Is my tinnitus causing further damage?
Friday, October 30th, 2009 at
5:11 am
I have recently discovered my tinnitus and it bothers me a lot. I have the type that sounds like it is coming from the center of my head. When I am in a quiet room it makes me dizzy hearing it, and it seems SO LOUD! But throughout the day I don’t notice it, it gets drowned out, but I know it is still there. Every time I go to my quiet room and listen to it it seems like it is worse than the day before, but I am not certain of this. Is this awful ringing in my head causing further damage? Also, I fear that this may be permanent and I’m afraid I may not be able to cope with it. Anyone relate to that?
Filed under: Tinnitus Causes
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
If you’ve had tinnitus less than two years, you need to see your doctor for an MRI. I have seen cases where a person became deaf due to incorrect medical treatment. Get a CT scan if you can’t afford an MRI. An MRI will reveal more about the brain to the astute professional though, so, I’d opt for an MRI. Either test will find a tumor and anyone who has been in this business has seen the results of what can happen when an MRI is not given and the worst case happens. Both of my clients who had tumors had more typical tests when their tumors apparently were in their infancy. Call me overly protective of my clients, or promoting unnecessary tests, I won’t see ANYONE who hasn’t ruled out tumor with 100% certainty. 2 in 1000 or however many people I’ve seen in the last few years is two too many. Don’t worry, it will almost certainly come back negative and you will feel great once it’s over!
Then have a blood chemistry performed. Are you diabetic? Are you hypoglycemic? Is there an imbalance we need to be aware of? See if getting this area of your life in balance reduces tinnitus volume.
Find out if you are zinc deficient or anemic. Zinc deficiency does happen sometimes among my elderly clients but has never occurred in one of my under-50 clients. I’m not a mineral expert, just find out and if you’re in need of supplement, ask your medical doctor what to do.
Get an audiological work up and spend some time with your ENT. It makes complete sense to get checked out thoroughly. Find out where your hearing loss is, if you have any. About half of my clients have some minor hearing loss. (I’ll be frank: I see no correlation between hearing loss and moderate to severe tinnitus OR hyperacusis. None.) Never assume your tinnitus is being generated in your "hearing system." Get all the tests you need. It’s your life and your hearing and your suffering. I wouldn’t pay a lick of attention to anyone who says, "Oh it doesn’t matter, it probably isn’t X". Nonsense, find out what it IS.
Do you work in silence or in a loud environment? Both are going to wreak havoc on tinnitus. Too quiet, you need to add sound until your daily environment is around 50dB plus or minus. Same with your nightly environment. If you’re a farmer or a construction worker or in an occupation where you are exposed to noise all the time, start wearing ear protection now. But NEVER stay in silence for extended periods. Whistle if you have to. The brain must have alternative auditory stimulus if at all possible to help expedite your tinnitus to reduce in volume and distress. If you are deaf, and a lot of my clients are, then you must learn to do external focusing and self hypnosis, regardless of medications.
Usually tinnitus is a sign of damage and not a condition which causes damage.
Check with your doctor for seeing why this is happening.
It is a symptom, not a disease in itself. A docotr can advise you for a course of tests to help determine the real cause and likely chance of it getting worse over time.
k
I think you should definatly get your tinnitus checked out. Is it bilateral? You mentioned that you feel some dizziness as well. Is there drainage from the ear? What about excess cerumen? Hearing loss? Have you been exposed to loud noises? How are your allergies and sinuses? I think that you should see a neurotologist or an ENT doc.
MDs know that lots of people get it but others around you do not hear the sound. They do not know where it comes from so they make up theories. Loud sounds drown it out. It is known in India as anahat nadam or unstruck sound. It is the soundless sound.
It will not hurt you at all. You can hear it after you die. Do a search for anahat nadam and also surat shabd yoga. You will hear descriptions of what you hear and where it really comes from. Then see this sight below on enlightenment which was written by me.
I am not saying that there is nothing wrong with ear. Lots of bad problems even being deaf can enable people to hear those sounds. I am talking only about the sounds not what is going on in your ear. Millions around the world without ear problems learn how to hear those sounds without hearinng problems.
http://www.phifoundation.org/enlightenment.html