you need to find out.
So I guess what I’m saying is…yes, there is a good reason to see a doctor. And BTW, a good audiologist will refer you to one, in my opinion.
In my experience ENT’s and neurotolgists tend to shrug and basically say get used to it. Oddly both of these that I have seen have tinnitus themselves, the neurotologist since birth.
Mass Eye and Ear in Boston now has a tinnitus clinic but so far I have heard it isn’t that helpful. They are doing research though.
Audiologists can help with a retraining program (using sound) but I personally cannot do that. If hyperacusis is also a problem that complicates it.
My neurologist is the one who brought up acoustic neuroma. I have MRI’s scheduled. More likely if hearing loss is on one side.
Tinnitus can also happen because of neck issues. All those nerves are at some point in the brain. I hope that research makes more progress.
Yes. Tinnitus and vertigo are strongly associated with Menieres. I suggest the OP see an ENT who specializes in Menieres, especially at it seems that the OP has bouts of it. So it’s episodic, right? And something brings it on? It is actually a very common disease and no one is interested in researching it.
I have Menieres Disease and have been living with it for close to 20 years now. I am really lucky that I haven’t lost hearing, but I do have tinnitus and any congestion in my sinuses or ears makes it much worse.
My big mistake was flying while I had a cold. My dad was ill and I asked the doctor if she thought it was safe for me to fly. I wish I had canceled the trip. I permanently damaged my inner ear. I couldn’t handle any kind of loud noise or echoing spaces and had to use white noise for the almost unbearable tinnitus. I was dizzy all the time. I eventually ended up getting a steroid injection directly into my sinuses which helped enormously.
It’s one of those hidden diseases that can completely destroy quality of life. I hope you can get some resolution, OP.
I believe studies have shown supplemental alpha-lipoic acid to have reduced tinnitus depending on the underlying cause. If there’s any chance you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, that can be a consideration as well.
@merc91 I have taken alpha lipoic acid for yeras. It helps with tingling sensations in my arms but does nothing for my tinnitus. I see more discussion of taurine. Of course if tinnitus improves on any supplement we never know if it would have lessened anyway with time.
While individuals may not be able to positively ascribe changes to particular supplements or treatments, well-designed studies can compensate for confounding aspects such as this.
@merc81 there is frequent discussion of supplements on Tinnitus Talk (forum). If there are studies, they seem to contradict each other. If you know of any reliable studies please let me know!
I have Ménière’s. So far, a really high dose of steroids helps the symptoms abate for at least a few months. Though the side effects of the steroids are not easy to live with. I try to eat lower sodium and rarely drink, but not sure if that helps.
Has anyone tried the steroid shot in ear drum?