Sudden increase in tinnitus

[Legacywr]

Although I suffered a bit from tinnitus for as long as I can remember, I've had a sudden increase starting last week sometime, what could be the causes?

[Four Litre]

Mine gets worse when I'm stressed, under the weather or tired. I say gets worse, its probably exactly the same but I think you engage with the sound more.

I only get it in one ear, however I took a long course of low dose antibiotics a while back and ended up making it way worse and in both ears! I came off and it went quieter again and back to one ear only.

[vulture1]

I current,y have it in one ear since December. Can't think what triggered it. Doctor gave me a nasel spray but its made no difference.

[Dylano]

Definitely stress and anxiety are the biggest factors that make mine worse.

[Legacywr]

Thanks for your replies.

The last week or so consists of…

Getting a Golf with Dynaudio,, which wasn’t set up particularly well, but I don’t think it was there after the 99 minute drive home, but the audio isn’t pleasant since the tinnitus started.

I started taking a pre-workout energy powder.

Cut some metal with a cutoff saw, after which I thought “st I should have worn ear defenders…”,

I started using a new ‘white noise’ sleeping aid which is louder than my normal one.

This week I’m stressed out dealing with too much work turning up, but I think it was there before this.

[Don1]

Covid increased mine...

[Belle427]

A build up of earwax can sometimes make it worse.

[Dylano]

I'd say the metal cutting and the increased stress through work are the two most likely causes, mine gets worse if I use my chainsaw for a length of time (Every time I've used it I also always think afterwards dammit I really should get some ear defenders!)

[MesoForm]

Four Litre said:

Mine gets worse when I'm stressed, under the weather or tired. I say gets worse, its probably exactly the same but I think you engage with the sound more.

I only get it in one ear, however I took a long course of low dose antibiotics a while back and ended up making it way worse and in both ears! I came off and it went quieter again and back to one ear only.

I went to a tinnitus workshop thing at the hospital (I had bad tinnitus after running which I thought was odd so saw the GP about it), the people who had tinnitus in one ear were sent for an MRI to check there was nothing nasty in there causing it. Mine turned out to be a very thin ear drum causing hearing loss in one ear and the tinnitus was my brain amplifying all the signals from that ear.
I now wear a hearing aid and that's pretty much got rid of it unless I'm very stressed, dehydrated or writing a post on PH about tinnitus

[Four Litre]

MesoForm said:

Four Litre said:

Mine gets worse when I'm stressed, under the weather or tired. I say gets worse, its probably exactly the same but I think you engage with the sound more.

I only get it in one ear, however I took a long course of low dose antibiotics a while back and ended up making it way worse and in both ears! I came off and it went quieter again and back to one ear only.

I went to a tinnitus workshop thing at the hospital (I had bad tinnitus after running which I thought was odd so saw the GP about it), the people who had tinnitus in one ear were sent for an MRI to check there was nothing nasty in there causing it. Mine turned out to be a very thin ear drum causing hearing loss in one ear and the tinnitus was my brain amplifying all the signals from that ear.
I now wear a hearing aid and that's pretty much got rid of it unless I'm very stressed, dehydrated or writing a post on PH about tinnitus

Yes - had that scan and nothing, no hearing loss either. I do have a pituitary tumour on my right side and its my right ear. Could be coincidence?

[mikal83]

I feckin hate it. Constant high pitch/tone 70% left side. the only "funny" thing that happens is maybe twice a day, the pitch changes.....Lie in bed at night cant sleep because of the "noise".....Hard to explain to non sufferers what its like to have it.............ALL THE TIME.

[Legacywr]

mikal83 said:

I feckin hate it. Constant high pitch/tone 70% left side. the only "funny" thing that happens is maybe twice a day, the pitch changes.....Lie in bed at night cant sleep because of the "noise".....Hard to explain to non sufferers what its like to have it.............ALL THE TIME.

Get a 'white noise' app on your phone, it'll help with your sleep.

[TonyRPH]

Avoid food & drink with artificial sweeteners - I find those aggravate my tinnitus.

The artificial stuff gives me headaches too.

[Fozziebear]

Ive been using CBD oil spray (oral) it slightly decreased the volume, ill keep at it

[mikal83]

TonyRPH said:

Avoid food & drink with artificial sweeteners - I find those aggravate my tinnitus.

The artificial stuff gives me headaches too.

I use sweetners in my tea and coffee and also on my porridge/cereals......
White noise App. Wife will love that!

[Dylano]

Legacywr said:

mikal83 said:

I feckin hate it. Constant high pitch/tone 70% left side. the only "funny" thing that happens is maybe twice a day, the pitch changes.....Lie in bed at night cant sleep because of the "noise".....Hard to explain to non sufferers what its like to have it.............ALL THE TIME.

Get a 'white noise' app on your phone, it'll help with your sleep.

Yes I tried a white noise vid on YouTube the other day and it really does cancel it out.

I can't even begin to understand how white noise does cancel it out given that the tinnitus noise you can hear isn't an actual noise at all but is just something your brain has created.

I can only get to sleep and stay asleep by having an audiobook or podcast playing all night, I think partly to distract me from the tinnitus but also just because I can't switch my brain off and go to sleep without having something to concentrate on listening to.

[J4CKO]

I never had it until last year, post Covid.

My ears get blocked but its not wax on the outside, apparently its the Eustachian tubes.

They go ok for a day or two, and it can be, either or both that seem to get blocked, but the constant hiss is always there.

I went to the doctors in October and they did a referral to the ENT department at Wythenshawe hospital, so I checked with them and they said the wait time on those appointments is 18 months to two years ffs.

I have private medical insurance but it has an outpatient limit, I had a benign lump removed and it used £1484 of my £1500 limit, just trying to find out when that resets.

Driving me mental, and the hearing issue is causing my wife to get really grumpy with me, maybe if she didnt whisper at me, she whispers wen she is telling me something about someone who lives miles away when nobody is in the house, then gets ratty when I ask her to repeat !

[cheerfulcharlie]

Legacywr said:

Getting a Golf with Dynaudio,, which wasn’t set up particularly well, but I don’t think it was there after the 99 minute drive home, but the audio isn’t pleasant since the tinnitus started.

I'm sure it's just co-incidence but mine started 5 years ago after I got my Golf. I noticed I could hear a hissing noise during long journeys that gradually went away after I'd stopped driving. Until one day it didn't.

I perceive mine changes volume regularly (but it probably doesn't) and is currently up and down at the moment after being fairly stable for quite a while.

[Caddyshack]

I would get a hearing test done

[vulture1]

Caddyshack said:

I would get a hearing test done

I did.
Normal hearing,
Though i tried to be honest with it i worked out the pattern and how often the person was clicking fo rthe next pitch to come on so dunno if it was a fair representation.