Treepe,
I had just posted back to you to check out tinnitus before I saw this post. I do have allergies and asthma. My tinnitus came on not long after I was diagnosed with epilepsy in August of 2006. I think that stress probably triggered tinnitus for me. My neurologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center referred me to an ENT there and I felt quite comfortable with this person. The ENT also said I had hearing loss in both ears to the point that I needed hearing aids and that hearing aids sometimes helped tinnitus. Well, hearing aids cost $5,000 + and while I may be 57 years old, I'm just not ready for hearing aids.
He did suggest that I play some "white noise" while I was trying to go to sleep. I don't know if that was suggested to you or not.
Are you having trouble with music in restaurants? For about nine or ten months, I could only go to a couple of restaurants where the managers were kind enough to turn the music way down or completely off for me. I would have to have this done as soon as I was seated or I felt like I was coming unglued. I could not stand to be in the car with anyone with a radio on. While I could watch TV at home by myself, I wouldn't have been able to watch TV and interact with others at the same time.
Are you trying to work while this is going on? In my opinion, being under stress does not help it at all.
I can remember having to leave my daughter's church when I was so determined to be there for my grand children's music program. I had even put ear plugs in so I could only hear it a little bit, but as it got louder and louder, I was afraid I would have a seizure if I tried to force myself to stay.
I can tell you this, my tinnitus gradually got better. It is always there lightly. The ringing is usually loud when I am under stress. I hope some of this has helped you. Feel free to email me if you would like. You can do that by clicking on my name. Be sure to put HealingWell in the subject line so I will know that it is from a member.
Take care!
Carla