Last year I was really unwell with bacterial meningitis. I recovered pretty well after 2 weeks in hospital, with just some lingering lethargy, but most other symptoms went away. Thankfully.
However I've been left with tinnitus + other ear issues. I had some hearing loss initially, but it seems to have mostly recovered on an audiogram (though I do feel I can't hear as well as I used to?). But the tinnitus is driving up the wall. I have the standard issues hissing/EE in both ears that seems to vary in loudness. But I also have some sort of pulsing low humming noise that reacts to noise. I'm on a flight path and when a plane flies over (100x a day) it seems to change the pattern of the tinnitus?? The noises make it change from a drone to a pulsing drone but in no pattern, and then goes back to the steadier drone as soon as the noise passes. I may have to move somewhere quieter tbh. But I also get it with the dishwasher, when the central heating kicks on etc etc etc.
The ENT couldn't really explain how or why, but for some reason my left ear hears sound waves differently now and causes patterns in sound. I've looked online and it looks like something called dysacusis. It's about 10 months now I've had it, so I'm probably stuck with it now.
It's totally ruined the past year. I can't even use masking music as anything with a low noise to it seems to cause the pattern too. Thankfully it doesn't seem to happen with voices. I spend a lot of time in silence.
Does anyone live with something similar? I guess its probably permanent at this point and I try to keep busy and stay positive but its just bloody depressing and makes me cry most days :(