tinitus with anxiety

Atata:

I have that same buzzing sound in my ear. I have sensitive ears to noise, and neighbors, especially since I live alone and have emotional problems, will tend to jump on that and can make unnecessary noise from time to time.

This increases the buzzing, and makes things more difficult, which is driving me up the wall. I've gotten to where I can hardly lay down at night, as you're saying, when it's quiet.

I use a moist heating pad on my pillow at night, with part of it on one ear and part of it on the other, enlarging the blood vessels to the ears, which I find to be a treatment.

So I do have an idea of what you're going through. When did it start?

Hi Atara and welcome back!

Huge high fives for getting the help that you needed with your medical stay and O.P. program! I am so impressed with all you've done. ..and so happy to hear you are starting to feel better. May it continue!

Sorry to hear about this annoying issue however.:/ I did have this as a symptom for a prolonged period of time. ..and yes, as you said, it was worse during quiet times...

...so you may want to try having some ambient sound/music when trying to sleep for example.

I believe there is also biofeedback for managing tinnitus...I can look it up if you like...


...bit hopefully as you get your anxiety management where you need it to be, this issue will phase out.

Again, welcome back...and keep up the good work!

S.C.

Atara:

This is a difficult situation.

The reason I didn't respond to you last night was because this is a difficult situation.

I've had that buzzing in the ears for a very long time. What you can be thankful for is that it's not worse.

And it can get worse.

After many years, I finally found out what causes it: noise and medicine. You can get data on a tinnitus or hyperacusis website.

What I was told what is happening is, the noise and the medicine are similar in that both reduce the blood flow to the inner ear. That reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the inner ear, which is injurious to that area.

Mine started with rifle fire in the military. The ringing, in my case.

Over the years, the ringing got worse and then in a decade or two, it moved to hyperacusis, which is, sounds are too loud. And then that can get worse.

Yours started right after a lot of medicine. It was probably the medicine.

But then you don't want to drop off of the medicine because then the original emotional problems can come back. Then, if you rush to get back on the medicine, it can mess up the ears worse, because you went back onto too much medicine too soon.

I got off some medicine with a new doctor because of some foul ups, and that's what happened to me.

One thing you can do is to try to stay away from noise. Like, concerts, loud bands, fireworks.

The combination of medicine and noise is not good for ears, especially ears that have already shown signs of this situation.

There will be times when you will be invited to a concert, or to a club with a band, whose volume you won't know. The volume can hurt your ears.

There will be times when you will be torn. Sometimes you will make the right decision, and sometimes you won't.

It is a very difficult situation. You just have to brace yourself mentally as best you can.

You did write: "I do notice that after a loud wedding or concert I would go home and hear this same buzzing." There's your noise, and your medicine is your medicine.

Again, making it even harder, is the combination of those two factors. So, going into a sound situation with already taking medicine, can be a rough experience. Not taking the medicine is rough. I'm telling you, it's rough.

I think things I do now for my hyperacusis also help with tinnitus. They're not going to make it go away, but they can help sooth it a little bit.

I mentioned the moist heating pad, I think you need to get one. I have a pad that is 22-inches, I moisten the pad, put one end of the pad on the pillow, and wrap the other side to the top ear.

A warm bath or shower can help. I would not try hot, for the hot water on my head made some of my hair fall out. Warm breakfast cereal, warm soup (or anything) for lunch can help.

Hot pickles, hot sauce, helps, but too much can cause stomach problems.

What the head does is widen the blood vessels, and puts more oxygen and nutrients to the inner ear.

I don't know your situation but what I often recommend is volunteering to help others and take your mind off of yourself.

Hospital, walking dogs at a kennel, etc.

Another thing, is trying to stay positive. You have a lot of things going for you. Think about those. Think about other's problems by volunteering, not your problems. You can use that problem to help others with, by telling them, "Guess what happened to me on time?"

I've got this problem, and I'm helping you right now. You think I'm thinking about the problem right now, or I'm thinking about you? I'm thinking about you.

One problem at a time, and be positive about that problem. If you spend too much time thinking how bad this situation is, you're going to lose time and energy thinking of how you might keep it from getting worse.